The Stray Cats | Life Music Media

Review: San Valentino Bordello Show at The Globe, Brisbane 14 February 2009
Author: Lisa Lamb

Who knows when the fifties revival began? Maybe with *The Stray Cats* in the eighties, maybe in the seventies with Grease and Happy Days, or maybe The Wintersun Festival helping bring modern rockabilly rebels and greaser bands in to the limelight, such as Paulie & his Crazy Rhythm Boys, who opened the show on the foyer stage in authentic fifites style with thier double bass, duck tails, pants and guitars under the armpits. Some music is simply meant to be heard live, and rockabilly is one of them! The energy just makes you want to get up and shake to the rythm. It was like a scene from Back to the Future and this was the McFly band discovering Rock n Roll.

On the main stage The Wretched Villains stand out from the crowd sounding like an alternate gothic rock band from the late eighties, with influences from Nick Cave and Siouxie & the Banshees. Drawing upon the deep swamp blues and British post punk they produce a dark, classic and haunting sound giving a good contrast to the lightweight fifties sounds in the foyer.
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leerocker
Since the release of his Alligator Records debut Racin’ The Devil, bassist/vocalist/songwriter (and Stray Cats co-founder) Lee Rocker’s solo career has been skyrocketing. Publications from USA Today to Billboard and The New York Times raved about the undeniable power and foot-stomping fun of Rocker’s Americana-based roots rock. OffBeat declared, “What’s most satisfying about Lee Rocker is his ability to graft classic Sun licks and shuffles onto Americana. He bridges the gap between Bruce Springsteen and Hank Williams, Sr.” Bass Player magazine simply said, “He absolutely kills.” Lee’s live shows, fueled by his barnstorming, rocking band, grow wilder each night out. And now, on the heels of the national Stray Cats 2007 summer reunion tour, Lee Rocker is back with his second Alligator album, Black Cat Bone.

The Chicago Tribune describes Rocker’s playing as “muscular and passionate.” The Washington Post says his music consists of “impressive, catchy, driving original songs, frantic romps, finger-snapping swing and brooding slow blues.” Rolling Stone declares, “Lee Rocker’s singing naturally captures the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. His catchy, well-written songs are very difficult to get out of your head.”

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