An
interview with Wirral's Punkabilly/Rockabilly noise merchants - Elektra 56. We talk to Simon (vocals & guitar), Steve on the bass duties and Gordon the up-right, standing drummer about the band, how they came to be, their aspirations and past experiences. Due to pandemic restrictions, this interview was conducted via the medium of messenger. Here's hoping you get an insight to this new-ish band but with bags of experience behind them. Enjoy!!!!!
DLW: Last Stop Sounds
SIMON: Vocals/Guitars
STEVE: Bass
GORDON: Drums
DLW: Thanks guys for taking the time out to chat with Last Stop Sounds. How long have the band been together and who's idea was it to form the band?
SIMON: Our first gig was April 13th 2019! Me and Steve had been rehearsing each week for a while and we did a couple of open mic sessions with Gordon at the Pilot Boat. We did Some Bowie, Vapors and The Jam! It was my idea to form the band.
STEVE: Been together about 18 months, and gigging since April last year.
GORDON: Yeah, since April 2019, all of us.
DLW: So was it planned to adopt the rockabilly sound or did it naturally evolve into that?
STEVE: We did some rockabilly tunes at first, I think Gordon said he preferred the rockabilly stuff and thought it worked better, so we started doing more until it gradually evolved into our current sound.
GORDON: Yes but now more punkabilly/sixties garage.
SIMON: I had already played a lot of Rockabilly before with other bands, my sound in Mixies Men was Rockabilly and so I wanted to get away from that and play 70s new wave stuff but Gordon preferred the rockabilly so we started with that sound and added to it – punk – 60s garage – surf!
DLW: Question for Gordon, you've changed the way you play drums, you stand now. Was it quite an easy transition to make?
GORDON: Yes easy to play standing up and less gear and great to be up front instead of being stuck at the back all those years, only down side is I cant drink too much as I have to keep my balance!
DLW: Who is the main songwriter or does everyone chip in?
SIMON: I write all the songs at the moment, then present them to the others for approval! I also wrote all the early songs for Mixies Men such as Rock Ferry and Werewolf in Birkenhead Park. We do a couple of my Mixies Men songs now! Gordon is constantly changing the way he plays on songs! He’s a pain in the arse when you’re recording haha.
GORDON: Cheek! Haha! Main songwriter is Simon. He is prolific, we arrange the music as it evolves together.
STEVE: Simon writes the tunes and we knock them into shape at rehearsals to see what arrangement/format works best etc.
DLW: You've all played in various bands before, what bands have you played in and what musical genre would you class them as?
GORDON: Shite Hawk who played Erics, Moonstone. The Paragonz, a successful Liverpool band that played 80's festivals, gigs and concerts. I toured with Phil Hartley ex Bogshed after his John Peel session. Then in 1992 the original Mixies Men with Simon, Roger Clegg and Mixie for fourteen years, gigging three four times a week. Other bands include Robespierre, an original new wave of British Heavy Metal. We released two albums, Die You Heathen Die on USA Label Buried By Time and Dust on vinyl in 2011 and then a year later on Skol records on CD. The second album Garden of Hell was released on USA label Shadow Kingdom in 2018 on CD and coloured Vinyl. Lots of other bands in-between, I also run the open mic night with Rocky And The Reverbs with Roger Clegg (original bassist) from Mixies Men. Another group I'm involved with is a pirate band called Walk The Plank that play pirate festivals.
SIMON: Mostly played in Rockabilly style bands.
STEVE: First proper band was a heavy rock outfit called "Habeas Corpus" in the 70's. Played with Terry Moran's band through the 80's in Herbal Remedy and Rambler Gambler playing rock, country rock, jazz and blues.
DLW: Describe your experiences in Mixies Men. I had a few rehearsals on bass for him and I found it quite chaotic......
SIMON: Too many to list. I met Mick (Mixie) at Drama School and we formed the band in 1989 to get our Equity cards. It was just meant to be temporary, so when Mixie suggested the name I wasn't bothered! Had I known the band was going to last longer than a few months, I would have argued for a decent band name, rather than one that sounds like Mick's backing band! One of our earliest gigs was a pub in Prenton – Mick was insistent we start with C'mon Everybody! Which was odd! I soon found out why! On the second song – Werewolf in Birkenhead Park they pulled the plug and the manageress came up and said – you said you were a 50s/60s band now F****** play that!
GORDON: Mixies Men was fourteen years of madness and mayhem mostly looking at Mick's arse from my view behind the kit and his rubber chicken, what happens in Mixies Men, stays with Mixies Men.
DLW: Do you guys have any CD releases and if so, where can people get a hold of your stuff?
SIMON: We're currently recording an album so hopefully soon.
STEVE: We have recorded several songs prior to lockdown with a view to release as an album of some sort.
GORDON: Yeah, we're in the process of writing and recording at the moment.
DLW: Bit of a fun question now, if you were all professional wrestlers, what name would you be known as and why?
GORDON: Me? The Black Cap Crusher.... for obvious reasons
STEVE: Mangle Robot Mangle or Mick Doubledick.
SIMON: No idea haha! Last time I watched a wrestling match it was probably Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks!
DLW: What can people expect to see when they witness Elektra 56 live?
GORDON: Raw energy, original and great musicians playing live, really well together - and loud!!
SIMON: High energy punkabilly! Good atmosphere!
STEVE: I think it's safe to say, people can expect to see a high energy rock and roll band that deliver a sustained and frenzied attack on the senses, both aural and visual!
DLW: Where did the name Elektra 56 come from?
STEVE: The name came about after a few weeks of pinging ideas back and forth between the three of us via What's App.
GORDON: It's with reference to fifties radio and the year rock and roll went electric.
SIMON: 56 because that was the year rock n roll arrived via Heartbreak Hotel! Elektra 56 is the name of an actual 50s radio - which we found out later so that was good!
DLW: Obviously we're stuck in partial lockdown, have you been writing and recording whilst the pandemic is with us?
SIMON: Yes, Gordon plays along to rehearsal tapes, records his drums, then sends them to me for vocals and guitar, then off to Steve for bass. It works well and means you can take your time!
GORDON: Yes, writing and recording all through lockdown.
STEVE: We've recorded 4 songs during lockdown so we've been busy even though we can't actually meet up. The main thing I've missed when recording and rehearsing during lockdown is the banter and the quirky sense of humour we all share when we're together. It's a bit weird without it.
DLW: If you were interviewing Elektra 56, what question would you ask the band?
GORDON: Who has the biggest knob?
SIMON: How come it took so long to get going?
STEVE: What are your favourite trousers and why?
DLW: When we're all eventually released from lockdown, what plans do you have for the future?
SIMON: Play as many places as possible and hopefully play in Europe!
STEVE: Hopefully take the planet by storm!
GORDON: Playing more gigs, record some albums and lots of merchandising!
DLW: Obviously you've played locally a lot, have you played further afield?
GORDON: Plans to play further afield but currently quashed due to Covid-19.
STEVE: We did an unplugged session on a narrow boat in North Wales.
SIMON: Not yet haha only Southport and North Wales.
DLW: Where would you like to play?Â
SIMON: I’ve always wanted to play in Finland!
STEVE: It would be good to get on the European rockabilly circuit and try and build some kind of following there.
GORDON: Anywhere that will have us!!
DLW: On that note, we'll end the interview. Cheers guys and for you readers out there, if you haven't seen Elektra 56 before, then you should. High-Energy Rockabilly noise with a few pleasant covers thrown in for good measure!
Words DLW, Photos RBY
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elektra-56-487048428494337/