viva-las-vegas-festival

Stray Cats reuniting for Rockabilly fest; Slim Jim Phantom touring w/ The Damned

The Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend goes down April 19 – 22 at The Orleans Hotels in Las Vegas, NV. The four day festival boasts bands from all over the world and headlining are Rockabilly’s biggest act reunited. Stray Cats will be playing their first show in 9 years on Saturday, April 21st. Their last show (as far as we can tell) was for Brian Setzer’s 50th birthday at a club in Minneapolis on April 10, 2009. That came shortly after a farewell Australian tour which came the year after a farewell European tour which came the year after a tour of North American with ZZ Top and The Pretenders.

Also playing the Vegas fest are Rockabilly Hall of Famers Jerry Lee Lewis and Duane Eddy. Look out for CJ Ramone in the audience:

https://twitter.com/theecjramone/status/949087955271999488

Also on the bill: Hot Rod Lincoln, Mitch Polzak, Crazy Man Crazy, Carl Man, The Pacers and tons more. There’s also a car show, dance competitions, “Viva Las Bowling,” “on site weddings,” and more. Tickets are on sale now (you only need the Hot Rodder pass to see the music), and you can check out the whole lineup, along with some Stray Cats videos, below.

Meanwhile, you can catch Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom out on a tour of Europe with The Damned (with members of The Pretenders as his backing band!). The dates:

the Damned tour poster

It gets even more interesting. In Slim Jim’s own words:

“The next big thing I’m doing which will be very nice, is I’ve just excepted a guest spot on The Damned tour. It starts in England and it starts in January/February right now. I’m using the guys from The Pretenders as my backing band. They’re awesome. They’re so good. It’s starts in January and that’s first big thing that I’m doing in the new year. I’m going to open the show, do a couple of Stray Cat songs, and some other favorite songs, and then I may go on and do a thing with them during their set. I’m going to open the shows and just be on the tour. And we’re going to use that time because me and Captain Sensible were in a side band for years called, ‘The Jack Tars’. This will be a good opportunity for all of us, with the guy from The Alarm, Mike Peters, who’s in England, to get together. The four of us are always trying to get together. Chances are I’ll be with Captain Sensible everyday and the forth gay from The Living End, Chris Cheney will all be there together. We’re going to try and get a record out in time for record day. The Damned tour was the first step. Hopefully since we’re all going to be in the same place, we’ll work it out.”
[Louder Than War]

The Jack Tars were known as Dead Man Walking (who played a show in LA in 2014 with Fred Armisen) until they changed their name in 2015.

No word on whether the Stray Cats have plans for more shows.

Videos and Vegas fest stuff below…

VIVA LAS VEGAS ROCKABILLY WEEKEND 2018 MUSIC LINEUP

At the CAR SHOW on Saturday
THE STRAY CATS
JERRY LEE LEWIS
DUANE EDDY
HOT ROD LINCOLN
MITCH POLZAK
CRAZY MAN CRAZY

THE STARS OF SUN ROCKABILLY
Carl Mann, The Pacers, Narvel Felts, Hayden Thompson,
Alton & Jimmy, Johnny Powers, Rudy Grayzell
WS Holland, Jimmy Van Eaton

THE STARS OF ROCK’N”ROLL SHOW
Roddy Jackson – The Eldorados
Norman Fox & The Robroys – Mike Waggoner

HOT BOOGIE CHILLUN Exclusive USA Show

ROBERT GORDON
BIG SANDY & FLYRITE BOYS
THE DELTA BOMBERS
THE RHYTHM SHAKERS

BANDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
FROM THE UK – Paul Ansell’s No. 9, Carlos & The Bandidos, Sonny West, Phil Haley & The Comments, Jackson Sloane & The Rhythm Tones, The Black Kat Boppers, A Jay Wade & The Tennessee No9, The Sureshots, Craig Shaw, The Danny McVey Trio, The Neutronz, Lady Luck Lexy & The Riverside Boys, Miss Mary & The Mr Rights.
FROM INDONESIA – The Hydrant
FROM FRANCE – Jake Calypso and his Red Hot, Barny & The Rhythm All Stars
FROM GERMANY – Marc Valentine, The Booze Bombs
FROM MEXICO – Nicotyna
FROM AUSTRALIA – Cherry Divine
FROM SPAIN – Matt & The Peabody Ducks, The Kabooms
FROM CANADA – The Greasemarks, The Millwinders,
FROM RUSSIA – Nadine & The Lovers
FROM SWEDEN – Lily Locksmith
FROM CHILE – Richie & The Richmen
VIVA LAS VEGAS EXCLUSIVE SHOWS

And LOOK AT THIS LIST OF BANDS FROM THE USA in no particular order
And even more from the USA: Archie Lee Hooker – The Centuries – The Starjays – The Outlaw Daddies – Justin Curtis – Pachuco Jose Y Los Diamantes – Phat Cat Swinger – Jimmy Dale & The Beltline – Lil Mo & The Dynaflos – Michael Hurtt’s Haunted Hearts – The Rayford Brothers –
Shanda & The Howlers – The Hi-Q’s – Ambur Rockwell – Rockin Rick & The Rhythm Wranglers – Little Lesley & The Bloodshots – Rod & The Tone Masters – Rumble King – Ted Stevens & The Doo-Shots – The Twilight Drifters – Amy Griffin – Mack Stevens – Rip Masters – The Frantic Rockers – The Margraves – Shaun Young and The 3 Ringers – Lil Mo & The Unholy Four – The Stardust Ramblers – The Hot Shot Drifters – Jesse & The Rock’nRoll Three – The Red Arrows – B-Stars – Chris Casello Trio.

THE ‘BIG’ WILD RECORDS SHOW
BANDS – Big Sandy & The Rhythm Busters, Omar Romero, Luis & The Wildfires, Gizzelle, Eddie Clemdening, Eddie & The Scorpions, Stomping Riff Raffs – Japan, The Delta Bombers – (Special guest), The Rhythm Shakers – (Special guest), Terrorsaurs – UK, Bebo & The Goodtime Boys, Texas Steve, Dustin Chance & The Allnighters, Los Killer Tones – Mexico, The Hi-boys – Australia, Savage Breed, The Shadowmen, Stephanie, The Desperados, Pachuco Jose, Josh Hi-Fi & The Rhythm Kings, TJ Mayes, The Nighttimes, Will & The Hi-Rollers, The Devil Winds, Mary Simich, Los Blancos, Roy Dee & The Spitfires – Portugal, The Downbeats, Lil’ Sal & The Wildtones – Holland, The Deadly Spirits, Sonny West – UK, Elvis Cantu, Mozzy Dee, Jerry Cochran and the Salt Flat Trio, Alex Vargas.
DJ’s – Jive Bomber – Texas, Jimmy Guntrip – UK, Old Rebel 82 – Germany, Hi-Tone – LA. Juke Joint Jenni – OK, Chuy – LA, Nova – LA, Greg Belson – LA, Bebo – LA.

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