Harry Deluxe (Swing & Rockabilly Musician) - Interview
Rockers who have been to Wintersun may have come across Harry Deluxe, a well known Perth based swing/rockabilly musician. Dr Cecilia Netolicky, a local Perth rocker personality & historian, recently interviewed Harry Deluxe for an article on her website, Perthrocks. I thought it was an interesting interview giving a muso’s insight and thoughts about our rock & roll culture, bands and dancers regardless of whether one may agree or disagree with her. I like to share some excerpts of that interview with you.
Harry Deluxe told Dr Netolicky that she grew up in a musical family in Mt Isa, was classically trained in violin, played several musical instruments and a backing vocals since the age of seven in her parent’s Irish folk band. Harry’s first influences were in jazz & swing but she also later developed a love for rockabilly and rock & roll. Harry now plays in a seven piece swing band as well as in a 5 piece rockabilly band. She loves the music of Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson, Marti Brom & Reverend Horton Heat and would like to incorporate western swing in her repertoire.
When asked what drove her to play swing & rockabilly music, Harry said that “swing for me is a way of telling stories using clever instrumentals and vocals and swing music makes you feel good …….and rockabilly tells its stories through its attitude. It gives you a sense of the angst of the era and the underlying conflict between sub cultures. Rockabilly makes you feel good too but in a different sort of way”.
When discussing the “rebellious” nature of rockabilly music, Harry refers to “the attitude of rockabilly music and says that it is feel good music but also a little “dirty”. It lets the audience “break out” a little. Even though it’s retro, it’s still relevant – it still speaks to a new crowd and echoes their mood”.
Dr Netolicky then asked Harry to identify the strengths & weakness in the roots rock & roll, swing and rockabilly in the Perth scene. Harry articulated the view that “ it’s hard to criticize the scene you are in but felt that there is a little unhealthy competition in all the scenes …….some musicians who just don’t like to share the space, and some feel there’s no room for the new or emerging artists. It’s a small town but we are all working for the same audience, the same venues and pay, and we need to support each other ………. there needs to be a culture of respect and mutual support between musicians”.
On the subject of dancers, Harry said “they could make it easier for the musicians by learning to share the space. The difference between rock & roll, swing and rockabilly isn’t so great that purism and exclusivity should be allowed to keep people from feeling comfortable just to come along and bop around. Music is a universal language and it doesn’t belong to any one group or scene ……..there’s room for all of us here”.
Dr Netolicky also referred to the dichotomy between swing and rock & roll dancing particularly in Australia where such distinction is less apparent in the USA. In reply, Harry’s comment was that “she sees herself as a muso but ……..you don’t have to dress in a style, or be a purist, to enjoy it”. How true indeed! Practising “tribalism” may feel exclusive or even necessary at times but we all know the difficulty a tribe will encounter in propagating itself and surviving in our world today.
Harry Deluxe (Swing & Rockabilly Musician) - Interview
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