Japanese rockabilly band Johnny Pandora / Courtesy of Johnny Pandora
By Jon Dunbar
Rockabilly bands from three nations will collect in Seoul this Friday and Saturday for the Asian Rockabilly Pageant, additionally being known as Rumble in Seoul.
Two Japanese bands, Johnny Pandora and the Biscats, and one band from Hong Kong, the Boogie Playboys, will be a part of 5 Korean reside acts plus two DJs. This consists of Korean rockabilly legends Streetguns, plus Busan rockabilly band the Hoppers, in addition to rock and nation bands just like the Greatballs, Texas Karaoke and Jinu Konda.
Streetguns has been carrying the torch for Korea’s small rockabilly scene for the previous decade, after lineup modifications prompted a metamorphosis from the sooner RockTigers.
The chief of each these bands is a guitarist nicknamed Tiger, who has passed by that title since 2001 with the creation of RockTigers. He started his music profession in 1999 with the punk band Blue Punk Bugs, so if you wish to know his unique title, simply discover one in all their albums. Tiger’s personal label, ATM Information (which stands for “In opposition to the Major Stream”), is the official organizer of the rockabilly fest.
“In 2004, after I was with The RockTigers, we have been invited to the Tokyo Massive Rumble pageant, a rockabilly and psychobilly pageant held in Tokyo,” Tiger instructed The Korea Instances. “At that pageant, I used to be struck by many issues — it was my first time straight experiencing rockabilly and psychobilly tradition, and I began to get deeply into this music and tradition.”
He stated he was significantly impressed by Mutsumi, the organizer of Tokyo Massive Rumble, who not solely ran the occasion but additionally carried out as a headliner.
“I assumed to myself that someday, I might positively need to create a pageant like this in Korea,” he stated.
After that pageant, The RockTigers’ music shifted progressively extra towards rockabilly, and for a number of years they hosted a month-to-month live performance known as “Kimchibilly Nights,” typically inviting bands from Japan or generally even additional away.
Later, Streetguns created Retro Pageant, which ran in 2018 and 2019 earlier than being lower brief by the pandemic.
“The Retro Pageant was a complete celebration with swing dancing, barber reveals, retro movies, reside performances, trend and paintings, however organizing it was fairly difficult,” Tiger stated. “So, beginning this yr, we have determined to focus extra on music. Luckily, a number of rockabilly-style bands have emerged in Korea, and thru this pageant, I hope to develop the rockabilly scene right here.”
Korean rockabilly band Streetguns / Courtesy of Streetguns
He admitted that rockabilly, a throwback subgenre of rock ‘n’ roll going again to the Fifties that has since loved a number of revivals, is way from mainstream right here in Korea. He added that rockabilly has seen some momentum in Korea due to the expansion in recent times of barber tradition, which has associations with the style aspect of rockabilly, identified for its towering pompadour haircuts.
“Though it is a very, very small scene, the rockabilly scene in Korea positively exists, and I hope it will possibly proceed to be maintained sooner or later,” Tiger stated. “The rockabilly scene is taken into account underground, even inside the underground. There aren’t many bands, and there are even fewer followers devoted solely to rockabilly. Nevertheless, over the previous 20 years, by the actions of The RockTigers and Streetguns, we have constantly promoted the music and tradition of rockabilly, and a few bands have progressively emerged. We’ve continued to arrange performances, bringing collectively the few rockabilly bands that do exist.”
He added that rockabilly is not a lot better identified in different Asian nations, saying that he is conscious of just one rockabilly band in China, in addition to the one in Hong Kong and in addition one in Thailand.
“So it’s virtually like there’s only one band energetic in every nation in Asia,” he stated. “Because of this, everyone knows one another and share shut relationships.”
He stated when Streetguns performed a music pageant in Macao in 2017, the members of Boogie Playboys took a ferry from Hong Kong to see them. And Streetguns contributed a track to Boogie Playboys’ Asian rockabilly compilation.
In the meantime, over in Japan, there’s a fairly massive rockabilly and psychobilly scene, however Tiger stated it has been advancing in age.
“There aren’t many younger bands, however just lately Johnny Pandora and The Biscats have emerged,” he stated. “It’s like younger stars have appeared in Japan’s rockabilly scene. Johnny Pandora is seen as a successor within the Japanese rockabilly world, whereas The Biscats’ vocalist Misaki is definitely the daughter of Hiroshi, the drummer for legendary Japanese rockabilly bands Black Cats and Magic. Inviting these two bands was a pure alternative as a result of they’re presently the most well liked bands in Japan’s rockabilly scene.”
There can be an unique opening social gathering on Friday night time at Unusual Fruit, with solely 30 tickets out there, earlier than the principle occasion beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Freebird.
The occasion picked up a sponsor, Shinsegae’s quick meals chain No Model Burger, which can be offering burgers to individuals on the pageant.
Go to fb.com/RumbleinSeoul2024 for extra info.
