Rockin': The Rockabilly Scene

For those that love it, rockabilly isn't just a music genre, it's a way of life.  In Andrew Shaylor's latest book, Rockin': The Rockabilly Scene, the photographer has been granted exclusive access at events in the UK and US to  capture the raw energy and the commitment of the rockabilly community to authenticity. Featuring the history of the subculture by rockabilly legend Jerry Chatabox, the  book evokes the passion and intensity of a scene that is as exciting today as it was more than 50 years ago.

My Central Jersey says the book is the best and most comprehensive of its kind. 

It's a brilliant story in photographs of an historic period in rock 'n' roll that has been souped-up and repolished for a new counter-culture movement.

In the book’s foreward, UK Rockabilly Rave organizer Jerry Chatabox cites the wild stage show and brightly dyed hair of Sonny Burgess, the then-racy songs and dress of Charline Arthur and the hard drinking, hard partying lifestyle of the “world’s first real rock star,” Hank Williams, as just a few examples of how far back these tenets of punk rock really go.

$33.33 at Amazon

Viva Las Vegas 2012

It's the weekend that really rocks.  Tickets for the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender are on sale already!

It runs from April 5 to April 8 2012 and you won't want to miss it.

It's all about getting on your best 50s garb - sorting out your hair, checking out the burlesque shows and bathing suit contests, pool parties, fashion shows, round the clock rock 'n' roll bands, add in plenty to drink and more than 700 rods and you have a weekend that rocks!

Here's just some of the highlights:

Car Show

The Viva Las Vegas Car Show is the best car show of its type anywhere. Cars are strictly pre-63 that have to be in a style from that era. Please check out the photos on the Car Show page. The VLV Weekender and VLV14 Car show attracted over 700 cars with about 20,000 attending to view the car show. If you wish to put your car in the car show, you can register it after you buy tickets for VLV.

Burlesque Competition

This has become one of the major events on the Burlesque calendar. Between October and December, hopeful contestants submit their photos and information onto the Viva Las Vegas website. Once all possible contestants have submitted, a panel of anonymous judges from the burlesque scene will choose four lucky contestants to compete at VLV then the judges will choose ten from the remaining contestants who will be featured on the website during the month of January and the public will decide on the next top four whom will join the “Judges Choices” live at the “Miss Viva Las Vegas” Burlesque Competition VLV finals. The eight competitors will then battle it out on Saturday evening to win the final VLV Burlesque Competition. Prizes include Cash, Gift Vouchers, Merchandise, Photoshoots, and publicity.

Tiki Pool Party

The Tiki Pool Party has become one of the major events at VLV, and will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is a great opportunity for girls (and guys!) to show off their vintage swimwear.

VLV Annual Swimsuit Contest

Attention all vintage fashion fanatics!!!! Shine up your vintage beach-side best and get ready for the mother of all swimsuit competitions. VSbM is sponsoring the VLV 14 pool party Vintage Swimsuit Competition, hosted by Vegas’ Pocket Pinup: Lisa Luxe. Guys and dolls alike are encouraged to enter: the only requirement is that your suit MUST BE VINTAGE, no modern/repro suits will be allowed in the competition. Contestants will be… judged on their suit alone, not by how well you can dance or how you answer silly pageant questions. . .

It’s all about the fashion!

Roots of Country - Rockabilly

Back in 1996 a six-hour six-part documentary taking a look at one of America's quintessential music genres - country - went to air.

"America's Music: the Roots of Country" delved headlong into what is a rich subject matter, telling its story through live footage and interviews with the stars themselves.

To a new generation of music fans, it offered an eye-opening introduction to some of the great figures from country's past, such as Jimmie Rodger, Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Loretta Jones and so many more who paved the way for today's big stars.

Writer Robert K. Oerman told the Chicago Sun-Times that the the idea from the beginning was to take the viewer back and forth and in and out of history. He teamed up for this series with producer Tom Neff, a filmaker known for his documentaries of visual artists including Red Grooms and Beatrice Wood.

"One reason country lends itself to this kind of treatment is that, unlike other styles of music, all its historical elements are still living, breathing styles today," Oermann said.

"People still play bluegrass, people still sing folk songs, play rockabilly, Cajun, Western swing - these are not dead things."

Each of the six hours has a theme - including Rockabilly.

"The Roots of Country" was not only made with entertaining viewers in mind, but with the hope of sending a message about the importance of maintaining a living connection to country's past.

What is Rockabilly

Rockabilly is music that came out of the south of the US, mixed with elements of rock, blues, country, hillbilly booggie and bluegrass.

It emerged in the early '50’s…waned in the '60’s …and was revived in the late '70’s and early '80’s. Its popularity has managed to endure to the present.

Some of the great rockabilly artists included Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson and Roy Orbison.

While Rockabilly may not have lasted all that long as a mainstream rock subcategory, its influence is still felt today. Several bands such as the Stray Cats have continued to perform in the Rockabilly tradition, while other artists have borrowed from the genre to create their own flavour.

The Rockabilly Revival

Over the past 50 years there's been a legion of bands dedicated to replicating the style and sound of classic '50s rock 'n'roll. While there have always been bands playing Rockabilly, the revival really hit its stride in the post-punk era, when a number of new bands picked up the sounds. Not only did they play the music, but they celebrated and embraced the pop culture that surrounds Rockabilly. The first revival culminated in the success of the Stray Cats in the early '80s. Following their success, a number of Rockabilly bands appeared in the underground scene during the late '80s. The Rockabilly Revival continued to thrive into the '90s with the most notable band to emerge being the Reverend Horton Heat.

Please feel free to tell us what you love about Rockabilly - the old stuff, the new stuff, the rockabilly clothes, the hair, the cars, the rockabilly lifestyle - where you shop - what you wear - who you listen to - if you know of an event coming up - a band we should catch - anything at all.

The '50s are seen as a time of innocence - and of innocence corrupted. It was a period of intense conservatism and the rise of suburbia on the one hand and rock and roll and a new rebellious spirit among the young, on the other.

For Rockabillies it’s an era that’s worth preserving - even if it was way before they were even born.

This site is dedicated to full skirts, big quiffs, red lipstick, peroxide hair, vintage cars, rock’n'roll and tattoos.

The Rockabilly Revival

Rockabilly might have been born from the jazz, blues and blue grass of the US south, but it’s lived on through five decades in one form or another.

While the Stray Cats enjoyed large-scale fame in the 1980s, the scene has had its own life in the 2000s. Over the past decade there’s been a convergence of the rockabilly style with the swing music scene. Brat Setzer of the Stray Cats played a big part in joining the two subcultures. He formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra as both a rockabilly and swing musician. The Reverend Horton Heat, Rattled Roosters and Royal Crown Revue are also popular in both scenes.

Today there are still lively rockabilly scenes in several major US cities – especially on the west coast. There are a number of big festivals including Viva Las Vegas and Hootenanny along with the Heavy Rebel Weekend Festival on the east coast.

The subculture also thrives in Europe where there is a big focus not just in contemporary musicians reviving the rockabilly traditions, but in artists from the ‘50s.

So why has rockabilly survived in one form or another for all these years?

Meg Appelton in her article “The Rockabilly in the New Millennium” argues that the rockabilly culture is an antithesis to current trends as it embraces its roots in "old school" societal fringes.

She says the rockabilly phenomenon has survived down the generations thanks to a growing dissatisfaction with mainstream culture, music and stylistic icons.

“Rockabilly frequently becomes a way of life or lifestyle to those active, who see the larger scene to be like a family,” she explains.

“The rockabilly lifestyle is not restricted to only the music but also the home furnishings, cars, and even small things like the cigarettes smoked.”

Stray Cats Greatest Hits

The hits are all here, along with some revealing album cuts, rarities and portions of a 1982 live broadcast that display the Cats' considerable live charms. This album will have you up and dancing - full speed from start to finish. To buy it click here

Stray Cats

The Stray Cats formed on Long Island in 1979. Brian Setzer teamed up with two school friends, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom. Their Rockabilly brand of music didn’t attract much attention in New York so headed to London the next year. It wasn’t long before the Stray Cats had three UK Top Ten singles and two bestselling albums.

After they headed back to the States and were signed by EMI. From there they had chart topping success across the US and Europe and sold out shows everywhere.

At the height of their success though, they split. While they have reconvened a number of times, they were never as big again as in the early 80’s. More than 20 years later and the Stray Cats are about to undertake a farewell tour and will be in Australia in February 2009.

Stray Cats Greatest Hits

The hits are all here, along with some revealing album cuts, rarities and portions of a 1982 live broadcast that display the Cats' considerable live charms. This album will have you up and dancing - full speed from start to finish. To buy it click here

Rockabilly Dresses

Bring a touch of retro pin-up into your life!

This is definitely a classy way to dress.  The women who wore these dresses oozed confidence and beauty and the best bit is they look great no matter what shape or size you are.  These are dresses that hug in all the right places. Curvy girls, petite girls, tall girls, short girls, all look great in vintage rockabilly.

Whether you are looking for actual dresses or just great looking outfits in general, there are likely rockabilly dresses that will fit the bill. They range from the very glamorous pinup dresses made in bengaline fabric to perfectly conform to the shape of your body, to the business professional Ashley dresses.

Retro Parasols

Retro Parasols

We love them because they:

• Cut down on sun exposure
• Help keep your tattoos vibrant and skin safe
• Make a colourful accessory for strutting your stuff
• Offer a great decorating element for the bedroom, studio, office, anywhere!

Hand Made Retro "Vintage Tan Tattoo" Parasol Shade Umbrella - $19.99



Hand Made Retro Chinese "Red Tattoo" Parasol Shade Umbrella $19.99




Hand Made Retro "Skulldini" Parasol Shade Umbrella $19.99




Hand Made Retro "Mans Ruin" Parasol Shade Umbrella $19.99

Retro Accessories

	Fender Custom Shop "Dia de los Muertos" Fedora Black Cotton Low Profile Trilby with Day of the Dead Skull $58
	Hey Viv ! 50's Vintage Style Apron with Free Retro Recipe Card $18.99
	Hey Viv! Vintage Accessories: Full Length Red Velvet Prom Gloves $14.99