A snippet of our documentary movie at @coolyrockson Festival, Gold Coast, June 2022. Go to our YouTube "thehydrant bali" to watch the full version.
#TheHydrantOfficial #CoolyRocksOnFestival2022
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VD: @athronmusic .
This month in 1958, Ritchie Valens released his debut single, "Come On, Let's Go," a song that made young people forget about the racial segregation that existed at the time.
By uniting diverse youth on the dance floor, Valens became a vital rockabilly figure, injecting West Coast energy into a genre dominated by Southern traditions.
Valens' sound blended frantic rockabilly pacing with a driving beat. Featuring relentless rhythm guitar and raw vocals, his music reflected the rebellious attitude of late-1950s youth. This high-energy style transformed high school sock hops and jukebox diners into hubs of intense dancing.
Before Valens, mainstream rockabilly was associated with white, Southern artists. As the "Father of Chicano Rock," Valens shattered this mono-ethnic mold. His chart success showed that guitar-driven music crossed cultural boundaries, opening the door for future generations of Latino musicians.
Locally, the reaction was pure euphoria. Valens, known in Pacoima, California, as the "Little Richard of the Valley," had built a loyal following in community halls. Hearing their classmate's song blasting over the radio sparked immense regional pride among local teenagers.
The track became a nationwide hit on American Bandstand. Valens' self-taught, chord-driven guitar approach relied on heavy progressions rather than traditional country twang. This rhythmic approach provided a foundation for future subgenres like surf and garage rock.
His career was tragically cut short at the age of seventeen in a 1959 plane crash. Valens' profound structural influence earned him a posthumous induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, solidifying his legacy as a pioneer who permanently expanded the boundaries of American rock and roll.
"๐๐ช๐ต๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ข๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด. ๐๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ถ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ค๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ, ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ณโ๐ช๐ต ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ." โCarlos Santana
#TheHydrantInspo
This month in 1983, Setzer-Phantom-Rocker released their third studio album ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฏ' ๐๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐บ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ด. It is often cited by critics and die-hard fans as a superior effort due to its darker and grittier production. While its predecessor, ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ, was a polished compilation, this record showcased a more raw attitude. This shift reflected a move toward a tougher, street-oriented persona that resonated with listeners seeking authenticity over 1950s nostalgia.
๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฏ' ๐๐ข๐ท๐ฆ became the band's first true global studio album. Produced by Dave Edmunds, the record moved away from the bright reverb of the debut toward a heavier sound. Brian Setzerโs guitar work featured more distortion, and the rhythm section employed a more aggressive slapping technique on the upright bass. This evolution signaled a transition from a revivalist act to a modern rock powerhouse.
The album's lead single, "(She's) Sexy + 17," became a significant smash, reaching number five on the ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ Hot 100. Despite its playful lyrics, the song featured a punchier delivery than earlier hits. Other tracks like "Rebels Rule" and "Dig Dirty Done" further emphasized themes of young rebellion and high-energy rockabilly, while the ballad "I Won't Stand in Your Way" highlighted Setzer's vocal range.
Historically, ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฏ' ๐๐ข๐ท๐ฆ enjoyed broad international success, though it did not match the chart peaks of the previous compilation. However, it faced a cooler reception in the United Kingdom, where the music scene was shifting toward synth-pop, resulting in a modest chart position of 51.
"Setzer's vocal performance on '(She's) Sexy + 17' is his most confident, shedding the 'revivalist' label for something much more commanding," praised ๐๐ญ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ค ๐๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ.
The ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ณ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐ฆ๐ณ mag said, "The opening riff of 'Sexy + 17' remains one of the most recognizable and technically 'hot' licks of the entire decade."
"Long before the swing revival, the Stray Cats reminded us that rock & roll was always meant to be lean, mean, and incredibly fun," commented ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ธ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด.
#RantNRave
MEET THE BANDS - THE HYDRANT
The Rockabilly kings of Indonesia and possibly the world! These guys have made the genre their own for over 20 years and with a deep rooted history with The Orchard, ahead of a special presentation we made to them, we sat them down to answer some questions... and like their performances it was a bit of a riot!!
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๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ... ๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐!โ
๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ 2015 ๐ โ
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๐ซ๐ด๐ญ๐ข๐ง - ๐ฃ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ค๐ฑ โ
๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ค๐ฐ๐ด๐ค๐ฒ๐ณ - ๐ฌ๐ด๐ฒ๐จ๐ข ๐ณ๐ ๐ช๐ค๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฑ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐จ๐ณ๐ธโ
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๐๐จ๐ง - ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐/๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ ๐ชโ
๐๐ฎ๐ - ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ค & ๐ ๐ข๐ซ๐ โค๏ธโ๐ฅโ
๐๐๐ - ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ฒโ
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๐ ๐ซ๐ข - ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ค / ๐๐จ๐๐ค๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ญ ๐บ๐ฝโ
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๐๐ฎ๐ง - ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ง
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#TheOrchardBali #OrchardFamily
This month in 1955, Bo Diddley topped the Billboard R&B chart with the single "Bo Diddley." Without him, rockabilly would otherwise sound a whole lot more like "speeded-up country music."
The "Bo Diddley Beat" serves as the key bridge to this style. Diddley took the 3-2 clave and turned it into a five-accent pulse that became a rockabilly staple. This changed the genre away from the "hop" of Western swing toward the driving "gallop" that defined mid-1950s youth culture.
His instrumental style was radical; he treated the guitar as a percussive tool. Using a signature rectangular instrument, he emphasized rhythmic "scratching" and heavy tremolo. This emphasis on distortion provided a pattern for rockabilly's raw aesthetic, which prioritized energy above conventional melodic solos.
In the studio, Diddley preferred one-chord vamps to traditional progressions. His 1955 debut proved a hit could be constructed on rhythmic tension alone. This minimalism encouraged artists like Buddy Holly to use the "drone" and "drive" that distinguished rockabilly from polished Nashville pop and country.
Diddley also introduced a unique swagger. His lyrics utilized "The Dozens," a traditional African American game of verbal combats. This combination of bravado and "hoodoo" imagery helped craft the rebellious, larger-than-life identity that became the standard archetype for the rockabilly "cool" persona.
In February 1979, The Clash invited Diddley to open for them on their first US tour, stating, "We're just students of the master."
Keith Richards said, "He was a big man and a prizefighter... when that beat landed, the music world shook. He was an enermous influence on the Stones."
"If you want the backbone of the real pioneering thing which Clapton and the others are intoโthat's it. Bo Diddley made a great contribution to rock," commented Jimi Hendrix.
"Bo Diddley was the first rapper. He had the beat, he had the brag, and he had the dozens," praised Chuck D.
"He was the man who put the 'roll' in rock and roll, proving that melody was secondary to the primal power of the beat," said ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ธ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด.
#TheHydrantInspo
This month in 1964, Carl Perkins toured the UK during a low point in his American career. He was astonished to find that British "Teddy Boys" still worshipped the raw Sun Records sound. While rockabilly had faded in the U.S., these fans treated the Memphis style like a holy relic, laying the groundwork for a big revival.
These fans wore long drape jackets and greased pompadours, freezing the 1955 era in time. Perkins was stunned to see young men living in the visual world he helped create. This validation convinced him his style was not only timeless but also classic, giving him the confidence to continue as a rockabilly pioneer.
A pivotal moment occurred at Abbey Road when Perkins witnessed the Beatles record. The band were true disciples; George Harrison even used the moniker "Carl Harrison" on tour. During the session, Harrison encouraged Perkins to return to his original "slap" guitar style, showing the deep respect the stars held for him.
Teddy Boy fashion also left an impression. Their mix of Western wear and British styleโlike bolo ties and Brothel Creepers shoesโcreated a unique visual language. This synergy helped define the rockabilly look for future generations and solidified the UK as the protector of the genre's rebellious spirit.
The song "Glad All Over" became a technical cornerstone of this bond. As his final Sun Records single, it represented the peak of the Memphis sound. Though it was a minor hit in America, the Beatlesโ covers and Perkinsโ film appearances elevated it to the status of sacred scripture in the British music scene.
The 1964 tour saved Perkins' career. By the time of his 1985 television special, he was a celebrated legend among icons such as Ringo Starr. Perkins realized the British fans had preserved his legacy, ensuring the Memphis sound would never vanish. He left the UK as a true founding father of rock.
#TheHydrantInspo
After Cochran, Vincent, Setzer, Cats, Gordon and Wray, all the Daddy-Os that actually inspired us, it is now time for us, The Hydrant, to go absolutely ape.
Video: @thebalirooftop .
This month in 1977, Robert Gordon released his debut album, ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐บ. This is widely credited with sparking the NYC rockabilly revival.
At a time when disco and progressive rock ruled the radio, this raw collaboration offered a sharp, aggressive alternative. It successfully bridged the gap between 1950s rock and roll and the rising punk movement, proving that "roots" music could still feel dangerous.
The album functioned as a rejection of sanitized nostalgia. Instead of the campy parodies seen in mainstream media, Gordon brought a "tough" aesthetic to legendary venues like CBGB. By performing alongside punk acts, he showed a younger audience that rockabilly shared the same DIY spirit and rebellious energy as the downtown scene. This birthed a unique subculture of leather jackets and pompadours in the Lower East Side.
Critically, the response was vital. While major music writers were often skeptical of revival acts, they praised the authenticity provided by Link Wrayโs distorted guitar. The death of Elvis Presley just months after the release further fueled interest, as the industry searched for a modern heir to the rock and roll throne. Gordonโs work suddenly became a serious focal point for cultural discussion.
Despite its massive influence, the album never reached the mainstream charts. It remained an underground phenomenon, with its highest success being the minor hit single "Red Hot." While the record didn't sell millions, its "cool factor" was immense. It established NYC as the artistic epicenter of the revival.
This localized explosion directly inspired a younger trio from Long Island: the Stray Cats. They added a high-octane punk intensity to the genre. However, recognizing that the American industry was slow to embrace the sound fully, they famously moved to London in 1980. There, they found the massive commercial success that Gordon had pioneered.
"๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ถ๐บ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ช๐จ ๐๐ญ๐ท๐ช๐ด ๐ท๐ฐ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ... ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ฏ 1958 ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ฑ." โ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ป๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ
#TheHydrantInspo
"๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ต '๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ' ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ. '๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฑ' ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ณ๐ข๐ธ, ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต-๐ญ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ ๐จ๐ณ๐ช๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ." โ๐๐ฐ๐ฉ๐ฏ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ
Following the substantial success of "Be-Bop-a-Lula," Gene Vincent released "Bluejean Bop" in late 1956. This record marked a pivotal moment that would determine whether he would remain a temporary sensation or establish himself as a permanent icon of the genre.
While his first hit made him a household name, this follow-up was designed to solidify his presence and influence within the rapidly evolving rockabilly scene.
The music media of the time viewed the release through a highly competitive lens. Billboard and Cash Box frequently portrayed Vincent as the primary alternative to Elvis Presley.
For the youth of the 1950s, the song functioned as a cultural landmark rather than just a musical track. It arrived at the height of a specific dance craze known as "The Bop." The lyrics provided a loose guide for this rhythmic, hip-twisting style, making the song a staple at soda shops and high school gymnasiums where teenagers gathered to practice the new movements.
The title of the song also tapped into a significant shift in teenage fashion and identity. At the time, blue jeans were primarily considered rugged workwear for laborers. By centering a song on the garment, Vincent helped transform denim into a global uniform of rebellion, firmly linking the rockabilly sound to the "greaser" aesthetic that would define the decade.
The commercial response to the single revealed a growing divide between American and European audiences. In the US, the song did not reach the same heights as his debut. However, the response in the UK was fervently enthusiastic, ensuring that Vincent remained a massive superstar abroad regardless of his American chart performance.
"๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ. '๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฑ' ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฅ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ง๐ช๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ค๐ช๐ฆ๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ช๐ง๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด." โ๐๐ฐ๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ
This month in 1956 Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps were in Nashville to record "Be-Bop-A-Lula," which helped him achieve notoriety and established an early example of rockabilly. Yet, his 1960s song "Spaceship to Mars" arguably served as a prototype for the psychobilly genre.
By 1963, Vincent had moved away from traditional themes and embraced the spirit of the Space Age. "Spaceship to Mars" marked a dramatic departure by replacing standard lyrics with science fiction visuals. This transition reflected a cultural shift toward technology and cosmic exploration, marking a new direction in his creative output.
While his popularity changed in America, this material found a passionate audience across Europe. Vincent became a legendary figure in the British music scene, where his leather-clad look resonated with the "Rocker" subculture. His work during this period solidified his status as an international icon rather than a domestic star.
The song gained popularity through British films like "Live It Up!" These cinematic appearances showcased his frantic stage presence to a new generation. By performing an eccentric, high-speed track on screen, he proved his artistic relevance extended far beyond the initial musical explosion of the previous decade.
Musically, the track featured a faster tempo and more aggressive vocal delivery. Vincent used signature rhythmic breathing and growls to create an atmosphere of frantic energy. This pushed boundaries, moving toward a sound that was more intense and theatrical than the melodic pop dominating the charts at the time.
This approach served as a direct model for the psychobilly movement. Bands drew inspiration from the song's combination of traditional rhythm and bizarre, sci-fi themes. Jim Heath (the Reverend Horton Heat) often discusses how Vincentโs late-period tracks had a "heaviness" and a "frantic vocal style" that made them feel more like punk rock than traditional country-swing, directly bridging the gap between the 50s and the 80s underground.
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐จ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ญ, ๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ด, ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ...
