Oh me oh my, how do I start this? Rhythm Aces return to Crondall 16 months after the last crazy party with them. Now, for the 1st  time in our near 6 years of running the long established club, I advertise 'Yep, you can dress for Halloween if you wish, but it's not obligatory'. What a response & what a great Halloween party we had! It was an amazing night with all the spooks, devils, a bunny rabbit & saucy sporty school girls roller skating around with a cricket bat & hockey stick! We had a 'back from the dead school boy', bat girl, a nurse & more! Even our  catering staff & bar staff dressed for the occasion, Hah! the atmosphere was absolutely electric. we had a packed hall  with  teds travelling from Cornwall, Leicester, Northampton & Kent/Essex, absolutely amazing that is, & most appreciated.

We had a great party with Teds, Cats & Rockers all havin' a ball together, with Rhythm Aces. And if you haven't seen Rhythm Aces  before, where have you been hiding? They are a 3 piece Teddyboy band, with  lively Howie on bass/ backing vocals, Pete Lyth on guitar & lead vocals, & Diamond Dave on drums/backing vocals. Rhythm Aces have a very tight sound, doin' covers & lots of material of their own with that great British touch. Always love their cover of  High School Confidential, even without a piano! And Howie's antics with the bass always gets the ladies drooling, ha ha.

The band have played a number of gigs abroad, &  the length & breadth of the UK, so if you have missed them, it's your loss I'm afraid, to see them....it has to be done :). The whole night was rock 'n' roll as it should be, with a good lively band interacting well with the crowd, just gettin' the ol' adrenalin pumpin' through them veins, creating excitement all round the hall, everybody lettin' their hair down to the driving beat of the 'Diamond's' drums & Howie's bass, with Pete's riffs just twanging away all yer blues, & the whole sound just ultimately blowing yer mind!

God knows how these bands do it yer know, it's beyond me. Pete had been working long old hours back home, half way up England in Shropshire, &  on top of that  it's something like Pete & Howie sharing 4 hours driving to Crondall & 4 back, after the gig is over. Although completely knackered before even unloading  the full to the brim van with loads of heavy gear, Pete - frontman of Rhythm Aces still managed to put out a pretty energetic performance with, of course, the help from Diamond Dave & Howie.

We had a crazy fun party night all round with a bloody cutluss being held to band members throats whilst they were playing.....plastic ones of course! Ha ha. And spectres appearing from behind the band, accompanied by floating spiders webs & jolly rogers in the form of balloons all round the stage, which gave some a bit of fun.

DJ Dynamite Ady supplied all the hot tracks that filled the floor between the bands sets, with some Oooooh rockin' horror party tracks thrown in to encourage the spookies to strut their scary stuff! Ha ha!

IF some of you haven't managed to come out of hiding when Rhythm Aces have been playing near you & you don't have their cd yet, you can check out their sound at www.myspace/therhythmaces & hear what you been a missin' :)

Comments from the band Rhythm Aces

Diamond Dave - Drummer

Watch Rhythm Aces at Crondall here

Maybelline      Turn my back on you

I haven't seen Sureshots in years & years &  I'd forgotten what they were like exactly, accept they were a really good high class rockabilly band, one of the best. They are still in that category, only I don't remember the banter with the audience before. 

From the land of the good ol' Skiprats band, out shoots the Sureshots from Co.Durham. Just love their accents from up there.

The band had been eager to get to us since we booked them & to take the opportunity to let their hair down a bit at Crondall  too. So since their dep drummer Mark Kemlo had been to Crondall a few times before, it was like step aside Mark, it's our turn to have a little drinkie & party now, ha ha, it just had  to be done!

Sureshots nowadays, are mostly gigging at weekenders & abroad & have recently done the High Rockabilly in Spain, the Rockabilly Rave &  the Hot Rod Hayride. Some of our customers that came down to Crondall saw the Sureshots at all 3 of these events, lucky so & so's...I didn't even get to see a whole set at Crondall.

Sureshots have a good authentic look & sound, consisting of Gaz Allen who seemed to tower  over me, up on the stage like the leaning tower of Pisa, on lead 'authentic sounding' vocals & rhythm guitar, Johnny Cavanah (think I spelt that right) on bass, a regular dep for Sureshots, as their usual bass player Harley, has other band commitments also. Mark Kemlo (Rimshots, Gene Gambler & the Shufflers) had to step in & dep on drums, & there is Joe with his fantastic double neck guitar, just like Larry Collins' (Collins kids) guitar. What a beauty of a treasure...I WANT ONE! ha ha, luverly jubberly!

Gaz likes to have a good banter  with the audience &  tonight mainly joking about the Parish Council & how responsive the audience was, lol. A bit like 'An evening with.......' which made it a bit of a laugh.

There was an amusing moment when Gaz's guitar strap came away from the guitar suddenly. Just as well, he was a good catch, or else I might have run off with it, lol! I think Gaz had either  dropped the bit that keeps the guitar strap fastened, inside, or it was a plectrum he had dropped in there earlier.  Anyway, it was quite funny 'cos every now & then he'd stop & have a look, almost getting his head right inside, give his guitar a shake & say, in his strong Geordie accent, ' I think I might be able to get it now...oh..maybe not' he'd say, & then promptly carry on with the next number.

Sureshots cover a variety of tracks like, Big Door, You're my Baby, My Baby Left Me, Barking up the Wrong Tree, Something I said &  some good ol' Johnny Burnette, as well as quite a bit of their own original material, like Fire Engine Baby.

Gaz sings with a passion from the heart & soul what a lovely voice, so authentic sounding. What more can I say about them really, a great, outstanding rockabilly band who have been going since about early '80s, travelled more than 5 hours to get to us with a very quick 'check in' at  their hotel, drove on to Crondall & performed on stage without any show of tiredness. 

We had a great atmosphere, with everyone having a good time. A brilliant night with a LOT of noise made at the end of the night to bring the band back on stage for an encore or 2, nobody seemed to want to let them go.

Sureshots have various cds available either from them at gigs, www.myspace.com/themsureshots or from Raucous records, the latest being, 'Rockabilly Heaven Downunder', a compilation album with Wildfire Willie & the Ramblers and the John Lewis Trio.   

All draped up was Dave Brighton from Sheffield, station manager of Rockabilly Radio at www.rockabillyradio.net  & also owner of the UK Complete Gig Guide at  www.rnrgigguide.com was down this neck of the woods at the Kempton Jukebox Madness Show doin' his promoting bit. He then headed on down to Crondall to do some promoting there too, but it ended up, Dave just chillin out & enjoying the night as he had another busy day ahead of him back at Kempton on the Sunday. I won't quote the age of Dave Brighton, but put it this way, he's a damn hard worker for the scene & probably one of the most matured (oldest :0 ) ) that I know of!

This time , the atmosphere was just doubly awesome! We were so busy, my head could have exploded!

The whole night totally blew us away, giving Crondall r 'n' r club yet another one of it's very best nights!

One of our regulars, (right) Chris Randell was celebrating his 50th BIG time, paid us up front for all the guests he had invited & put money across the bar so they could have a free drink, it was just crazy, only we forgot to give him the bumps! The crowd of teds, rockers & some kats were  wildly livin' &  lovin' it up with at least 5 others celebrating their birthdays &  a  wedding anniversary. It was just one massive 'Let yer hair down, don't give a damn, losin' yer blues for a bit & 'have a blast' party!'

Brothers from Liverpool, Mark & Andy 'Lyndon Needs no.1 fan' Halligan, front on bass/lead vocals & guitar, with young Frenchman Yann Gourmelon bashing out the rhythm on drums with upside downy drumsticks, for that 'lets see how many brand new drumsticks fall apart on me tonight act!' :o)  How does he do that?

The Furious are very enthusiastic, passionate & extremely wild, fast & FURIOUUUUUUS! when they perform.

 There's Mark singing their own wild versions of 'Puttin' on the style', Hello Josephine' & 'You are my Sunshine' along with some of the bands own self penned material, some with a modern touch like 'Asbo Shuffle',  with his wild animal print fur on his bass, slappin' it vigorously like it's a horse in a race.

There's Andy, who just can't get into his guitar enough, he goes mad like he has a bout of rockin' manicitis! like, well I'd say, like a young Lyndon Needs, YAAAAAHOO! included, & there's Yann also going crazy & twirling his drumsticks here & there, not for show, it's the passion escaping! Written all over  their faces is ' We love what we're doin', don't try stoppin' us man!'

And they gave the same energetic performance again the next day, (due to go on at 4pm) in Doncaster for Ol' Del Boy's alldayer, & I got out of bed at 3pm on the Sunday! I don't know how they managed. Mind you, we don't get to bed til 3am after our club night & I am older than the younger generation, ha ha. It's the love of the music that is their driving wheel, & they were back down in Battersea a week after, at the Pavilion! Gawd bless' em.

The young 3 piece band are all in their early 20's, are 100% teddyboys through & through, fully draped up, & sweltering like hog roasts on stage, have already, a considerable amount of history. Since Furious last played at Crondall 2 years ago, they now they have their own t.shirts on sale, once sold with matching knickers! & oh dear & dash it, I forgot to throw mine at them! ha ha, laugh my bottom off!, produced by cut throat clothing who now have a new design on the way.

Furious have successfully played in France, Scotland, Sweden, & would you believe, sunny Russia, & are due to return there & do Moscow in December.

At time of writing, Furious are due, very soon, to release on Nervous Records, an album entitled 'Wreck the Hoose Juice' on vinyl with sleeve notes  written by Cavan's mad guitarist - Lyndon Needs. The same album will be released on cd  which will includes a bonus video. 

Furious have recently been asked, by 'Harmonix music systems, Inc' to allow one of their own tracks 'All Night Long' (written by Andy) to be used by them on the latest version of Rock Band, a computer game, the sequel to Guitar Hero. They've also been asked to support Imelda May at the Manchester Academy on 9th October. What an experience that will be.

But I guess the biggest part of their Furious life was being lined up to support Chuck Berry, until the tour was regretfully postponed. What an honour! Maybe next time, with any luck. Check Furious out at www.rockfurious.com

Comments from the band Furious

Mark Halligan - Lead vocals & Bass

We had a great night cheers Janie! Never fails to amaze us the crowd you get at Crondall!
we'll see ya soon!

Andy Halligan - Lead Guitar

Hi Janie! Thanks for a great night,! You've got a great club there with great people! We really had a good time! even with the flat tyre! Ha ha. I hope to see you soon,

Yann Gourmelon - Drummer

Flames at Crondall for the 2nd time round, were very relaxed, on absolute top form & blatantly thoroughly enjoying every moment at  the club. The first time Flames performed for us, we asked for them to do an all British set as we put on an 'All British' night. No 'All British Night' this time, so Flames  just let loose! , although they still  produce that British feel whatever they perform.

Flames performed brilliantly, but the star of the show just had to be the drummer, Jeff Tuck. He was really quite poorly, having to leave stage 3 times the night before, for feeling sick. He was a tad dehydrated, had a bad headache & had hardly eaten all day by the time he arrived at Crondall.

After taking some of my magic paracetamol, he was soon recovering & in the 2nd set, Jeff amazingly performed a solo of 'Wipeout' for at least a 9 minute stretch! Sheer determination must have been all that was keeping him going. It's not something to dance to, it's more of a watch, listen & appreciate the effort that goes into the solo, especially on this occasion, with Jeff not feeling even quite 80%, let alone 100%. The crowd were very encouraging with their whistling/cheering  reception which I think must have helped carry Jeff through this, one of the highlights of the evening.

Dressed in early 60's silver grey suits, with their tight to perfection, from note to note performance, it's easy to think Flames have been performing together forever, (well Roger & Jeff Jeffery have been performing together for 42 years on & off in other bands, aww, so sweet :o} )  Flames inform me that they have been in the same line up for 23 years, which, with exceptions like Crazy Cavan & the Rhythm Rockers, who have just released a cd to celebrate their 40 years together, is quite a rare achievement for a whole band.

Flames may look like a typical early '60s shadows style band, giving the impression they just cover the music of that particular era, but don't be fooled, as even though they do specialise in the British style, & cover a good deal of instrumentals of that period, at Crondall, Flames played a good mixture of British, a few instrumentals & some American covers as well, like the Rockabilly man 'Ray campi's' 'Rockin' at the Ritz', accompanied by (Big) John, the lead guitarist on mandolin for this, & another 1 or 2 numbers, which was a brilliant inclusion, making the song sound like it should do.

It surprised me to learn that the band are from all over. Roger Cover, founder member of 'The Rapiers' until Flames were formed, is lead vocalist/bass guitarist who also formed the band The Rapids in 1968 with Flames rhythm guitarist - Jeff Jeffery, & later developed into the band 'Dynamite', progressing onto becoming a Bill Haley style band 'The Dynamite Band', is from Bexhill & travels on his own. The other 3, amazingly, travel together, picking up & dropping off on route!

Comments from the band Flames

Jeff Tuck - Crazy Drummer

Hi Janie,
Thanks for writing such a great review, it really is good and I hope we really DID live up to our reputation.
I think if we were to add anything to the review from our point of view, I would say how much we enjoyed playing to such an appreciative audience whom made us feel very welcome and special, especially yourselves with all the food and hot drinks; You know we have played many venues over the years where we've travelled for about 5 hours on the motorway, (a gig up in Liverpool springs to mind here!) and there's not so much of a cuppa waiting for you at the end of the painstaking horrible journey! and I remember having to rush out to the local garage to grab a Mars bar before going on stage, and that was our meal for the day! (referring back to Liverpool)! But you guys made us feel very comfortable and welcome and for me that goes a long way!

All the best,
Jeff

 

At Crondall r 'n' r club we've just had a post 'mini' Rockabilly Rave' with 2 bands on the bill for one extremely hot night , Kansas City Cryers (KCC) with Jessie & the Orbits topping the bill.

Initially, we booked Jessie & the Orbits, who at the time of booking, just  over a year ago, were up & coming, they didn't have their own p.a then, & the singer aka Natasha, only knew enough material for about an hours set at a push.

We had been wanting to hire Kansas City Cryers for a while & so decided to put them on with Jessie & the Orbits so that they had a pa to work with. The ironic thing is, we couldn't have chosen 2 most compatible bands for a great night of fun & entertainment, as they are all good friends, both bands have releases on Rumble records & both bands played at the Rockabilly Rave only a wk before, hence the term post 'mini' Rave  for our gig.

When we first booked the bands, Jessie & the Orbits were actually going to be the support band & KCC were going to be  headlining. As time passed, Jessie & the Orbits built up their experience & REPUTATION. We hadn't seen them live until they played at Crondall, only saw them on you tube. We started getting reports on how good this band are & others  were assuming that they were going to be top of the bill. Ha ha, As J & the O's had progressed so dramatically in the space of a year , we decided for them to go on stage last, therefore having to make the call to KCC & tell them they would now be going on first. A call I kept putting off 'cos I didn't want to disappoint them. Ha ha, as it happens, they were very nice about it & agreed that Jessie & the Orbits should top the bill.

Kansas City Cryers were perfect for kicking off the party, they are a crazy, nutty, fun lovin', 5 piece, original sounding, with lots of original material with crazy titles, like 'Penguin', a song about dancing like a penguin, which may sound a bit crazy, but it is just so stupidly infectious & danceable as long as you have DUCK feet, ha ha. First saw them at their up & coming stage, about 3 years ago at a friends private party. They were very entertaining & crazy then, & still are just naturally fun to watch, & the only band with the best maraca player in England. MARACAS! Well that asks for a stage invasion. I dished out a few maracas & led a few girls up onto stage who have since become the KCC 'O'fficial Mad Maraca Mob! The band weren't expecting it, & were a little startled, but rather amused, especially the drummer, 'cup - a- tea Tom'.

Brendan, the main man on Maracas, sadly for him, couldn't play any guitar due to some tendon damage in his wrist brought on at the rave, (pint glasses must have been heavy there) but with the other rhythm guitarist  in the band, Chris Magee, the jumping musician, they managed to get through the set brilliantly.

Love these guys, always entertaining, & love the original sound. Good for a party. Check these talented guys out at  www.myspace.com/thekansascitycryers

We had an A1 special guest compere for the evening, Steve Stack O' Wax, radio presenter of Wednesday Night Rockin' Party at www.stevestackofwax.co.uk which gave the evening that bit of extra class. DJ Dynamite Ady did a fantastic job on the decks, & the girls were finding it tricky getting a space on the floor to join in with the strolling! He kept the floor a hoppin' all night long.

 Some Crazy d.js were lining up to jive with me & one didn't 'alf have smelly socks! lol. Mr Leon Odd Socks from Bristol.

No raffle on this night as not enough time. Steve introduces & welcomes Jessie & the Orbits to Crondall r 'n' r club, & away  they blast, enthralling the crowd & their dedicated followers still on a high from the Rave....whoops, bit of trouble with the volume on the bass, but rectified quickly. This knock 'em dead young lass of her very early 20's has experienced reaching 3rd place in Miss England last year, she is full of beauty, a 150% friendly personality & has great self esteem . And then there's the voice, a little loud tonight, BUT listening beyond that, how can I explain it? All I can say is that she had the crowd in her grasp which isn't easy for female singers. She is a little lady with a powerful voice, & Jessie has all the potential of  becoming an even  greater performer & reaching great heights if she continues. She expresses herself well when she sings, & enjoys every milli second of her time on stage, giving all she's got with a great connection with the audience &  encouraging the band with her actions. She was just amazing really, with her extremely proud & rockin' parents supporting her at the front of the stage. Jessie has a great experienced & talented backing. It was nice to see Brandon Hoadley back in Crondall again on bass, he gets everywhere. Tony Hillbrandt on drums & Gautier is their brilliant French guitarist.

Check them out at www.myspace.com/jessieandtheorbits2008 

Keep on rockin', Janie.

Comments from the band Kansas City Cryers

Chris Magee - Frontman/Rhythm Guitarist

5 days since Fireballs UK played at Crondall &  we still haven't landed. If I'd written this sooner, I would be lost for words. 

Fireballs UK were absolutely sensational! This band was recommended to us by a friend after a gig they did a year ago in Luton. We checked out their website at www.myspace.com/thefireballs1960 & booked them when the 2 brother guitarists were almost 13 & 16yrs. We then saw them at Wildest Cats wk/ender & were pleased we had booked them.

1 year on &  they gave us a truly &  unbelievably amazing performance. The band combined with the crowd's utmost warmest & roaring reception, absolutely blew the roof off! & that was following the first song 'Flying Saucers rock 'n' roll'.

Now just 14 & 17, these lads who take the limelight in the band & who I will focus on here, both do some lead guitar with the youngest, Anthony, doing most of it. Their dad Martin is on bass & lead vocals, & the GODFATHER Darren is on skins & is a strictly stick man! lol. No strings for him, he leaves that to the masters.

Believe it or not, Fireballs UK have been doing gigs since Anthony was only 9 yrs old. He is extremely talented, as is his older brother Russell.

We had the teenage stars in the 50's like Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Tommy Steele & Cliff, as did the states have the likes of Brenda Lee, Collins kids & The Everlys  starting their performing careers at a very young age, & if  Russell & Anthony keep going the way they are, then the world is their oyster. You really have to see them to believe it & even then it's quite overwhelming.

When suited up, Russell & Anthony remind me (to look at, & taking in mind, they are brothers also) of the Everly's. They certainly looked very dashing I must say.

Every number they did was brilliantly played whilst moving about to the rhythm & they just thoroughly enjoyed themselves, to the point of getting off the stage, onto the dance floor while still playing, & Anthony finishing on his knees at the end of the instrumental 'Sleepwalk'. The Instrumentals have only been learnt in the last 3 months, but you wouldn't have known any difference.

The lads just look so casual playing their guitars, especially Anthony, as he does most lead. He hardly looks at his guitar, and is a  total natural, learning everything by ear after being shown only a few chords. 

They even manage to produce a good action stance for the camera while they are playing. They just  knock me out. 

The lads are very experienced even at such a young age & have, already cut a c.d 'Young Rebels' as part of their experience.

Fireballs UK can suit all tastes, they cover the likes of J.Burnette, B.Haley, some Chuck, they do a bit of British, like 'Deep Feeling', a few instrumentals & songs like Bueno Sera & the Jodimars 'Dance the Bop' . They also cover the more modern rockin' songs like 'Ice Cold' & Stray cats 'Rock this Town' which incidently they did at Crondall at the request of one of the crowd. I have since learnt that they hadn't done that track in a couple of years, but they went on to play it  brilliantly.

Toward the end of their set, there was a guitar/bass swap goin' on with the youngest, Anthony. And at some point the GODFATHER brought out one of his drums to the front of the stage,  where they all just simply had a ball....a FIRE ball!

Fireballs UK really send me & they do a wicked version of 'Whole lotta Shakin'! The only fault I & a lot of people found with them was that there WASN'T ENOUGH! ha ha! Gotcha there. Can't fault them, every moment was worth listening to. It's been less than a week & we have already re-booked Fireballs UK for next July, which has got to be the quickest re-book EVER for us. 

The band are a great inspiration to the youth & have certainly inspired my teenager immensely.

Keep on rockin' not ever stoppin'! Janie.

Comments / review from the band.....

The following was taken from House of Rock &  is some what very touching  (for us anyway) It was written 2 days after the gig, about  the club & the gig, by frontman, Martin Smith, on behalf of Fireballs UK .....

We're still on a high from the Crondall gig on Saturday. When we arrived, we were welcomed  with tea, a huge plate of sandwiches and a crate load of cans of Coke. Russell and Anthony were given Crondall Rock'n'Roll club T-shirts and Anthony was given a Birthday card (he became fourteen the day before.) 

Anthony and Russell have played in the Fireballs UK from the ages of nine and twelve years old, so now, at fourteen and seventeen, they have quite a bit of experience, for guitarists so young. We've now played quite a few high profile gigs. A couple of highlights are the two gigs at the Roman Way, Luton which we consider to be our home because it was as a result of our first gig there in April 2009 that more quality bookings came along. The other was playing at Wildest Cats at Pakefield last July where we got a great reception and are playing there again this year. 

There has to be one gig which we consider to be the best we've ever done. This has to be at Crondall on Saturday. 

The audience was made up of Teds, Edwardians, Rockers, Rockabillies and just people who love 50's Rock'n'Roll. Everyone was clearly made welcome and out for a good time. The band got a great reception from the start, which in turn lifted the lads performance on stage. 

Janie, Ady and their team of helpers run the club with obvious professionalism. 

Ady, the DJ, played a superb selection of Rock'n'Roll styles with something for everyone. It was great to hear some great British Rock'n'Roll which complimented our emphasis on British Rock'n'Roll '1958-'62 which we include in our set. 

We'd like to use the House Of Rock forum to sincerely thank Janie and her team for making us so welcome. As I said over the mic, it was our absolute pleasure to play at Crondall and we look forward to a return booking at some time in the future. Also, thanks to the many people who came along who we're now seeing regularly at our gigs in the South East. We are delighted to consider them our friends. 

If anyone here hasn't as yet been to a Crondall gig, we would urge you to do so. I'm sure you will be made most  welcome and the club deserves its success and all the great support that it gets. You won't find a more professionally run Rock'n'Roll club in the land.

'Till the next time, 

Keep it Rockin' 

Watch Fireballs UK at Crondall here - Old Black Joe & Rock This Town

Just dig that audience participation!

Click here for more pics

Crondall r 'n' r club now has a new attraction, it has it's very own beach right on it's doorstep, ha ha. Who would think it eh? A village hall in a quaint little village with it's own beach! The car park has had the surface renewed  with more gravel & as people arrived, they said that they thought they had arrived at Brighton beach.

At least in the winter, we won't be stepping into any more muddy puddles, hooray. Now all we need is a couple of deckchairs & a bucket & spade :) (Since writing this review, I have been back to the village hall, & the gravel in the car park has settled quite a bit now)

The evening starts with the band taking a trip across the field to the park to have a go on the swings, after walking across the Brighton beach, lol.

Pete Hutton has been rockin' in bands since the age of 15, since year dot, & has fronted a few bands. The last 3 are 'Heartbreakers', a short lived 'Blazers' & at present, 'The Beyonders'. Those 3 bands were all in action at the same time at one point, so it's obvious Pete is a 100% dedicated musician/singer. Pete now concentrates on the one band, 'Beyonders'.

This was Pete's 2nd gig at Crondall, the last being 3 & half yrs ago as the 'Heartbreakers'. Pete Hutton always chooses class musician's for his bands & has Nick Kennedy on lead guitar, Richard Barwell hitting the keys, the absolutely unpredictable, laugh a minute, bubblier than the worlds biggest Geyser, Connie Everard, on bass & what was his name now??? Um...Jerry, that's it, on drums who has played with more bands than I've had toad in the hole! including Crazy Jay & the Partytimers & Alleycats.

From memory of many moons (at least 20 years) ago. Connie told me, that she had been rockin' since she was 6 yrs old, not sure if she played any instruments at that age, but has  played bass for, at the very least, 20 years, and also does some lead vocals. Pete writes a lot of material with an original sound like 'Lone Wolf' & 'Back with a Vengeance', both available on cd. The band also cover  songs like 'Jeanie Jeanie Jeanie' & 'Gonna have myself a ball'.

I mustn't forget the bands roadey 'ROCKY' who nicked our extension lead (inadvertantly of course), which has since changed hands & is now travelling around Essex, with the intention of eventually reappearing at Crondall very soon, ha ha. 

We had a couple of technical hitches before the night began but that  was rectified quickly, thank goodness. All round sound was very good with the sound of the 88 keys being rather complimentary to the rest of the band.

One of the covers that Pete Hutton & the Beyonders do is a song called 'Doin' Time for Being Young' from one of my all time fave cult films ' Cry Baby'. What a LAUGH! during the middle of this song at Crondall, Pete's Mic kinda came away from the mic stand, which, whilst faffing around with it & continuing to sing, Pete knocked over his voice fuel (water) & then decided he'd better remove his guitar & carry on without it as he couldn't get the mic back in it's stand quick enough. In the meantime, miss laugh a minute Connie is dropping comical remarks & finishes with ''What's 'e doin' now?''. It was just so funny. And later, Connie & Nick at opposite ends of the stage, for some reason got into a fit of contagious giggles, Connie of course being the worst, & she had to stop playing to console herself. Very entertaining, but be assured, they don't spend the whole time on stage giggling, they do actually perform professionally & enjoy what they do, with Pete getting carried away with himself &  interacting with the gigglers moving from one side of the stage to the other & just letting his emotions rip. It's what rock 'n' roll is all about, having fun, have a laugh if it goes t*ts up for a bit, don't take it too seriously, & just party on. Pete has done a few gigs abroad, & has one lined up in the States this year as the only British artist on the bill. 

You can check out the band yourself at www.myspace.com/petehuttonthebeyonders . There you will find their gig guide, tracks to listen to & details of their available cds.

Boppin' Robin of Oh Boy Record Hop who Ady was the other half of, has now stepped down from d.jing at Crondall r 'n' r club, so now, Ady aka DJ Dynamite Ady  will continue d.jing at the club on his own.  Ady will also be doing other venues on his own, as he & Robin have now gone their seperate ways altogether. We would like to thank Robin very much for all the help he has given us each month at the club, it has been appreciated.

Keep supporting your local & not so local clubs, Janie.

Pete Hutton - Frontman/Rhythm Guitarist Comments.....

Thanks Janie & Ady, we really enjoyed ourselves & we hope everyone else enjoyed it too.

Pete

'Houserockers', I've always liked this band, they play rockabilly how it should be played, raw & wild! the way I like it, produced by the very talented guitarist/ lead vocalist, Rob Glazebrook with Bob Blades on stand up bass with loads of energy & Paul on skins.

 Houserockers certainly live up to their name & do ROCK the house! The band, mainly from Essex country & Paul (drummer) from 'SOMEWHERE' lol. A band with minimum & authentic equipment with Maximum output in energy & all round authenticity in sound, dress & talent. 

Houserockers cover the more obscure songs like 'Worried bout you Baby' & 'Fancy Dan', including some of their own, like the authentic sounding 'Buy me a Car' which is on their latest cd & is available from the band.

Rob has an amazing voice likened to the early Southern American artists, although is clearly not singing with a put on American accent. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but you have to hear it to know what I mean. Rob Glazebrook was confidently asking the audience for any requests, & the band would do any of them at the drop of a hat.

If you like fast, no messin' bands that get yer adrenalin goin', Houserockers are a band for you. Flip Flop & Fly is just awesome by these guys. You can hear this & more at www.myspace.com/thehouserockers56

Rob Glazebrook (right) also has another band called Broadkasters which I have  just been listening to on myspace. This band, with Bob Blades still on bass, is more of the deep R & B sound, and again, an amazing authentic sound here too. For anyone into R & B, the link is on the Houserockers website.

Steve Stack O' Wax (left), rockin' d.j & radio presenter of Wednesday Night Rockin' Party at www.forestfm.co.uk 8pm - 10pm, was having a ONCE in a blue moon SEMI night off at Crondall, just chillin' 'n' rockin' & enjoying the spirit of Crondall. I say Semi, as his wife Dawn (left), of 'Flash Harry's Vintage clothes stall' provided our memorabilia stall of the night, & he naturally helped her  load & unload the van.

 Flash Harry's have a large selection of allsorts of authentic vintage goods, especially clothes, which complimented our authentic & awesome band of the gig most appropriately. Check out the 'Flash Harry' link at www.southcoastrockabillys.co.uk

We are in our 6th year of organising Crondall r 'n' r club out of the almost 34 that it's been running in the same venue, yet it seems like forever. So the award Pete Bruce received at Rockers Reunion 2 years ago  was very well deserved.

We would like to say thanks for looking after us so well.

And it was a great gig ,venue and what an audience. 

Take care Robert.

Watch Houserockers at Crondall here - Buy Me a Car & Fancy Dan

Click here for more pics

Oi Oiiiii! Party Time again! This month, it's a surprise 45th wed anniversary party for my rockin' in-laws, Mick & Peggy, who help us run the club each month & are responsible for the Crondall r 'n' r club dvd productions. We had a full house attracted by the living legend, Johnnie Fox (not to be muddled with the Johnnie Fox of the Riot Rockers) with his new backing band The Invaders. Johnnie Fox has performed many times at Crondall, the last time supporting Crazy Cavan & the Rhythm Rockers last Feb, when there was a last minute line up change from Johnnie Fox & the Invaders to J.Fox, Sundowners & 2 of The (now) Invaders. That night, there was a decision made to seriously get Johnnie Fox & the Invaders properly formed & to get back out into gigs as a band. Meanwhile, Johnnie, who is always a pleasure to have at Crondall, has done a few solo performances with Rat Pack & covered for Andy to front  Skyrockers once or twice, who now have their new permanant singer and go out as 'Flashcats' - www.myspace.com/flashcats1

This gig was Johnnie Fox & the Invaders' 1st proper club gig together, following their 1st major gig at Rockers Reunion this January. They have started as they mean to go on, a good solid 5 piece rock 'n' roll band, Ritchie Frances on rhythm guitar, Richie Edmunds on lead guitar, Steve Humphrey on bass guitar, Johnnie on rhythm guitar & lead vocals & Dave Prince on skins, who incidently owns the only autographed drum that I personally have ever seen, signed by some greats of the times, Sonny Burgess & the Pacers, Billy Lee Riley, Joe Clay & Comets. What a treasure to own.

The band were very smart & all draped & suited up to start, working up a sweat & finishing jacketless, but still smartly dressed with some ties and the odd pair of braces evident...most impressive. Johnnie was his normal brilliant self, on top form, as were the rest of the lads with good interaction with the crowd.

A 6th creature was present on the stage at the start of the bands set, his name was GREMLIN, So Johnnie said, & he was very naughty as he managed to get inside the equipment and upset the sound for a bit, but it was dealt with, the GREMLIN was exterminated by the Invaders & we had a fantastic night & couldn't have asked for it to be a better atmosphere. The band absolutely & thoroughly enjoyed themselves too. The only complaint I have, is that the night finished too quickly! lol

The band cover some of the songs that Johnnie had covered before, when he was with the Hunters, like Cavan's 'Both Wheel's left the Ground' & 'Old Black Joe'. They also cover some new material, like Buddy Holly's 'Ting a Ling' , Gene Vincent's 'I Got a Baby', 'Baby Please Don't Go' & the Collin's kids' 'Hoy Hoy', which they didn't do at Crondall, I am disappointed to say, because they can really go at that one most impressively.

No alcohol for me on our club nights, but I  was completely drunk on the hype of the gig. The atmosphere was made up of happiest emotions from everyone.

Johnnie, on behalf of the band, presented Mick & Peggy with a lovely surprise bunch of flowers following our presentation of flowers & cake. Thanks to the band for making it such a memorable night for Mick & Peggy & the whole club.

Johnnie Fox & the Invaders have just started to build a website @ www.myspace.com/johnniefoxtheinvaders

Thought we'd give young 'Chantilly Lace' stall holder, 16 yr old Lisa Marie from the Oooo arrrr (Deepest South West) country, a chance at Crondall, as stall holders also help the scene survive. Lisa sells 2nd hand clothes, handbags, novel buckles, pictures, books, t.shirts & other memorabilia. She did a 2/ 2 & half hour journey to get to Crondall & would like to return with her stall again one day. Good luck to Lisa.

Contact for 'Chantilly Lace' Stall :- 07986 773996

I have to say a special thanks to certain people who made a huge effort to make it on this particular night, they are, hard working organisers of gigs in Southend - Spike & Linette of Mad Rat Enterprises, Brian Rushgrove of Velvet Collar, Cheryl with her BIONIC leg & Christian for driving from Dusseldorf ! And thanks to Age of Rat Pack for his surprise visit from Kent. Keep it rockin'!