Psychobilly

The psychobilly is a musical genre generally described like a mixture between the Punk rock'n'roll and the Rockabilly. It was born with the whole beginning from the Années 1980, with the the United Kingdom, before spreading themselves in Europe, then in North America, South America and Asia. The kind is also characterized by references supported to the films of horror and exploitation, with violence, an unslung sexuality and other subjects generally considered as taboos, presented with humor and impressed car-derision.

Other musical styles contributed their share - however less marked like the music garage of the years 1960-70 with for example the Trashmen (the USA) or the Stingrays (the U.K.), the Musique surfing (Dick Dale), the Country (Hank Williams).

All these elements make of Psychobilly, a kind rich and varied since the result can go from an energetic néo-rockabilly to a very punk sound even metal, according to the influences.

Today in front of so much of diversity, one can hear of " Psychobilly Old School" , which refers to the original style of the years 1980 and " New School" by opposition which will integrate to him groups more influenced by current sonorities rock'n'roll. These two kinds - at the fuzzy borders - coexist and testify to the originality of this musical genre.

The counterpart of this broad definition is that certain groups evolving/moving in margin are quoted in turn like belonging to this kind or excluded. One can take the case of the Cramps (the USA), which although joining together to it quasi totality of the criteria are not retained. In the same way, Polecats (80 ' S the U.K.) are often regarded as too rockabilly by the psychobilly and too psychobilly by the rockabilly. At the other end, one can hear from time to time that the Nashville Pussy or the Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster play of Psychobilly. It is generally allowed that the The Meteors are the first group of psychobilly melting the kind in 1980. In 1982, the club of Hammersmith the Klubfoot really allowed and physically to create the scene psychobilly. The club was finally destroyed.

Reduced and not very inclined movement with the expansion and marketing, the scene psychobilly is articulated enormously around the concerts and of the festivals (old Big Rumble in the United Kingdom, Calella in Spain, You Don' T Know Them From The Klubfoot in Essen, Satanic Stomp and king off psychobilly in Germany etc). These festivals which can include/understand 2-3 days in concert and extend over one week with the additional activities, join together sometimes more than one thousand of people.

One of the characteristic features (but not essence) is the use of the Contrebasse (in reference to the rockabilly) rather than the low electric one. The bass player thus ensures part of rhythmic while playing in pizzicato by employing the techniques known as of “slap” and “double slap” (use of its dryness caused by the rebound of the cords on the sleeve of the double bass for rythmer music).

Among the most famous groups: The Meteors, Demented Are Go!, The Sharks, Guana Batz, Reverend Horton Heat, Nekromantix, Mad Sin, The Quakes, Banana metalik, Los Gatos Locos, Calavera, Astro-Zombies, Os Catalépticos, Batmobile, The Coenobites, Chibuku, The Whetstone sheath Nails, Damage Gives By Worms, Evil Devil, Frantic Flintstones, Frenzy, King Kurt, Klingonz Godless Wicked Creeps, Gorilla, Hellbillys, Horrorpops, The Krewmen, Long Tall Texans, Mad Heads, Mad Mongolian, Rebounds The Lucky Devils, The Monster Klub, Milwaukee Wildmen, The Peacocks, The Phantom Rockers, The Photon Torpedoes, The Quakes, Screaming Kids, Scum Servant boys, Sin Alley, Skitzo, Torment, Slapping Suspenders, Small Town Pimps or Tiger Army.

In France Wampas evolved/moved in the scene psychobilly at least at the beginning of their career, Didier Wampas remembers some besides in the song " When I was psycho" appeared on album ROCK' ROLL DOES NOT LEAVE 9 (2006). The Washington Dead Cats are also a good French group for the amateurs.

The psychobilly fashion is characterized by the hairstyle, called springboard, which resembles a mohican or a banana stylized by Picasso and often the bright colors. The vestimentary fashion mixes influences Punk - as for example of diluted clothing, in bad state and covers of patches, leather jackets - with reasons resulting from the rockabilly, such as for example the leopard or Creepers with platform soles.

With the difference in good number of musical movements, the psychobilly is characterized by the refusal to associate political ideas with the music. The frame of mind is centered resolutely on the music and the festival. This guiding line is also found in the words of the songs which approach neutral topics (love, monsters, cars, attitude Rock' Roll…) rather than of the standpoint on political subjects.

Musical production

Psychobilly - as good number of musical genres - was found drawn aside of the great labels. The production quite naturally moved towards independent labels, often created for the need or already famous for their Rockabilly production.

One will quote for the the Eighties, the British labels such as Nervous Records, Rage Records, Stiff records, ID records. Also Tombstones records, Count Orlock & Rockhouse in Holland or Rumble records in Germany.

Since the the Nineties, the production is ensured by Crazy Love Records (ALL), Raucous (the U.K.), Drunkabilly (BE), People like you (ALL) and a multitude of small labels. One will also note the collection Psychobilly d' Anagram Records (via its subsidiary company Cherry Red) which republished a certain number of albums founders and compilations.

Derived

The psychobilly, by crossing the Gothic Music, gave rise to a sub-genus close to the Death Rock or punk Horror, sometimes named Gothabilly or Hellbilly

Baltimore Psychobilly - Internet radio operator show featuring psychobilly music

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