BOOK REVIEW
THE DEVIL’S RHYTHM BY MARK ROBERTSON
The early days of neo-rockabilly and
psychobilly come alive in a vibrant new book
from The Meteors’ original drummer Mark
Robertson. The Devil’s Rhythm captures
a period between 1980-81 when, as a
self-confessed punk in a rockabilly band, Mark
was in a perfect position to observe the weird
rites and rituals of the UK rockin’ scene. The
band were booed off at The Cavern in Willesden
because their drummer had “coloured hair”,
but they soon attracted a more appreciative
audience at legendary venues
including Dingwalls, The
Hammersmith Clarendon and
even the Blitz Club.
There can’t be many upsides to
last year’s enforced strangulation
of the music scene, but did the
lockdown propel this book to its
completion? “Absolutely,” agrees
Mark. “When I started the process
we didn’t really know how long the thing
would last, so I wanted to get it finished before
I went back to work. As it became clear that
lockdown would stretch on, it became a
mission to get it out there to entertain and
amuse those who were missing live shows.”
The result is a handsome addition to any
rock’n’roll bookshelf, and along with being
both an entertaining and informative read
it includes detailed lists of all of the cover
versions the band employed, an extensive
discography, notes on all the trio’s
gigs and a wide selection of
photographs and memorabilia that
are worth the cover price alone.
A follow-up book is already
underway, but eager readers can
track this classy volume down at:
http://www.trashwax.com or on the
book’s Facebook page.
Craig BrackenridgeThumbs up: Marty Wilde
becomes one of the first people
to receive a Covid vaccinationEVENTS
*All listings subject to Covid restrictions
and cancellationsEddie Cochran and
Gene Vincent
Weekend 2021
16-18 April 2021
FEATURING Darrel
Higham & The
Enforcers, Cliff
Edmonds & The Enforcers, Ric Arlandi,
The Radions, Sui & The Electrobeats, plus more
LOCATION Madrid, Spain
BOOKING http://www.facebook.com/
skinnyrecordsclothingThe Rockabilly
Knock Out! 8 May 2021
FEATURING Reverend
Horton Heat, The Delta
Bombers, Dylan Kirk
And The Killers,
The Deadshots
LOCATION The Passenger
Shed, Bristol
BOOKING eventbrite.co.ukThe Hangar Stomp!
Weekender
14-16 May 2021
FEATURING Roy Dee
And The Spitfires,
Miss Mary Ann & The
Ragtime Wranglers,
The Hayriders, Sonny
West, Restless, The
Bluecats, Polecats,
The Doel Brothers, The Bullets
LOCATION Hangar 42, Bruntingthorpe, Leicester
BOOKING eventbrite.co.ukThe Rockin’ Round-Up
4-6 June 2021
FEATURING The
Rimshots, The Bob
Butfoy Band, The
Playboys, Carlos & The
Bandidos, plus more
LOCATION Court Farm,
Weston-super-Mare
BOOKING http://www.rockinroundup.co.ukThe Billy Fury Weekender 2021
16-18 July 2021
FEATURING Colin Paul,
Tony Graham, The
Alligators, The Firebirds
LOCATION The Liner
Hotel, Liverpool
BOOKING http://www.
yesterdayoncemore.
co.ukWILDE SCORES A WORLD FIRST
WITH UK’S COVID VACCINE JAB
Marty Wilde has become the world’s first celebrity to receive the life-saving Pfizer and
BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
The veteran rock’n’roller was given the jab at Lister Hospital in Stevenage – the same
hospital that saved his life at the start of the first lockdown in 2020 when he collapsed at
home with heart problems. Wilde explained: “I’m thrilled to be the first high-profile person
in the world to have the Covid vaccine. Hopefully, when people see others having the jab,
it will make them feel more at ease about having it themselves.
“Living in quiet leafy Tewin, it’s great to send a message out to the whole world that the
vaccine is here and hope is on the way.
“I [already] owe my life to the Lister Hospital and can’t thank them enough. So for me, it’s
a wonderful Christmas present to be able to have this vaccine. I feel a responsibility, not just
to my family, but people like me can be useful to the public. I don’t say it in a conceited way,
but I think a lot of people count on me. Lots of my fans have been affected by Covid and lost
money on hotels that they have booked to see our tour last year.”