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  1. #1
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    Smile Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Ando (Alan) & Kathy, rockabilly dancers from Perth, are visiting Melbourne this weekend to once again sample our delightful R&R/Rockabilly scene. If you don't know much about rockabilly dancing or would like to pick up a few tips, maybe this weekend would be a good opportunity to catch up with this very friendly Perth couple. Or just to say hello if you haven't yet met them before. I know you will make them feel very welcome in our friendly live R&R music scene.

    Here's a video of rockabilly dancing if you are interested ......


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBa-w9WEHRg

  2. #2
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    Aug 2006
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    Perth. WA
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    106

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Thanks for the introduction Paul, looking forward to a full on weekend of dancing and socializing. Kathy is, of course, looking forward to jamming as much shopping in as she can in between. Coincidentley, Angelo, the guy on the video is Kathy's hairdresser.

  3. #3
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    Aug 2004
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    Cool Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Hi all,

    I've been contacted by a past history keeper and dance teacher with more years experience than most of us to put a comment on about this clip.

    Now, I'm not opening a can of worms here, nor trying to stir up controvery, but I AM interested in preserving our history of dance, dance moves and names.

    This clip shows some really great dancing that we don't see too much of nowadays because of the huge popularity of swing and lindy. So I'm thrilled to see good ol' fashioned rock'n'roll still being taught and practiced in other parts of Australia.

    I just have to point out that it isn't rockabilly. It's rock'n'roll.

    Don't shoot the messenger.

  4. #4
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    Victoria
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    138

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    I watched this clip earlier today and I have to agree, it sure looks like Rock and Roll to me!

  5. #5
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    Aug 2006
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    Perth. WA
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    106

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Yes, no back step in rockabilly.

  6. #6
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    Melbourne
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    Smile Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Please post your comments about rockabilly dancing in the new thread now started ............

  7. #7
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    Aug 2004
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    148

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Oh my goodness! There's a new threat??? What is it????!!!!!!

    Nuclear war??? Osama bin Laden??? Reds under the bed????


    JUST JOKING!!!! Sorry, Jitts, couldn't resist it. You're typo left the door open.

  8. #8
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    Aug 2004
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    148

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Aaaaah, now've you've edited it, my joke looks lame.

  9. #9
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    Melbourne
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    Smile Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    You are right, Longonebaby........ I can't spell !!! LOL

    You have raised an interesting topic and hopefully, I and many others could learn more about rockabilly dancing ......

  10. #10
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    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    I think differently.
    Rockabilly in my head has only a small amount to do with dancing. Other factors make the differences to me.
    If you beg to differ, its only opinion.

    From my way of thinking:-

    ROCKABILLY is Pubs, small venues, people crowded on top of each other, dancing where ever you can fit, singles, leather, chains, motor bikes, pumpy/thumpy bands, hair with the high bit at the front, cuffed up jeans, tattoos, cleavage, pencil thin skirts, creepers, the James Jean 50's, rebellion, a mixture of music of varying tempos, bad boys, bad girls, a younger crowd, dance styles not too bouncy, burlesque, hot rods, gretsch guitars, double basses, stand up drummers, Betty Page, dim lights, up close and personal. 4 or less in the bands.

    ROCK'n'ROLL is Big dance Floors, bright lights, tables and chairs, poodle skirts, bowling shirts, couples, music that's not too fast or slow to dance to, DJ's in band breaks, satin, lace, black & white shoes, Bomber jackets with Juke Boxes on the back, Juke Boxes, bands in matching jackets, 60's music more than 50's, happy days, grease, a more mature crowd, Lindy Hop, dance styles that bop up and down or kicking out of legs sometimes, classic cars, a bit more conservativeness, Beach boys, RSLs, Elvis even though he should be on the other list, Betty Boop, keyboards, more than 4 in the bands.

    Rock'n'Roll dancer's word for fast is rockabilly, so when rockabilly is suggested to them they straight away think too fast when in fact there are many slow rockabilly tunes.

    Rockabilly bands dont shine when they perform in big rock'n'roll venues with big stages and dance floors I dont think. They are at their best with people 2 foot in front of them.

  11. #11
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    Aug 2004
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    148

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Figjam has hit the nail on the head. I've been waiting for someone else to give their opinion before I add mine. Sorry Jitts, looks like this is the thread that's going to draw out the answers to the question you asked.

    Rockabilly was about 'attitude'. You couldn't 'teach' rockabilly, there weren't certain steps. And you can't teach attitude. People got it from the love of the music and took in what everyone else was wearing, doing and dancing.

    Rockabilly music always had a stand up bass, whether it was slapped or not. Yes to 3 piece and 4 piece bands. The dance style was quicker (as a lot of the music was, but not all). Girls turned slightly quicker than the beat and ducked their head as they went under the boys arm. Just a slight inflection......it was attitude.

    Men had what we called a 'rockabilly arm'. It was kind of wavey and had the beat in it. Men bent over slightly and stuck one hand in the top of their belt. It was attitude.

    There wasn't any bop or bounce in the girls but often a twist instead. Backstep was rock'n'roll but there was nothing to say you couldn't backstep when dancing rockabilly if that was your style.

    It was all about individuality. In dress, in dance, in attitude. Nothing was prescriptive and everything was about COOL. You can't teach cool either.

    The turns were taken from rock'n'roll but rockabilly tended to be raw and stripped back, sometimes with just a push and turn and one more move. It was never boring because of the how great it looked.

    My first trip to Wintersun I was in the large Ballroom in Tweed and Itchy Fingers were playing. There was probably 100 people on the dance floor doing various styles of rock'n'roll, swing and lindy. On the edge of this crowd was a couple from Melbourne that I'd known for many many years. They were dancing old school rockabilly. I sat back and watched and thought how different, how individual, how damn cool they looked. And how they stood out because of it! They didn't need flashy moves, they weren't there to show off, they weren't competitors, they just had a true love of the music.

    Now, forgive me for the generalisation and don't crucify me for this, BUT... as different dance styles were developing 15-20 years ago, the difference between rock'n'rollers and rockabillies were that r'n'r dancers were there to dance. They didn't drink much, they weren't necessarily interested in what band was playing, they just wanted to dance. It was all about the dancing.

    Rockabilly heads on the other hand drank like fishes (the venues loved us because their bar takings were always up!!!!) and came for the band and the band only. Many men didn't dance in those days, they just propped up the bar but everyone was there for the love of the music and to see the band. Dancing was an optional extra that represented the love of the music rather than the love of dancing.

    Things change and evolve, and growth is a good thing. But there is many more stories and a rich history from our early rock'n'roll and rockabilly days that many newcomers don't know. When I started dancing there was only one couple in Melbourne doing swing and it was a huge novelty! Then gradually there were a couple more but it certainly wasn't scene on the pub floors in and around the traps, but rather confined to shows such as 6 o'clock rock that was perfomed at the Tivoli theatre in Malvern as a supper show. That was the novelty of swing! Now we take it for granted that it's the main dance form that has surpassed even rock'n'roll.

    Some of the pubs that rockabilly was performed at were the dingiest and dirtiest that I'd ever seen, often with a concrete floor to dance on. But the smaller and dingier the venue, the better the band sounded and performed. And we loved it, because we loved the music. Many of these venues have gone and with it a rich culture of true rockabilly that we won't see again.

    Ok, I've yakked on long enough. Just remember.... you can't 'teach' rockabilly and you can't teach 'cool'. You have to FEEL it......just like rockabilly music.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Melbourne
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    665

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    longgonebaby, I couldn't have described it better than you just did. Girls turned slightly quicker than the beat and ducked their head as they went under the boys arm. The reason I ducked was to preserve the quiff.

    It's sad to see "pub rock" has all but died now that Lindy and related styles have taken over. I thought there was room for ALL styles of 50's dancing, be it American, English or Australian, but these days it seems not the case. Rockers and Rockabillies even used to do what is now insultingly called 'line-dances' (we used to call it formation), like the Five-Step, The Slosh and others. Sometimes with a drink still in hand! Yes we were loud and rowdy, but that was how we showed the band our appreciation. Whistles and rebel yells were par for the course. I guess we appeared scary to others, but at the time we didn't know that, we were having a good time and showing it.

    Anyway, that's my bit to add to longgonebaby's description.



    Aaaaah, good ole days.
    You can't handle the truth!

  13. #13
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    Smile Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Looks like this thread will be receiving the additional comments, so let it be .........

    I really enjoy reading those interesting observations & thoughts from Figjam, Longonebaby and Cat. Keep them coming, especially from those who have been in the scene for a very long time!

    Also love to hear from those who dance or have taught rockabilly. From what I have heard and seen to-date, it seems accepted that there are clear differences in style & footwork between rockabilly and R&R dancing. Maybe that's why there are separate dance categories for these two different styles in formal dance competitions.

    To me, like Jamesdeanbro has put it, it doesn't really matter generally, and especially in social dancing, as long as one is having fun and enjoying dancing. I agree - one style is definitely not better than the other. But still it adds to one's knowledge about dancing to know a bit more about rockabilly dancing.

  14. #14
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    Aug 2004
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    148

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Quote Originally Posted by Jitterbug View Post

    To me, like Jamesdeanbro has put it, it doesn't really matter generally, and especially in social dancing, as long as one is having fun and enjoying dancing. I agree - one style is definitely not better than the other. But still it adds to one's knowledge about dancing to know a bit more about rockabilly dancing.
    I went up and down this thread to find out what Jamesdeanbro said, and finally found it in the chatbox posted last night. Jitts, you put it so nicely "like Jamesdeansbro has put it, it doesn't really matter generally". What Jamesdeanbro actually said was 'who gives a f'.

    Luckily enough of us give a....to contribute to this thread and keep our history intact. No one form of dancing is better than the other, we all have our preferences. Viva la difference. We don't want to look like clones, and the various forms of dance nowadays makes life more interesting.

    Each to their own, live and let live.......and other varied cliches.

  15. #15

    Smile Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    I know this subject isn't related to this thread but it seems none of the people making unconstructive comment have a clue what they are preaching about.Rock a billy isn't about attitude, fashion or dance steps like figjam and longonebaby seem to think because they don't know, it's about music.The word rock a billy was derived from hillbilly and rock and roll ,a mix of the two.There are quite a few bands playing around Melbourne at the moment that fly under the rock a billy banner that can't cut it, so they call themselves neo billy,phsyco billy atomic ,hi octane what ever.The reason they do this is because they can't play authentic rock a billy it's not that easy.If you need a lesson in what I'm talking about, catch the Straight 8s they play quite regularly and then compare them to the others.I'm hooked Cheers BB

  16. #16
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    Aug 2004
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    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Goodness me! 'Unconstructive comment'?

    Rockabilly the music spurned what is often referred to as the 'rockabilly lifestyle'. It encompasses so much more now than just the music alone. You could always pick a rockabilly head by his clothes/hairstyle as stated earlier.

    Yes, general28 is right about where the name for the music came from. It's also part of the history and I'm guessing known to most people which is why it wasn't mentioned earlier. A little like stating the obvious.

    Straight 8s were the foremost rockabilly band in Melbourne in the day, in my humble opinion. Like most things that grow and change, they play a lot of new country now, like the Kentucky Headhunters. Great music, and all valid.

    Just like rock'n'roll and hillbilly spurned rockabilly, rockabilly has spurned psychobilly and neo. It's all about how things grow and evolve. There is always someone to take it to a new level. Again, all valid.

    We have many people around who go back more than 20 years. People remember back before the Straight 8s were around and there was Victor singing in Rockabilly Rebels. Or the Ducktails.

    Luckily we have this forum to share experiences and keep our history alive. Everyone's opinion counts. We've all got something to say and it's only unconstructive if it's rude.

  17. #17
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    Smile Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Well said, Longonebaby. I doubt if anyone of us could put it any more eloquently. And putting down other bands is constructive, general28? Rockabilly today is about the music and lifestyle, and in fact, is so much more to so many people.

  18. #18
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    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Since PR person General 28 has added "authentic" to the rockabilly discussion, I cant help but recall an interview on the radio when Lee Rocker (Bass player for the Stray Cats) appeared in Melbourne.

    Lee said words to this effect.
    He doesn't like to be authentic, he likes to add his own stamp and make it his own.

    I guess thats what being an individual is and a contributing factor why the Stray Cats "made it" when others didn't. Who really knows the exact formula for "success", but in a competitive, talent laden world, the more going for you the better. Being nice to people and beautiful manners is a good start.


    And on the topic of Lee Rocker. The Atomic Hi-Tones were chosen as the support act for his Melbourne show at the Corner Hotel, so we got to meet Lee and observe his behaviour behind scenes and with the public after the show.
    Rockabilly King Lee was an absolute gentleman and a Rock Star of the highest order.
    He stayed long after the show signing posters, CDs and memorabilia, right to the last person.
    He was accommodating of everyone who wanted a photo with him.
    He dressed like a star for the show and was there early for rehearsal, and there early for his performance. No rude lateness from him.
    He didn't disappoint anyone from the promotors to the venue to the hundreds of people who crammed in to see him.

    He and his band were charming and very very nice to the guys in the Atomics and to everyone who came in contact with them, that I observed.

    Do dancers care if the music is "authentic". How authentic is authentic.
    I have 30 cds of rockabilly music from the early 50's, even some from the 40's. None of it sounds much like current bands in this scene that are labelled "authentic". Maybe authentic is not even authentic.
    How long is the history and who's history is the history (Sorry Sue). My memory of music 20 and 30 years ago is Skyhooks, Cold Chisel, Renee Geyer, ACDC, Diesal, Sherbert, Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons, Old 55 etc. I had never heard of bands mentioned in this topic until Cliff started his bands 8 years ago, yet I worked in live entertainment all through my 20s.

    Read up about the Beatles - They started doing Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran stuff, then progressed to doing their own material.

    Jet started doing Beatles stuff, then progressed to doing their own.

    Personally, I dont care if its authentic, has history, has no history, rehashed, copied, original, redone, remixed, rockabilly, rockn'roll, rhythm & blues, yellows or greens. Its what I like.


    I'm with Lee, be individual. Go Firebird.


    FIGJAM (Maryann Jolly)

  19. #19

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Ive "spurned" longgonebabys comment because i think she meant "spawned".

  20. #20
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    Aug 2004
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    148

    Re: Rockabilly Dancers Coming To Town

    Ooops! You're totally right, xlfacon! My bad.
    Good manners cost nothing.

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