So I just got back from Hemsby yesterday. I hadn't been there for two years, mainly for financial reasons than anything else. We only decided to go the week before as we had some extra cash and nothing better to do. We arrived at about 5pm on Friday evening, although we left at 11am! It was only when we got near the site that I realised I'd forgotten to draw some money out and for some unknown reason my card isn't accepted in Link machines. So we basically drove for miles around Hemsby trying to find a proper cash machine. When we got to the chalet we were shattered. Still we had to get our gladrags on and go out. This is one of the things I don't like about weekenders. You spend all day getting there and then when you arrive, the last thing you want to do is curl your hair, apply make up and go out! You just want to collapse on the sofa with a cup of tea and go to sleep. But there's always that slight excitement of being there and wanting to get to the main hall and start partying. I couldn't believe how small the main venue seemed when we walked in. I always remember it being huge, but it just seemed so tiny and dingy. There didn't seem to be a lot of people there either. Still we were determined to enjoy ourselves. Plus the Rimshots were on that night at 1:30am and ever since seeing them at High Rockabilly in Spain they've become one of my favourite bands. They didn't disappoint. The sound they produce is amazing. They put most other Rockabilly bands to shame. Their version of Hank Williams Ramblin' Man is outstanding. It starts off much like Williams' original - slow, dark and eerie and then pulsates into a rollicking, furious charged anthem, like a steam train pounding along the tracks. They also do a nifty line in skiffle - their washboard accompanied version of Leadbelly's Pick a Bale of Cotton always gets the crowd going and this time was no exception. A great singalong ensued with the crowd singing back and forth with frontman John Lewis. They were the best band of the weekend for me.
Saturday was spent trawling around the stalls and catching another of my favourite bands, The Bonneville Barons. This is the 4th time I've seen them this year and they still sounded great to me. They are totally uncategorizable and original. They perform a unique blend of Rockabilly, Folk, Jazz, Hillbilly and have an almost Vaudeville/carnival feel to their music. Their image and CD cover artwork has this feel too. They are like an old fashioned musical duo you would find performing on the side of a dusty road in one of the southern states of America. This kind of imagery appeals to me immensly. The craftsmanship of their songs is something I find is lacking in a lot of modern Rockin bands. Their lyrics are thoughtful and poetic. They are completely different from all the other Rockabilly bands out there and this is why I like them. My purchases for Saturday were: a 1950s transistor radio, blue with silver stars on. It's broken but my boyfriend is pretty good at tinkering with things. I also bought some Rocket Originals shoes which I've been after for ages and decided to treat myself. They are 1940s style red wedges with flower detailing on the heel. They are gorgeous but are proving difficult to walk in! I also bought some records as I haven't bought any for ages and wanted some more to try out on my dansette. I bought a Ben Hewitt lp as I fell in love with his song 'I Want a New Girl Now'. I also bought a Maddox Bros and Rose one of their radio recordings from the 1940s, and an Ace records compilation 'Rarest Rockabilly and Hillbilly Boogie'.
Saturday night bands included Restless, who always put on a great show and didn't disappoint this time. Sunday I got up early to go round the car boot sale and managed to get a lovely 1950s black jumper with beading for only a fiver! After a late breakfast we went for a stroll down the beach as the weather was unseasonably pleasant. There's something about English seaside towns that I love. I love the tacky arcades and the fish and chips shops. There was something more poignant about it at this time of year as well. I took some photos of the glitzy signs, I haven't uploaded them yet though. We then went back to the venue and spent the afternoon watching a couple more bands and doing a bit more shopping. We then drifted back towards the seafront for fish and chips, a very English thing to do. The Sunday night bands didn't appeal to us as there was doo wop theme and I'm not that keen on doo wop if truth be told. I like my gritty, dirty rockabilly I'm afraid. So we opted out of that and instead had drinks in the chalet and discussed, amongst other things, communism, education and various other subjects that I was too drunk to remember. We went to bed at 11pm and said goodbye to Hemsby at 8am the next day. So long to another weekender...
