The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Gretsch Events: Texas Rockabilly Revival, the MUSIC: Guana Batz sighted over Austin!

Welcome to the Gretsch Pages

Texas Rockabilly Revival, the MUSIC: Guana Batz sighted over Austin!

« » Page 1 2

- Rated: 212 ↑
May 17, 2008 4:09 p.m. Proteus:

The Guana Batz

It was inevitable that the rockabilly revival would run right upside punk - two forms of stripped-down roots music had to intertwine - and the distortion, volume, and pressure of modern life all but guaranteed that something some call psychobilly would come out of the collision.

The Guana Batz were one of the first - and as their headlining set proved, they're still one of the best. The 2008 Batz in the US are another transAtlantic partnership, with two, uh, what we'll call mature (I think of it as mastefully experienced) members from merry Olde (now relocated to SoCal), and two younger American players. Energy flowed from all four, and in many ways they tied up all the disparate threads of this thing called rockabilly.

I had interesting talks with several of the members - we hung out off and on for 8 hours or so in the dressing room/media office - and will relay those as time permits.

For the moment, note that guitarist Gino Meregillano played his entire set with a Black Phoenix, right off the Gretsch display (he values his '98 Setzer and his newer Hot Rod too much to travel with them) - and through the Gretsch Variety provided onstage. (A couple of pedals were also employed. You'll recognize them.)

Pip Hancox: vocals
Johnny Bowler: bass
Gino Meregillano: guitar
Alex Pappas: drums

http://www.guanabatz.com/

The Visual

Yessir, the set began with an extended feedback roar from a Gretsch Variety. Lots of fingerpickers will be cringing!
- Rated: 93 ↑
May 17, 2008 4:14 p.m. Pappy:

Can't blame a guy for using any excuse to play a Phoenix!
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 17, 2008 4:23 p.m. Danman:

Great coverage Protues!
Although I must say that I am having a hard time getting used to seeing the singer with several other players and calling themselves the guanabatz. I gigged with them often in the eighties and had lots of fun with them. And now they are other people except for the singer. Oh well, I'll listen to the sound clips first before complaining too much.
- Rated: 22 ↑
May 17, 2008 4:25 p.m. Boyko:

Wow, nice pics! Looks like a great show, and this set of pics really shows off the venue.
- Rated: 66 ↑
May 17, 2008 4:33 p.m. Walter Broes:

Danman, isn't it positively surreal to you seeing this, the GDP's fiftysomething Proteus "discovering" the Guanabatz in Austin in 2008? (noooo offense at all Proteus, it's just Danman as well as me were really nearby when psychobilly "first happened"!!)

The whole psychobilly revival/deja vu is freaking me out, really. I must be getting older
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 17, 2008 4:52 p.m. Danman:

ha ha, yes Walter, I think we did agree before that we are getting older.

But you are right. It is weird that it all is coming back, in some form or another. And that we can't really feel it is the guanabatz and that for others it is new and fresh or whatever......
But I too have 'discovered' bands in the past that other people knew all along. So from here no offence either, but the eighties were better. sorry just kidding.
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 17, 2008 4:57 p.m. Danman:

And yes, I still love some of the great old psycho, and there are still great bands around but I can't stand all those metal sounding guitars in much of the modern psycho. That freaks me out too. And of course the eighties were better... sorry just kidding again.

But it looks like a great festival there and Austin is such a fun town. wish I was there.
- Rated: 49 ↑
May 17, 2008 10:15 p.m. Ric12string:

Walter Broes said: The whole psychobilly revival/deja vu is freaking me out, really. I must be getting older
What is it like there for a guy who doesn't dig chicks tattooed from head to toe?
- Rated: 32 ↑
May 17, 2008 11:16 p.m. cyclopssam:

danman,walter,,,who'd athunk!! wow!...guana batz,but then again radio bird man got backtogether&played so.... too cool! who knows mybe next year the inca babies will play?HA,HA!
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 18, 2008 3:59 a.m. Danman:

Ric12string: said: What is it like there for a guy who doesn't dig chicks tattooed from head to toe?
This may be new to you but they did have tattooed chicks in the eighties too. Cyclopssam, of course it is great he is playing again and I really wish him the best. It was just a shock for us that we see all different faces. For me the guitarplayer was very important in the Guanabatz, a nice guy and a very good player. Didn't see any soundclips yet though. Oh well, too bad my hair situation doesn't allow me to make a quiff anymore otherwise maybe I would have had to do a reunion tour of the US on my own too....
- Rated: 45 ↑
May 18, 2008 7:21 a.m. Tsar Nicholas :

Ah, the Batz. First introduced to me by a temporary secretary in an accountants office that I worked in for a week. She saved my head from turning into jelly with her accounts of the fun to be had in London in the 80's in and around the Klub Foot.

They were one of the first bands to introduce me to the rockabilly sound, too..
- Rated: 32 ↑
May 18, 2008 7:50 a.m. cyclopssam:

daman, i hear ya's we all look like our dads now,ha,ha- whaddya know? the inca babies are back together&playing?crazy man,crazy! clips are coming i guess....gotta check& see if they have a myspace page?(gauanabatz)
- Rated: 66 ↑
May 18, 2008 8:33 a.m. Walter Broes:

Ric 12string, I wouldn't be the guy to ask.....my girlfriend is quite literally tattooed from head to toe.

I just meant it was very strange seeing the music I practically grew up with as a teenager being "new" again. I had my own psychobillyband back then, did one record in '89, and as if I needed more proof of a "revivial" going on, we were asked to play (and played!) a reunion show last november. And that was very strange too, twenty years after the fact.
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 18, 2008 10:15 a.m. Danman:

cyclopssam: said: i hear ya's we all look like our dads now,ha,ha
Well I don't know, My dad has more hair on his head then I do. ha ha, the bastard. They must have a myspace page, but I still have the old records and some great memories. But I did see some old clips of the guanabatz on youtube, as well as newer ones. I guess all the oldies feel they have to get on that stage again and prove they aren't old yet. Including me........ It just is too much fun to play.
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 18, 2008 10:21 a.m. Danman:

Hey Tsar,

Some great secretary, is she your wife/girlfriend now? Don't tell me you let her get away, those are the women we need in life..
Must have been fun in London then. I started going to psycho gigs and started my band in 1984/1985. But that was all mainland europe. Saw some gigs in London but never at Klubfoot.
- Rated: 45 ↑
May 18, 2008 11:23 a.m. Tsar Nicholas :

Nope, I never saw her again! She was much older than me anyway, I was but a tender 15 years old..

Four year later I'm a less tender 19 year old but I guess she's still older than me now!
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 18, 2008 11:33 a.m. Danman:

Yes, she probably still is a bit older than you. But you never know, doesn't hurt to ask.....
- Rated: 45 ↑
May 18, 2008 12:17 p.m. Tsar Nicholas :

I'm pretty sure my girlfriend would have something to say about that though!
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 18, 2008 2:12 p.m. Danman:

Ah, they always interfere with our lives don't they. Why do we put up with it?
But you are not allowed to ask someones age?
- Rated: 0 ↑
May 18, 2008 2:37 p.m. gino17:

Hi Danman! Not sure what years you gigged with the Batz but they have gone through alot of players over the years. Bowler was the drummer for a while and switched to bass around 1989 or 90 I think. Stuart is still in the band, he just doesn't tour much anymore. You have to catch the band in Europe to see Stu on guitar and John Buck on drums. It's mostly the same guys, we just made the family a little bigger. :) You guys can get more info on myspace. www.myspace.com/guanabatz
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 18, 2008 4:49 p.m. Danman:

Hi gino17,
thanks for that info. I didn't know that they worked that way nowadays. I haven't been following the psycho scene since the early nineties, actually. I guess it is a good way to cover two continents.

I don't remember exactly when I played gigs with them but it was during several festivals and gigs between 1985 and 1989 I think. I don't remember seeing John Bowler but I read on the page that he came later. They first had Sam Sardi and later someone else on bass. I must admit that I don't really remember the drummer at all. I mostly had contact with Stuart, the guitarplayer. They were nice guys whoever was in the band

BTW, are you the guitarplayer now? (I just read the name Gino) I was looking forward to Proteus posting some soundclips but haven't seen them yet. How was the gig for you? Do you do many gigs in the US?
- Rated: 0 ↑
May 18, 2008 6:21 p.m. jonnyguanabat:

So who did you play for Danman? Maybe we played together but, as you said you just didn't notice the drummer. I joined the Batz on drums in '88, after Diddle (original drummer)left, and played along side Pip, Stuart and Sam until Sam left in '91. We had Mark from the Caravans play bass until John Buck (Polecats) joined on drums in '96, and I switched to bass. I have been playing stand up since the early '80's. You may have seen me at the Klub Foot with Get Smart. I know it upsets alot of people when things change. Perhaps the band should have split even before Sam Sardi (no, he wasn't the first bass player)joined on bass, after Mick White left but, I think that would have been a shame. Like Geno said, you can still see Stuart on guitar alond with his '57 G brand, if you make it to our shows in Europe. Sorry to upset you with the changes over the years, but I think alot of great music would be lost if bands split as soon as members left, moved or died. The only way we can keep the band going is to play the way we do now, with a drummer and guitar player on each side of the Atlantic since Pip and I both live in the US. Would be great if we could make the money to fly Stu and John out to every show, but we can't. Geno and Alex have added a lot to the music, and in many ways it's more like the old Batz with some new blood. Austin was great. The guys from Gretsch were a big help, and hopefully we gave some of the old fans who couldn't make it to London, or some of the younger fans who weren't born a chance to see a little of what it was like back then. I'd like to say thanks to everyone involved in the show. It was great to have the chance to see the Rockcats play again after all these years. I heard Saturday kicked off. Well done guys.
- Rated: 45 ↑
May 18, 2008 6:34 p.m. Tsar Nicholas :

Hey Johnny, thanks for dropping by.
- Rated: 212 ↑
May 18, 2008 7:54 p.m. Proteus:

I'll be revisiting the thread with more about the band's perfomance, and some backstage stories.
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 19, 2008 2:52 a.m. Danman:

Hi Jonnyguanabat,

Thanks for responding too.
ha ha, I never said I didn't notice the drummer, I said I don't really remember the drummer. There is a difference there. It is quite some time ago you know.

I was in the Skrunch and we played from 1985 until early 1990 I think. So we might have seen each other then. After that I hardly followed psychobilly anymore. We were one of those bands that opened up for the bigger british bands at gigs and festivals. Being a European (dutch) band you often remained in the lower regions and never gained the status of the original British bands. I think only Batmobile was one of the dutch bands that grew bigger than that. We actually played in Austin in 1987 too.

I know Sam wasn't the first bassist but he is the first one I remember. I remember the caravans and Get Smart, and I saw most of them but have no idea where and when. But I never went to Klub Foot. I did go to nearly all festivals in Holland, Belgium and Germany in those years and of course played at them sometimes too. I remember Stuart telling me he just got a G-brand. He didn't take it out of Brittain in those days, I think. I didn't have my 6120 then yet so was very jealous.

Don't worry, I am not upset.
I just was surprised to not recognize anyone except Pip. I hadn't seen them since 89 I guess, so was still stuck in those memories. ha ha, what age does to you. And I agree, of course you can keep on playing. Why not? I never told any band to stop after a line up change....... Great, keep on going. It is also great that people now have a chance to hear what it was like then. I still enjoy the music and also had a great time in those years, gigging and being in the audience. Wild wild years.

« »

Page 1 2

You'll need to log in to post.