Rockabilly, tattooed girls and Morrissey

[Librarian On Fire]

Last night I went along and saw the very wonderful Kitty Daisy and Lewis perform at the Powerstation here in the fleshpot of Auckland. What a fantastic performance. KD&L perform a sort of early blues rock and roll. Complete with double bass, banjos, harmonica and trumpet. It's a truly refreshing sound in today's generic pop and rock world. Go YouTube them, you won't be disappointed.

What was really good to see was lots of girls wearing 1950's style dresses. I love vintage and as long as it's not poseur hipsters then it can work really well. I was also surprised to see a quite a large number of Betty Boop sort of girls with 1940's haircuts, polka dot dresses and heavily tattooed arms. I'm not fond of tattoos on anybody, let alone a good looking woman, but I appreciated both last night. The older the guy with a quiff or slick back small ducks tail, looks cooler the older you are. I really began to feel that I was in the Camden Workers Social Club. Oh and Lewis would have given Morrissey a run for his money with his vintage trousers and blazer. I love the video for "Sing Your Life". I think it's one of Morrissey's best ones. That's just how some of the girls last night looked, as if they were extras in the video. Kitty looked splendid in her 1950's girls sailor suit. She looked like she came off a cover of Bunty, but oh set so many guys hearts racing with the shorts and cream tights.

So I began to think before KD&L came on, that when Morrissey did the rockabilly of "Your Arsenal" was there a cool set of rocker girls and guys? Or was it all saddo indie boys wearing their faded The Smiths t-shirts? Crikey when Morrissey comes to Auckland that crowd is going to be so hungry for him that'll be a cracking good show.

 

[Orson Swells]

Re: rockabilly, tattooed girls - I must say I like them.

 

[Urban the swede]

In Sweden these type of people are sadly white trash and not looked upon with any sort of admiration. The girls are chubby and smoke and are looking for a new man to father their children. They go to sad events like cruising drinking beer in the car that is of course not driven by the owner cause he is in the backseat drunk as a skunk fondling the all too young girls that dive into the car from the side street in desperation that at least something will happen tonight.

I totally loathe this scene and the people that fill their homes with 50's furniture and live in times gone by but that is cause I am a modernist who might think back to the old days but never want to go back to them. I think the only true professional scene is in Germany where Natalie the old Solo chatter is the queen.

 

[leedoggpimp]

suicidegirls.com

 

[SW6withme]

I'm fond of that thing as long, as you say, it isn't just a fling like it is to some today. Concerning Sweden I do believe that there is another scene outside those white trash people. Mostly in the bigger citys there is a subculture for 50's music and clothing which are not just put together of brainless country people. For me, the 50's thing is associated with Morrissey since it was him who made me get a quiff and directing me from 60's music towards 50's music.

 

[Urban the swede]

I'm fond of that thing as long, as you say, it isn't just a fling like it is to some today. Concerning Sweden I do believe that there is another scene outside those white trash people. Mostly in the bigger citys there is a subculture for 50's music and clothing which are not just put together of brainless country people. For me, the 50's thing is associated with Morrissey since it was him who made me get a quiff and directing me from 60's music towards 50's music.

You are correct there but as always in life it is not the serious people that get the attention or are seen at festivals and in the streets.

I have to disappoint those that believe that Morrissey and this scene is in any way connected cause the hardcore elite of this scene do not know him at all and the few that do laugh him off as a joke. It is a fact that Morrissey's flirt with this scene can be seen as the biggest mistake he ever made in his career and those in the know do not consider the songs he made during that period to be real rockabilly or a serious attempt at it.

It was a flirt with it but it is sad how somehow confuse his style with that scene cause of a haircut and him wearing certain clothes at times. It is the weakest link you will ever see in music but those that like that scene and like Moz as well will of course do their best to link the two together as much as they can. Hijacking idols should be a sport that is condemned to the 90's.

You have to separate the artist Morrissey and the private person and I'm not sure which of the two we are discussing here.

 

[Sharron Needles]

Er, I am sure that the fact that a few of Morrissey's band members have played in bands like the Polecats, Frantic Flinstones, The Nitros, etc., means that there is a connection in a way. Plus, I have a known a lot of people really into the scene over the last few decades have always genuinely been into Moz and The Smiths. As far as the original post goes, I don't remember the whole heavily tattooed, pin-up sort of look getting really big until psycholbilly became much more mainstream in the mid/late 90's.

 

[Urban the swede]

Er, I am sure that the fact that a few of Morrissey's band members have played in bands like the Polecats, Frantic Flinstones, The Nitros, etc., means that there is a connection in a way. Plus, I have a known a lot of people really into the scene over the last few decades have always genuinely been into Moz and The Smiths. As far as the original post goes, I don't remember the whole heavily tattooed, pin-up sort of look getting really big until psycholbilly became much more mainstream in the mid/late 90's.

Yes the eternal band members that always made me jawn have given some people the impression that it is in fact a rockabilly band and have attracted a number of white trash elements but that does not make the man Morrissey rockabilly at all. He has been wearing office suits and shirts for most of his career onstage.

Anyway the more these rockabilly white trash band members influenced the music the worse it got and they killed my interest straight off as they turned up with no teeth and greasy kebab style hair combing the hair with a beef steak each morning (sweet).