Sam Sinister , Now that I'm centuries past caring about UK Psychobilly , myself , it seems to be becoming far more popular in The US. When I saw The Meteors in 1995 , they sounded great , still , but , it was kind of like nostalgia , by then . There were about 40 people there. I went , mainly, because I did'nt have the chance to see them in the 80's. It was the same way when I saw Demented Are Go , a few years later. I went because I had'nt had the chance to see them , earlier. They sounded more , by then , LiKE MOTORHEAD THAN A BAND WITH ANY ROCKABILLY OVERTONES. It was entertaining , at least.
I would say the "Big Three" are Meteors , Guana Batz and Demented. Some people say The Batz were'nt Psychobilly , just because they were'nt as rough - sounding as the other two. With the acoustic guitars and electric guitars not turned up to "OUCH !" , they seemed maybe more influenced by Skiffle and Everly Bros than their peers. That and straight Rockabilly from the 50's , with some Punkish tempos , but not on the same level as The Meteors. A lotof people wrote this stuff off as "Cramps copyists". I never heard much Cramps influence in any of these bands , though they were probably the main catalyst for what became a movement in The UK and Western Europe (Even Russia , and former Soviet Bloc Countries.) really did'nt make it over here , at least ,not until bands started giving it more of a Metal backbone , which could've started with The Phantom Rockers' early U.S. tours. I had one of their CDs , it was more Metal than their live gigs ......
The early Cramps billed themselves as "Psychobilly Voodoo" in about '77 ,so ,they would have been the first to use the term (Which came from Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time"), but , when it became a movement , they distanced themselves from it , Ivy noting ,"I don't think those bands are very psycho at all !". But , ever diplomatic , Lux later said "If people listen to us , and are inspired to start Death- Rock bands , that's great , but , people give me these tapes , and they sound like DOGSHIT !"
The same attitude seemed to prevail about Psychobilly bands who claimed The Cramps were an influence , but a diplomatic air prevailed , on 120 Minutes with ol' boy , the Morrissey wannabee , where they seemed to have made peace with that all this stuff was happening while they toured Europe in The 80's , but , they noted , accurately , that the best original Rockabilly WAS psychotic , or Psychobilly , anyway.
Mojo Nixon , to me , has nothing to do , even , with Rockabilly. Maybe there's stuff I have'nt heard. I thought his first album was very funny , but , it still sounded like George Thorogood fronting a two - man joke band. I saw him in '86 or '87 (I was there to see The Paladins.). I thought he stunk , I left after about five songs..... If you asked Jim Heath (Rev. Horton Heat.) today , he'd probably also say he's disassociating himself from the "Psychobilly" label. I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT OF HIM THAT WAY , THOUGH HE HAD BEEN KNOWN TO THROW TEMPO - TANTRUMS. THE TERM WAS KIND OF STUCK ON HIM WHEN HE GOT ON SUBPOP. Before that , he was just thought of as A STRAIGHT ROCKABILLY AND R'N'B ACT. hE'D BEEN PERFORMING AS tHE REV for almost four years WHEN HIS FIRST ALBUM CAME OUT. A lot of people , today , don't even know how he sounds at his best , tho' they would , if they'd bought his last CD. hE STILL DOES GREAT SHOWS , BUT , HE'S ALWAYS EXPECTED TO DO HIS 5 OR 6 LEAST EXCEPTIONAL SONGS TO PLEASE THE WOULD - BE BADASSES.
ELVIS HITLER , AT LEAST WAS COMBINING ROCKABILLY AND METAL IN A WAY THAT WORKED , LONG BEFORE MUCH OF "PSYCHOBILLY" WENT METAL. I WOULD'NT CALL THEM PSYCHOBILLY , EITHER.
act. Sam Sinister said:
Someone already mentioned them, but the meteors are hands-down the best "official" psychobilly band. If you count the Cramps (they themselves don't), the Meteors are second, followed closely by the Guana Batz. The early UK stuff had a really great, raw sound. Nekromantix are really good, but they verge on thrash metal and wouldn't be recommended to fans of early rockabilly as an introduction to psycho. I love the Rev, as well, but the American stuff is a bit different. I wouldn't call Elvis hitler or Mojo psychobilly. I've always considered both to be more cowpunk. This is all in my humble opinion, BTW.