A quick chat with Rockabilly Rhythm

LETS TWIST AGAIN is happening on the 16th of July at the Good Luck Bar in Johannesburg. This event is brought to you by  the nice folks of LETS SWING IT. Get ready to celebrate all things 50’s from RocknRoll to 50’s RnB, from cars to fashion, from movies to movie stars – it’s time to get up and do the Twist (oh yes because we like it like this!)

In the spirit of our exciting launch they gave away 400 FREE tickets to guys and gals who ”liked” their brand new LETS TWIST AGAIN page and shared their event on Facebook. It’s not the end of the world if you’ve missed out on this promotion though, Pre-Sale tickets are still available on Quicket for only R100 (which won’t set you back an arm an a leg).

The event kicks off at 8 PM and will feature sets by Michael Lesar (who will be jamming rock ‘n roll, 50’s soul, rockabilly and boogaloo music), Easy Tiger (who will bring some more 50’s rock ‘n roll), Rockabilly Rhythm (who will be jamming some rockabilly tunes) and Martin Rocka and the Sick Shop (who will be playing a live band set).

I recently had a chat to Rockabilly Rhythm about LETS TWIST AGAIN and a few other things. This is what he had to say.

In your opinion, what does T.W.I.S.T. stand for and why?

It is about bringing fantastic music from bygone eras back into the public eye; music that was made to dance and have a good time to. Whether it is the swing of the twenties and thirties, the big band jump music of the forties, the jitterbug, the jive and rockabilly rock n roll of the fifties, or the twist of the sixties, it is all feel-good music that brings a smile to your face and gets your feet tapping to the hot rhythms.

What are you currently working on?

All my efforts are dedicated to bringing Rockabilly music to South Africa, and exposing people to its wild and crazy sounds. I’m up for playing Rockabilly anywhere anytime as long as I can get there.

What is your favorite quote about Music?

“If you’re not doing something different, you’re not doing anything.” Sam Phillips, Sun Records. Sam Phillips and Sun Records discovered Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and of course Elvis Presley. As Johnny Cash once said, “Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do it my way, to use whatever other influences I wanted, but never to copy…if there hadn’t been a Sam Phillips, I might still be working in a cotton field.”

If you could colab with a legendary SA Artist, who would that be and why?

There aren’t many Rockabilly bands in South Africa, but it would be great to do something with Martin Rocka, The Rat Rod Cats, Them Tornados and Marzirlou and the Rockabilly Rebels. All these bands need more support in SA, but people won’t support them if they don’t know the music – they are never going to hear it on the radio, and that’s why live events are great.

What can music lovers expect from your set at the Good Luck Bar?

I will be playing the hottest, wildest, original 50s rockabilly – time to get your cat clothes on and get on the dance floor!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rockabilly Rhythm for this interview and I wish him all the best with his future musical endeavors.

Watch this space for regular updates in the Music and Interviews categories on Running Wolf’s Rant.

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