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Rockats (the) – Psychobilly band

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Rockats, not to be confused with the famous American neo-rockabilly band, were a psychobilly trio from Amsterdam. Originally known as a high school band named the Wild Rabbits, the Rockats formed in November 1987 with Martijn Spanteren on guitar and vocals, Arjan de Witt on electric bass and Remko Visser on drums.
After the band split, Remko Visser remained active, playing with Asmodeus.

Rockats (the) – The First Take Off

Tombstone Records Tomb-Disc 671 [1988]
Take-Off – Poor Zombie – Lost City – Lonesome Cowboy – I Hope She Loves Me – Mama – Gone – Don’t Leave Me Alone – Lucy – Prisoner – Screw & Roll – Baby Baby – Rapping Spirit

In May of the following year, they recorded their first album, “The first Take Off”, for Tombstone Records. It contains some good songs, but the global sound is slightly “young” though, like the Juvenile Delinquents, the use of an electric bass gives them a fuller and more precise sound. The main problem is the vocals. The singer tends to overact, and his scratchy voice is a bit annoying in the long run.

Rockats (the) – Keep On Turning

Tombstone Records Tomb-Disc 675 [1989]
Rockats – The Shadow – Rattlesnake – Nightmare – Let’s Go Crazy – Doctor Doctor – Everybody Needs Somebody To Love – Black Sunshine – All I Have To Do – Redlight Woman – Spend The Night With You – Whiskey On The Rocks

rockats keep on turning

One year later, they released “Keep On Turning”, still on Tombstone. This one is way better. It contains a few good ideas like Rattlesnake, a spaghetti western-tinged number, and original arrangements too. Furthermore, the singing shows quite an improvement.

Rockats (the) – The Last Crusade

Tombstone Records Tomb-disc 687 [1990]
Keep On Rock’In – Wanted – 1991 – Satisfied – Seducer – Last Crusade – Break Out – Fire – One Night Stand – Your Eyes – Burn In Hell – Jane

“The Last Crusade”, their third and last album, appeared in 1990. It contains excellent songs like the Seducer, featuring superb bouncing bass.
Other songs slightly departed from their previous release with more aggressive melodies and metal influences akin to the Krewmen of the same period.

The Radioactive Kid

Bang Bang Bazooka

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Bang Bang Bazooka – S/T

Count Orlock R.O.C.K. IV [1988]
Wild One – Dirty Hound – I’m Gonna Love You Too – Stop It Baby – Cheetah Man – Rockin’ Shock – Drive – Rocky Mountain Blues – Goldrush – Red Dress -The Blues That I Hate – Black Widow – Vampire

Rene van Lersel (drums) formed Bang Bang Bazooka in 1987 with Marcel Hoitsema (vocals and guitar), Francois Besson (guitar), Bart Gevers(double bass) and Rene van Lersel (drums).
Their first album saw the light of day the following year. Their sound combines traditional Rockabilly with metal. Despite being uneven in the songwriting, a totally wasted cover of Buddy Holly’s I’m Gonna Love You Too, this album contains a healthy dose of good ideas and originality that saves the final result.

Bang Bang Bazooka – True Rebel

Count Orlock C.O.C.K. VIII [1990]
Frankenstein Rock – Big City – True Rebel – Outlaw Man – Crime On Time – Human Alligator – Gonna Have A Ball – And I Play – Long Black Train – Joe Survived – Big John – Crimson Moon

bang bang bazooka

In 1990, Count Orlock released True Rebel, the band’s second album. It was dedicated to Arno V.D. Wassenberg, the band’s roadie who tragically died in a car accident.
True Rebel sounds like a better and more accomplished version of their debut album. Having Dick “Hardrock-abilly” Kemper in the producer’s seat marks an improvement in terms of production.
The songwriting is better too. A song like Frankenstein Rock, which shows the influence of Batmobile, could easily find its place on Sex Starved or Hard Hammer Hits. They also developed a more aggressive brand of neo-rockabilly by adding elements of Metal and Glam Rock (hence the presence of Crimson Moon, a cover of T-Rex) and even some Boogie Blues.
The guitar is powerful and very present, and the band makes good use of the two guitars even though the lead can sometimes be too intrusive.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

Crackle Rattle Bash

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crackle rattle bash

Crackle Rattle Bash – S/T

Count Orlok Music – R.O.C.K. II [1987]
Save My Money – Gone – I Really Know – Gotta Get You – He Good Lookin’ – Black Out – Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms – When You Wanna Go (It’s A Choice) – Wrong Direction, No Perfection – There Was A Time – What Shall We Do Now? – Someday – Memoires – Trouble Minded Girl

Crackle Rattle Bash

Crackle Rattle Bash started around 1986 when Kay Kesting and Aris de Vries performed in a squatter’s building in Arnhem (Holland). Kay played his T-bass, and Aris played the guitar and sang.

Afterwards, they regularly played Amsterdam streets, and Richard Weydert soon joined them on the washboard. They eventually switched the washboard for drums, and the T-bass was dropped for the double bass. They were asked to record two tracks for the Cool Cat Go Ape compilation album.
Then, Frank Bayer joined the band on guitar and ukulele, and in July 1987, they recorded their first and only album on the Count Orlok label.
The band’s overall sound falls somewhere between Neo-Rockabilly and Psychobilly. The whole is pleasant, and some songs are good, but very often, the group does not have the means of its ambitions. And, although they make detours through Rockabilly with doo-wop or skiffle influences, the album is a bit monotonous. Furthermore, the production is a bit light and lacks power. They should have recorded an eight-track mini-album and thus devoted more time to arrangement and production.
They played many gigs in Holland, and after a while, Paul van de Groen replaced Richard on drums. They did a short tour with Batmobile in Germany and eventually split around 1990. Recently, Just Another Normal Guy Records released an album with demos and live recordings of the band.

The Radioactive Kid

crackle rattle bash
crackle rattle bash

Powerdog

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powerdog

Powerdog – S/T

Count Orlock R.O.C.K.13-C.O.C.K.13 [1992]
What Else Is New – Wild Cat – Dog Power – Hideaway – Blood Like Mine – Wild Places – The Gambler – There Ain’t That Much – We Used To Rock – It’s Alright – Sun Goes Down – True Rockabilly – I’ll Be Your Man – I Can’t Believe It

powerdog

Powerdog is another band that is difficult to pigeonhole. Marcel Verbaas formed the combo in 1988 with Wim Van Der Heiden, an old friend with whom he used to hang out in the Rockabilly clubs of Rotterdam. They decided to form a band right away. They rehearsed with various drummers for their first year of existence, playing only covers. The band finally took shape when Robert Van Driesten joined them in 1989. From that moment, they begin to write their own material, with Wim taking the lead vocals duties. They also adopted the name Powerdog.
They caught the attention of Count Orlock, and by October 1991, they found themselves in the studio (Commodore Studio at Zelhem) with Dick Kemper (Batmobile, Bang Bang Bazooka…).
All songs on the album are originals and are very good. Powerdog developed a highly unique sound. They mixed influences from early eighties Neo-Rockabilly (one can hear echoes from the Polecats throughout the platter), Batmobile, and Psychobilly, with hints of Country music (Blood Like Mine) or Heavy Metal (Marcel used to play rhythm guitar in a Heavy Metal band). But they always emphasise the melody, and some songs sound like a cross between Batmobile and the Beatles. The minor flaw is their instrumental (Dog Power), which could be more inspired and sounds more like a backing track than a real instrumental.
Count Orlock released the album in 1992, and that same year Powerdog was the support act for the Stray Cats when they played at the Paradiso in Amsterdam in September.
Powerdog disbanded in 1994.

Powerdog
Powerdog

Honey Hush

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honey hush

honey hushHoney Hush – Honey Hush

Rockhouse Records – MLP 8418 [1985]
Nowhere Train – Rock-Itis – Getaway Girl – You’re the One that Done It – She’s so Fine – Pink and Black

Honey Hush came from the Netherlands and formed in the early ’80s. After one single included here, they released this mini-lp.
This is neo-rockabilly at its best.
The singer is excellent, the band is perfect (powerful slap bass and light guitar that takes you straight into the 80’s), and they have solid originals. They complete the set with two well-chosen covers: Thomas Wayne’s You’re The One That Done It and a live version of Sonny Fisher’s Pink and Black.
Furthermore, if the tone is mostly neo-rockabilly oriented, they’re not afraid to bring a bit of psychobilly with Nowhere Train or play in a more classical Rockabilly vein with She’s so Fine. They even add a bit of jazz (with brushed snare) on Rock-Itis. As a result, it gives a very varied mini album.
Moreover, the six-song format let no place for average tunes.
After these recordings, Honey Hush changed its name and became Archie.

Honey Hush – Getaway Gal

honey hushRockhouse Records – SP8305 [1983]
Getaway Gal – She’s so fine

Rockhouse records released this excellent debut single by this Dutch neo-rockabilly band in 1983. Getaway Gal features a superb guitar solo that is reminiscent of Mark Harman. B-side is more traditional.
Both songs will appear on their mini-lp.

Honey Hush
Honey Hush

Bugaloos (the)

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bugaloos

The Bugaloos – In the Mood

bugaloos

Rockhouse Records – ROCKCD9318 [1993]

Rockabye Boogie – Most Of All – Be Bop Baby – Baby I Love You So – At The Old Town Hal – Love Me – Rocky Road Blues – In The Mood – Crazy Real Gone Blues – Bye Bye Blues – Frankie’s Out On Patrol – You Can Do No Wrong

The Bugaloos were a three piece female harmony band from the Netherland, featuring Lil’ Esther.
Their sound was a mix of “sisters” bands (Fontane, Davis, Dinning, Miller) as well as Nita, Rita and Ruby with a dash of Rockabilly à la Collins Kids thrown in for good measure.

In the Mood is their second album and benefits of the presence of Jelle aka Joe Sixpack (who later joined the Ranch Girls and the Ragtime Wranglers) on guitar. This guy is one the great masters of the Rockabilly guitar on the modern scene next to pickers like Deke Dickerson, TK Smith. He brings rockabilly to their swing and swing to their rockabilly.

All songs are covers but the band is good enough to always turn them into something new and interesting. Even an ear worm like In the Mood that makes me cringe even when played by Bob Wills is pleasant here. But how could you resist to the charm produced by the sweet voices of those three girls.
From Hillbilly bop with a hint of western swing to a sweet ballad with Rockabilly in between and a bit of jazz, you’ll sure enjoy this moment with the Bugaloos.

After the Bugaloos disbanded Esther and Marga formed Jess’n’Jill & the Sinners before singing as a solo act. Read more about all that here.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis

The Bugaloos with Lil Esther
The Bugaloos
Bugaloos
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