There are gigs that are advertised many months in advance at big venues for which we buy tickets and look forward to with scarcely contained enthusiasm. There are also gigs that are twenty minutes away from one’s front door, that eschew the usual trappings of larger venues and heir eye-watering ticket prices. It was certainly the latter category that kept me busy on last Saturday night in a Tattoo parlour in Kettering. It is the ad hoc nature of such small gigs that provides our scene with much of its energy, not least because it was free. The band in question was El Camino, the once masked, quirky four piece that combines rockabilly, psychobilly and a bit of swing to tremendous effect.

Led by the exquisite dulcet tones of Stuart Rowland, the band kicks off tonight’s set with ‘Peg-Leg Boogie’ a rockabilly number on which guitarist David Yates distinguishes himself with some superb lead work. ‘Volcano’ sees these two fine musicians conjuring up quite a storm with the rock-solid back beat provided by the rhythm section of the McCabe brothers, Scott and Glenn on drums and double bass respectively. This song morphs effortlessly into ‘Go Gorilla’. The band then changes the pace to the Buddy Holly-esque intro section of ‘Roll the Dice’. This song sees the band at its best with Stuart’s tremendously tuneful vocal combining with the incisive and melodic guitar work of David Yates. ‘Yama, Yama, Pretty Mama’ is then dispensed effortlessly before the band works up a splendid rendition of ‘Voodoo Rock a Hula’, that goes down an absolute storm. Glenn interjects that this song featured on one of the band’s cds that ‘went tupperware’. It’s then cover-tune time and the band delivers a terrific take on ‘Drinkin’ Wine Spodieodie’, followed by ‘Rockabilly Boogie’. Then its into psychobilly mode for ‘Give You an Inch and You Take a Mile’ which features some deft guitar flourishes from Mr Yates. The band then takes a left turn with a swing-infused version of cuckoo. It’s then time for the band’s ‘biggest hit’ in the form of ‘Five-Chinned Freddie’, which is a cracker of a tune. This is followed by El Camino’s terrific take on Elvis Costello’s ‘Oliver’s Army’, before its time for a psychobilly instrumental entitled ‘Trick or Treat’. ‘Honda C90’ sees the band changing tack once more to swing before it’s the band’s extraordinary take on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins ‘Little Demon’ on which Mr Rowland works some of the most remarkable vocal gymnastics. Stuart then jumps onto the bass and Glenn takes the mic to sing ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and ‘Twenty Flight Rock’ further demonstrating the versatility of this wonderful combo. ‘Long Black Shiny Car’ is then performed quite brilliantly with Messrs Rowland and Yates coming close to replicating the sublime vocal and guitar skills of Mark Harman. ‘In the Pit’ is announced as the last song and is a fine psychobilly number, but there is time for just one more in the form of Jerry Lee Lewis’ ‘High School Confidential’ and it is delivered superbly.

As things draw to a close Glenn announces that this will be the last such occasion at this venue as the Tattoo shop is moving premises across the road. I shall keep my fingers crossed that a similar quirky venue will emerge in the not too distant future as this has been an utterly splendid night.

Nick Kemp