Around 1980, the music scene spawned a new mongrel breed - Psychobilly - the result of punk mating with rockabilly!!
The Cramps were brilliant at it. The Meteors were UK's top exponents of it, but King Kurt actually managed to get a hit record into the pop charts with it. Quite a feat because it was pretty much kept an underground scene till then. But yep, their track "Destination Zululand" did get into the top 40 in 1983.
Live psychobilly gigs were wild, sweaty, messy affairs, with lots of diving onto & off the stage, beer getting chucked about, shambolic behaviour in general - the bands as well as the crowd. Always great fun though!
And of course, who could forget those magnificent hairstyles!!
Anyway, the scene was fully formed by the time King Kurt and The Meteors performed at Club Feet in 1984.
2 separate gigs, the top item being a local flyer for King Kurt, and the cutting under it being tour dates for The Meteors taken from an old Melody Maker music paper I have.
Incidentally, a couple of years earlier, I saw The Meteors play in Edinburgh. They were the support act to The Cramps. A great night it was too. But not only that, it just so happens that The Meteors were staying at the same B&B as me, and next morning after the show we all had breakfast together in the wee dining room!
The Cramps were brilliant at it. The Meteors were UK's top exponents of it, but King Kurt actually managed to get a hit record into the pop charts with it. Quite a feat because it was pretty much kept an underground scene till then. But yep, their track "Destination Zululand" did get into the top 40 in 1983.
Live psychobilly gigs were wild, sweaty, messy affairs, with lots of diving onto & off the stage, beer getting chucked about, shambolic behaviour in general - the bands as well as the crowd. Always great fun though!
And of course, who could forget those magnificent hairstyles!!
Anyway, the scene was fully formed by the time King Kurt and The Meteors performed at Club Feet in 1984.
2 separate gigs, the top item being a local flyer for King Kurt, and the cutting under it being tour dates for The Meteors taken from an old Melody Maker music paper I have.
Incidentally, a couple of years earlier, I saw The Meteors play in Edinburgh. They were the support act to The Cramps. A great night it was too. But not only that, it just so happens that The Meteors were staying at the same B&B as me, and next morning after the show we all had breakfast together in the wee dining room!
Hup Baby a hoooooooooooooooo aye ehhhhh
ReplyDeleteNice bit of artwork from that era. Anyone know who the designer was?
ReplyDeleteMost of the early King Kurt artwork was done by Maggot.
ReplyDeleteHere are some stories of what it was like on the road with them:
http://www.skankworks.net/tag/king-kurt/