Breaking Out From Bedlam

Remember the Hotrod Hayride? Remember that guy Rick? Well we took a little weekend away to Bedlam Breakout in Northampton. What's more romantic than psychobilly huh? No, in all seriousness it was an ace weekend of music, beer (lots of beer) and new friends.

I'm not a usual frequenter of psychobilly so this was a bit of a shake up for me. Not that I don't like the genre, I do, but it just always fell off my radar - probably pushed off by my first love, rockabilly!  I first saw a psychobilly band at Vintage @ Goodwood back in 2010, and I was lucky enough to see the same band at Bedlam. Long Tall Texans never fail to disappoint! The other highlights included Sunday night's head-liner Nekromantix, The Sharks, and The Epileptic Hillbillies.

A drunk man wanted to take a photo of us - I think that shows...

There is another Bedlam Breakout in March and I'm sure I'll be there!

Sunday Soundtrack.

Sunday for me is all about mellow music to help me recover from the hectic nature of the Saturday night before. Ever since I was little this soundtrack was usually brought in the form of some kind of jazz, and I've continued this onto my adult life. And, as it would be her 98th birthday today, this Sunday's soundtrack is brought to you by Billie Holiday. If I could sound like anyone when I sing, it would be this amazing lady...

'Summertime'

'Them There Eyes'

'A Sailboat In the Moonlight'

Shhh! It's a Speakeasy!

Nearly two weeks after the event, I'm reporting back to you on the recent Speakeasy. Better late than never they say, and I was waiting for the professional photos to be published before sharing everything with you.

I had been looking forward to this night for months, literally months. It's very rare for me to find an event in Liverpool that I know that I am sure to enjoy, what with me not really enjoying modern music that much, and tending to dress a little...obscurely! This event had a lot riding on it's shoulders with my expectations so high, but, by heck, did it live up to it!

Our predrinks were spent with the company of Glenn Miller in the background and gin in the glass. Bliss! Easily the most I've enjoyed a predrinks in a long time!

Look! A proper polaroid!

The event ran from 9pm until just after 3am - there was a dance class before but tickets for that went in a flash! We arrived a little after ten thirty, fashionably late, and the venue was already filling up. The Kazimer is built like an old theatre with the seating removed, so there is a stage, a large dance floor where the stalls should be, and stair ways up to the balcony. The balcony is where the absinthe bar is situated, and this is where we headed first...

On the other wing of the balcony is the set up for their regular themed photo shoot. It's been mug shots, picture frames and this time, poker tables!

First on was The Fire Beneath The Sea, band whose Facebook describe them as 'progressive rap' - not really sure what that means but they were good! I can't really describe what they sounded like but they got the party going for the main act. Riot Jazz. Riot Jazz were sublime. A nine-piece jazz band who mix traditional style brass jazz with rapping lyrics. If you like that sort of jazz fusion thing on a night out - you know what I mean, jazz that you don't have to know how to Charleston, Lindyhop and Foxtrot too - I'd definitely try and get to see them!

Fire Beneath The Sea

Riot Jazz

So yes, after many an absinthe (Hemingway's Dream is definitely up there in my top ten off-the-menu cocktails) we left, hair waves slipping and kohl liner smudging, with aching feet.

The next Speakeasy is on the 27th April - I might not be able to make it because of university deadlines but hopefully the next one will be inked into my diary!

Long Live The King.

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the death of the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley. I think it is only appropriate then that I pay tribute to the man who introduced me to rock'n'roll and rockabilly way back when I was wee.

The King is dead, long live the King.

And my favourite song of his...

You Can Take The Girl Out The South...

Yet again I find myself apologising for not posting recently. I've been ridiculously busy with uni work (nothing like writing 10,000 words in three weeks, is there?) so, obviously, that has taken priority. However, with just one week until I venture home to the south, I'm starting to get that Christmassy vibe. Bring on the mulled wine and mince pies!

Until then I shall leave you with my new favourite-song-that-reminds-me-of-home:

Frank Turner - Wessex Boy

Let me tell you all a little story of the things I've found,
Hanging out and drinking with my friends in the cathedral grounds,
And later dodging drunks as we dance along Jury Street,
As we wander up town to the railway our friends to meet,

There's something about coming back to your hometown again,
The place where you grew up and where you found your firmest friends,
And though none of them still live here, I've got nowhere to go,
I'm a Wessex Boy and when I'm here I'm home

Let me tell you all a little story of the things I've lost,
Huddling for warmth on the top step of the Buttercross,
Sitting on the benches by the bridges at the riverside,
Of counting down the hours for the buses cause I missed my ride

Hot Rod Hayride! A Rockabilly's Paradise!

I got home on Sunday evening and felt all deflated. I realised I had very little to look forward to now the big event of my summer (who am I kidding? It's the highlight of my year!), the Hot Rod Hayride, was over. It flashed past in the blink of an eye and yet so much went on I'm still remembering some of it - or maybe that was the copious amounts of Bulmers I got through?

We (my parents, their friends, and I) arrived at about half ten on Friday morning and still weren't the first ones in. The first field was half full already and our's was filling up quickly too. My new tent got it's first airing and our little camp was soon set up, and the bud's were cracked open before lunchtime. I had also already seen my perfect man by this point - first sighted on the gate, in fact, with a blue Triumph - but soon found out he was attached (damn!) not that it stopped me looking haha! The rest of Friday was spent looking through the stalls (Freddies of Pinewood was naturally my favourite), looking at beautiful cars and motorbikes, eating lots and lots of barbecued meat and drinking a lot of beer. We did have one run in with good ol' health and safety on the Friday; we were told to move our cars either to the show ground (for pre 1966 vehicles) or to the public car park because they were a fire hazard. We all thought this was completely ridiculous as some of the cars, like my dad's 1967 Dodge Coronet and his friend's 1953 Cadillac coupe DeVille, is a prized possession and to be separated from it can cause a bit of tension. Most of the people at the Hayride have been going to shows for years and no one we know of has ever had a problem with having their vehicle near their tent/caravan, so, in my opinion, this was health and safety madness!

We cracked open our bottles of Italian pin up lemonade on Friday

Saturday was the main event day for the weekender and involved, yup you've guessed it, more cars, shopping, eating and drinking. My main purchase of the weekend was bought just before we went to the drag strip; you can read about my lovely new bicycle (called Agatha) here. After a horrendous journey through Guildford to the Top Gear test track - to be on this 'hallowed ground' excited me, as just the thought of being somewhere where Jenson Button has been is just amazing - we discovered we were too late for most the racing and only caught the finale. It was supposed to go on until 3pm but was all over just before 2pm. Maybe if we hadn't been led through a city with a one way system on a Saturday we'd have been there sooner, but oh well! At least we didn't end up in a housing estate like my uncles who mistakenly followed the wrong biker! On another note, a first was had on the Saturday! The first ever wedding took place at the Hayride which I think is brilliant! What a great place for a wedding no one will forget! Congrats to the couple!

Agatha and I

The second, and last, night of the Hayride was just amazing! The music was brilliant, the spontaneous clog dancing from the Dutch bunch was entertaining, the Freak Show was...freaky (who knew a man could do that up a pole?!), and Anna Fur Laxis' burlesque was seductively sexy (This is also a call for anyone who knows where the half of her unique, handmade bra is. Anna can't do this act without it so if anyone knows any information please, please, please get in contact with her!). One personal highlight of mine was the £50 note practical joke our lot played on unsuspecting victims from the pavilion's veranda. Mum had got a pack of quite convincing napkins that resembled £50 notes and so we planted them on the ground as if they'd fallen from our pocket and then watched as people pick them up and realise it was a fake. Sneaky, sneaky! We had the whole side of the veranda going!

Fake £50 gag in action

Pole Dancing Freak Show style ;)

Anna Fur Laxis - Mr Perfect was stood next to me at this point =D



Sunday was over far too quickly for my liking! It started with more shopping at the bootfair sale which offered clothes, art and vehicle pieces (I skip those - it's all gobbledegook to me!) and ended with the famous Hot Rod Hayride Soapbox Derby. The event seemed shorter than last year, but I put that down to the track being a lot shorter - it missed the speed bump which I can only put down to health and safety demons again. We were packed up by 2pm, and soon enough I waved goodbye to paradise for another year...

I won't even bother to give you a verdict because I think my opinion is clear: the weekend is my idea of heaven! Looking past the health and safety dramas (unnecessary if you ask me) and the Guildford disaster I cannot fault it. I look forward to the weekend all year and this certainly hasn't changed! The only thing I'd like more (apart from the obvious Mr Perfect part) is more people to go with, so anyone interested in next year please get in touch because I would love to meet more people in the scene and get my own crowd going!

Odd Socks On A Friday Night

My first Friday night home was graced with an evening out with the parents to a new monthly night at The Soul Cellar in Southampton. Odd Socks celebrates all music vintage and eclectic, bringing music that is not regularly heard by the masses. Friday's event was headlined by The Ace Trio (check out their myspace!)  with other music from Itchy Teeth and guest DJ Emma Noble.

Doors opened at 8:30pm although Dad wanted to be fashionably late so we arrived at 9pm. Unfortunately the event was still in the awkward first hour of a party, before the good music comes out and the shandies and spritzers take effect. Talking of drinks, we weren't sure but we were convinced we were short changed with only a few silvers gracing my dad's palm from a tenner for two halves and a pint. That's too much surely? Needless to say dad didn't buy another round! It was at least half past nine before Itchy Teeth started up and, personally, I almost wish they hadn't. I'm not a Beetles fan at the best  of times (I know, shocking, shoot me now, blah blah) but when they were 'indied up' I really wasn't impressed. But this is just my opinion, I'm sure many people loved them especially as the event wasn't billed as a 'vintage only' evening, but we did have to move away by the third song.

Emma Noble span some classic Motown and blues tunes which were much more our cup of tea and really got the party going! She really got the mood of the audience and soon enough people were moving and shaking all over the place. More shaking commenced with the two performances from four of Roxy's Rockets (a local burlesque school and troupe) which got all the men hot under the collar. It was just a shame that they had to perform on the dance floor as the stage was occupied by drum kits and double basses so us at the back (regardless of my height) couldn't get a decent view! Oh well, there's always next time!

The headliners took to the stage at eleven and this is what we had been waiting for! Southampton's hottest rockabilly band The Ace Trio truly lived up to expectations! They performed a great mixture of the popular tunes known by most of the audience, some by The Stray Cats, and others known by only a few. The audience loved every song played and even screamed out for an encore at the end of the set! The vibe in the room was amazing with even the non-dancers tapping their toes (ahem, dad) whilst the more energetic few shook what their mamma's gave them at the front - one girl in an amazing dirndl style dress was really going for it, and I would have if it hadn't been for my four inch heels!

The Ace Trio



So, my overall opinion? I would probably go back but with a bigger crowd as it was definitely worth the £6 entry and the night was definitely a success - if only the drinks were a little cheaper aha!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The next event is 8th July at the Soul Cellar and is headlined by Big Boy Bloater And The Limits.