ISSUE NO. 5 APRIL 2012

APRIL ALREADY! - hope everyone had a fantastic time at the Kurri Kurri Nostalgia Festival –but don't put your dancing shoes away yet, as there are some special events comin up locally over April DONT miss Brian Setzer—We saw him with the Stray Cats in Sydney a year or so ago—wonderful performer. Brian is pretty much responsible for the rockabilly revival—and it’s a long shot if he will return for another tour to Oz—

Thursday 5th April Newcastle Panthers Club

At the Great Northern Hotel, on Thursday 12th April, we have FRANKIE WANTS OUT supported by ZOE K AND THE SHADOW KATZ. Contact the Hotel regarding tickets. Frankie Wants Out is a nine piece original swing band from Melbourne. They first formed as a neo swing band, playing fast jazz and jump blues as well as taking influence the music of the New York dance halls of the 20’s and 30’s. However over the last four years they have incorporated other styles into their live show, such as latin, motown, rock and funk while still paying homage to their swing beginning. Regardless of the style, Frankie Wants Out are still guaranteed to make you jump and jive all the way across the dance floor regardless of whether you’re in a rocking pub or a classy cocktail lounge. Frankie wants out supported the Cherry Poppin Daddies last year and were wonderful. Zoe K is one of our own very talented local lassies, and with her band are well known to sing and play up a storm. All in all, the 12th is going to be a night to remember!

SUNDAY 1ST APRIL. 5PM –9PM AZURRI CLUB. HIGHFIELDS. BISTRO AVAILABLE

Local happenings... Hi Linda and Laurie Just a quick report on the Frock-up last Friday night (2nd March) at Toukley RSL. After receiving a hot tip, we headed down to Toukley RSL and met up with friends Joe and Jill plus Glenn and Lynda. It’s a top venue, with a large dance floor and plenty of seating. Despite the rainy weather, there was a near capacity crowd to enjoy the Hollywood Hombres. On the night, the band had two guitar players, sax, upright bass, keyboard and drums. The music they played was not your standard rock’n’roll fare. With a country style but strong danceable rhythm, they played and sang a great foot-tapping mix of unusual songs. The lead guitarist was also the main vocalist and he was a pleasure to listen to, making a good connection with the dancers. On some songs the other guys joined in with backing vocals, and the sax and keyboard added extra depth and a few solos. The two guitars played in perfect sync all night. Their tight blues style and boogie-woogie rhythms just made you want to get up, which of course we did! A lot of the songs were played at rockabilly / balboa pace, with several slower ones suitable for swing or lindy. We will be looking out for these Hombre’s next time the come to town. DJ Gavin played his usual mix of rockabilly and swing classics during the band breaks, and featured a few songs from artists who will be playing in the Rockabilly All-Stars at Kurri Nostalgia Festival. Just as we did, the Central Coast locals had a top night, with lots of them dancing with a variety of partners. Good to watch. Cheers from John and Catherine.

OUR FEATURE BAND is Red Crown Radio. They are young, talented and play Rock-abilly & Rock n Roll like there is no tomorrow. Lucky you!! all those on the North Coast Area who get to see this talented trio from time to time. They have a CD of five songs out, I have had a listen— loved it—young Layla has that true ’rockabilly/Immelda May’ style in her voice. Wonderful!

LINDY HOP LESSONS Start again ( 4 weeks)

MONDAY 2ND APRIL 7pm

RED HOT DANCE

STUDIO.

What’s coming up.. (links on ‘events’ page of Rock To It)

Steve Tate will be holding a workshop on the Saturday afternoon—5th May prior to the dance. Details are ; 1-3pm Coasters style 6 step plus 4 moves- $10 3-4pm Lifts, Jumps and Drops $8.00 Professional Tutor: Steve Tate. Enquiries 0428413731

10 Piece Swing Band The WellSwung Daddies from the Byron Bay Region had Coffs Harbour on their feet dancing up a storm earlier this year as they launched the Greenhouse Taverns new 'Swingin' Sundayz'.The WellSwung Daddies are a 10 piece band formed in 2010, with arrangements from modern swing masters, The Cherry Poppin Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue and Brian Setzer amongst other arrangements transcribed and arranged from original recordings and selected for their modern interpretation of Swing, Jive, Rock n Roll, Lindy

Hop etc. The band consists of male vocalist, two trumpets, two saxes, trombone, guitar, bass, drums and piano. Dancers at the Greenhouse felt the energy buzzing around the room as not only was the music fantastic but the band gave it 110% of their energy and it was more than reciprocated by their adoring crowd who can not wait for their return in August so keep your eyes out for Coffs Coast Swing Katz gig guides to keep your finger on the pulse of activity here in Coffs Harbour! THE DADDIES WILL BE AT COOLY ROCKS ON

So much has been said of the glory of Rock n’ Roll that it is very easy to forget the ‘Dark Side’.. (come back Lord Vader all is forgiven). Early (and late) rock is tainted with scoundrels, thieves, murders, drugs, bigamy and underage sex, just to mention a few incidents. A number of huge stars were caught up in these scandals, yet most survived with their reputations intact. Most will have heard of the incident of the Mann Act with Chuck Berry and his ‘transporting an under age female across a state line’, where Berry took a 14 year old girl across a state line to work as a hat-check girl in his St. Louis nightclub. She was later known to be working as a prostitute from the club. Berry was jailed for 2 years in Springfield, Missouri for the crime.What is not wider known is that this was only one of three jail terms served by Berry. The first was four years (1944-1947) for armed robbery of a bakery, clothing store and a barber shop. Berry claimed he had hijacked a car for a ride home and the driver just happened to commit the crimes while Berry was in the car! Berry was also jailed for four months in 1979 for evasion of Federal Income Tax.

‘The Godfather of Soul’, James Brown was perhaps the most serial offender, being arrested no less than eight times! His jail terms however were fewer than perhaps were warranted. He was arrested at 17 years of age in 1949 for stealing clothes from parked cars and was sentenced to 3 years at Toccoa, Georgia. He was also in 1988 arrested after perhaps his most notorious escapade where he led police on a chase through two states after bursting into his own office complex waving a pistol, demanding that the public stop using his restrooms! He was later found to be under the influence of drugs and was arrested for brandishing a firearm, illegal drug possession, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and

numerous traffic violations! He was sentenced to three years jail in Columbia, Sth. Carolina. Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers was jailed for 37 months for five counts of Tax Evasion in 2008 and one count of ‘wilful failure to file a tax return‘. It was claimed he owed $3.7 million in taxes and fines. In 1981, ‘Papa’ John Phillips of ‘The Mamas and Papas’ somehow managed to serve only one month of a proposed 8 year prison term in Los Angeles for faking drug prescriptions with the assistance of a local

pharmacist. Ike Turner (of Ike & Tina Turner fame) served two years in California for possessing and transporting cocaine. He had been an addict and had pleaded his way out of prison terms eleven previous times before the ‘bench’ had had enough. A thoroughly unpleasant man, he was extremely lucky not to have been jailed many times for assaulting his wife Tina. She left him in 1976 after many years of spousal abuse.

On Air By Mike James The History of Rock & Roll

The “bad” guys

Barry White (the famous ‘Love Rooster’ of the 1970’s) at 17 years of age was jailed for four months in 1961 in Los Angeles for stealing $30,000 worth of Cadillac tyres! He decided to go onto ‘the straight and narrow’ when in prison after hearing an Elvis Presley song. The song?….’It’s now or never’. ‘Leadbelly’, the blues singer extraordinaire, served a total of thirteen years in prisons in US

southern states for murder, attempted murder and possession of a concealed weapon, namely a gun. First jailed in 1915 for assaulting a prostitute, he escaped from the chain-gang and lived under another name before killing a man in an argument over a woman and was sentenced to thirty years in jail. A song he wrote begging for release actually worked (what the…?) but five years later he found himself back inside, convicted of attempted murder under similar circumstances. The artist with perhaps the least common sense of all was of course Jerry Lee Lewis. JLL was married no less than six times. First in 1952 when he was 14 years old…..“she was too old for me, she was 17”. His second marriage was unusual in that the marriage occurred 23 days before the divorce from his first wife! He was married to Jane Mitchum for four years and they had two children. If all this were not perfect it had little affect on his popularity because his private life was completely unknown. This all changed in 1958 when a London reporter innocently asked who the young lady was with him. She replied that she was JLL’s wife. The reporter asked JLL “How old is Mrs Lewis?”, to which he replied (knowing nothing of UK law but being smart enough to know that something was amiss), “She is 15.”

It took little work to ascertain that Myra Gale Brown (as was) was actually only 13. This was nothing compared to the ensuing uproar when it was discovered that not only was she only 13, she was actually his cousin too! Lewis and Myra and Lewis’s management team insisted that she was 15, but the proverbial cat was already out of the metaphorical bag. Lewis was almost 23 years old. In fact Myra was not Lewis’s cousin, but was the daughter of his bass player who was his cousin! This small difference mollified the baying crowd not one jot, serving only to have the British tour

cancelled after only three concerts because nobody bought tickets. One would have to marvel also at the attitude of Lewis’s bass player in allowing such a marriage in the first place. However we must remember that in Louisiana, such marriages were entirely legal. This from a state where other US states would joke that the definition of a virgin in Louisiana is ‘a girl who can run faster than her uncle!’. The scandal followed Lewis back to the US where he found himself as an outcast where he was banished from radio and almost disappeared from the music scene. His only supporter was Alan Freed who continued to play JLL records until he was removed from the airwaves after the ‘payola’ scandal in the early 1960’s. JLL, never one to be normal then remarried Myra as their original wedding took place before his divorce from Jane Mitchum was final! JLL and Myra were married for 14 years and had two children. More to come next issue. Until then, Good Rockin’. Mike James

Red Crown Radio Red Crown Radio, are a rockabilly/rock n roll trio. As a band, they have been together for a little over 12 months and have played at various venues, festivals and events along the east coast of Australia. They love rockabilly, and are one of the youngest rockabilly bands in Australia.Siblings Layla and John both played together in a rockabilly band known as The River City Rumblers, and soon gained popularity after their apper-ance on the national T.V show, Australias Got Talent. Layla and John have now entered the second stage of

their music career, with new guitarist Jack Thompson, as Red Crown Radio! they provide a thriving, youthful take on rockabilly classics, as well as having up-tempo originals that get you rockin and jivin in no time. Their energetic and captivating live shows create an infec-tious joy amongst the audience. They are fresh talent and perform beyond their years. With thumpin bass, classy drums, and a unique lead guitar style, Red Crown Radio have been described as Australia's future of rockabilly.

So Red Crown Radio is made up of three members, Layla Micallef , who is the lead vocal-ist and the double bass player, Jack Thompson , the lead guitarist and Laylas younger brother John Micallef, on drums. Together, these young musicians form a three piece band like no other.

Now, lets get to know these young folks a little bit more, starting of with the lead lady Layla (mum & dad named her after the song). Layla is 18 years old, cars and bikes have always been a part of her life, and have interested her greatly. She grew up around all different kinds of music, tattoos and kustom kulture festivals. For her fourth birthday, her parents bought her a ukulele to stop her from trying to grab her dads guitar. She used to sit there and pick smoke on the water with her new instru-ment. When she was 12, her parents bought her an electric guitar , and she then started to learn songs, and began to accompany herself singing. As Layla got more and more into singing she started to get lessons, but not for very long. At the age of 14, she was thrown into her brothers band playing bass and singing to a crowd, which was a big change from playing guitar and singing on the front verandah. Layla began to form her own taste in music, listening mostly to rock from the 70's and 80's. For her 16th birthday, her parents bought her a big double bass! This was just the beginning for Layla, and it was here she started to get into Rockabilly , full throttle. Layla really enjoys singing, and getting the crowd involved with their music. She believes the rockabilly scene is very unique, and if you are lucky enough to be a part of it, is a great community to be involved in. She can’t wait to have a look at what the scene is like over-seas.

Photo by Courtney Jo Barnes

Now, for the lead guitarist, Jack. Jack has just turned 18. He began playing guitar by watching his cousin play and thought if his cousin could do it, then he could to. His mum knew it was something he would be able to do , so she decided to buy him a guitar for Christmas when he was 11. The first song he learnt was Waltzing Matilda,a classic Australian folk song, which he learnt off his cousin. Since then , Jacks love for guitar grew as did his passion and drive to learn . Once Jack started to explore new genres and musicians he discovered Paul Gilbert, lead guitarist from Racer X, an 80's rock band. This opened a whole new world of music for Jack, and he then started to focus greatly on his technique and style, practising for up to six hours a day. His skill began to develop after hours and hours of dedicated practice and when Jack was 16, his parents bought him an Ibanez S320, one of many guitars to come. After a while, Jack decided that playing in his room just wasn't enough. He wanted to be in a band, and to share his music with others. Layla and John were looking for a new guitarist for their band, and had known Jack for over 10 years. Layla suggested that he should come and have a bit of a Jam with her self and her brother. The three really hit it off, and played together brilliantly with more than enough oomph than a 3 piece band should have. He then saved his pennies and bought an Ibanez Artcore, which was a perfect addition to the sound of this trio. Jack was then introduced to the rockabilly scene, playing all over the country with his new band Red Crown Radio. Jack loves everything about the rockabilly scene, especially the fact that everyone communes to celebrate another era, and that you can step out of the everyday boring world, and enter the real world of rockabilly.

And last but certainly not least, the boy in the engine room, the drummer, John Micallef. John has been playing drums since he was six years old. His parents started taking him to lessons after they were at a friends place, and John hopped on a friends drum kit for the first time. When they heard John play, they knew he had a talent. Not long after, the family moved, and were able to afford Johns first drum kit, after he had a few lessons. Johns first drum teacher dis- encouraged him to pursue his talent because he is left handed, but this did not dis-hearten this little six year old drummer. Once John got his first drum kit, his interest grew, and began to get lessons off a different teacher who lived just up the road from his house. John began to practice his drums more and more, and it soon became a passion rather than just a hobby. Johns determination soon paid off, and he landed himself a place in a band when he was just 10 years old.

From then up until now, John has been drumming in a band and has loved every second of it. Drumming and performing from such a young age has taught him a lot about music. John loves the rockabilly culture, the cars , the girls and the clothes! And did he mention the girls? At the tender age of 15 he is already search-ing for his first car which he hopes will be a 64 to 67 vintage holden station wagon.

If you like what you hear, check these guys out on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Crown-Radio/135847399807900 Here, you can keep up to date with what they are do-ing, contact the band, and even listen to some of their music!

What’s coming up.. (links on ‘events’ page of Rock To It)

The History of the Tuxedo Both as Prince of Wales and later as King, Edward was a dedicated clothes-horse. As with his food, cigars, sports, cars and women, he adored fine tailoring and was never less than perfectly turned-out. He and his entourage made Savile Row properly fashionable for the first time, and his favourite tailor of the many inhabiting that Mayfair strip was the aforementioned Henry Poole. And, as well as that Royal Warrant (and many in the proceeding years), Henry Poole & Co has another, very significant claim to fame: they are the original designers and creators of the Tuxedo... actually for Edward when he was the Prince of Wales.

Prince Bertie commissioned Henry Poole in 1860 to make him a short evening coat in the standard midnight blue silk of the time's longer formal eveningwear, something that had never been done before. Legend has it that 26 years later, a Mr James Brown Potter, native New Yorker and dashing gent with a beautiful wife, was invited to dinner at Sandringham. Potter ordered a short evening jacket in the same style as the Prince, and, when he returned to New York and attended the highly fashionable Tuxedo Club, the style took off and was ever more referred to as a Tuxedo. The above booklet from Henry Poole does slightly question this apocryphal story, since the Club's actual founders were Poole customers at the time of the original commission... but it makes for an interesting anecdote nonetheless.

But the short evening jacket is not the only sartorial flourish made famous by His Royalness. The origin of the custom for chaps leaving the bottom button of their waistcoats undone is often attributed to Edward. Two theories abound: one that his fondness for fine food and good living, and the resultant expanding waistline, was to blame. And the other is that as a chap who was far more obsessed with his clothing, even than most fashion-devoted ladies today, he used to change his whole outfit up to six times a day; and would forget to do up the bottom button. Looking at these theories objectively, neither makes much sense - he had so many garments made, they would have fitted him like a glove, despite his er... stately embonpoint... and his valet would never have allowed him to leave his room without being fully buttoned. Not only that, but many, many pictures survive of Edward fully fastened. Either way, though, it was a craze that caught on, and endures to this day.

(thanks to “diary of a Vintage girl” for this information)

Swing @ The Roxbury FIRST & FOURTH SATURDAYS Everyone is welcome and we always have a great mix of levels from beginners to advanced. Good meals are also available at the pub. The Roxbury Hotel 162 St Johns Rd Glebe From 8.30pm, Entry $6 JUMP, JIVE and WAIL THIRD FRIDAYS of the month.New venue is Level 1, The Lansdowne Hotel, Corner City Road and Broadway, Sydney.This is the monthly residency presented by Limpin’Jimmy and the Swingin’ Kitten . 10pm to 2am free entry! SWING PIT: 2ND & 4TH FRIDAYS OF THE MONTH. ST STEPHENS HALL. 189 CHURCH ST, OFF KING ST. 8.00PM, LEVEL 1 LESSONS 9.00PM SOCIAL DANCE TILL LATE. HOSTED BY SWING PATROL.