Rockabilly 514 (directors cut) -
(review by Joe Donnelly)
Been trying to track down a copy of this rockin documentary since I discovered the online teaser trailers on 'Youtube' prior to the films release in 2008 . The film has since done the tour of the worlds film festivals and has been a prize winner but theres never been an official (UK) dvd release as far as I know , I was really very eager to see this doc. To say I was having major problems actually getting my hands on a copy from here, there or anywhere is an understatement.
Just when I'd given up I found a contact address for the films director 'Patricia Chica' and I decided to give it one last shot and get intouch with the main woman directly. 'Patricia' who was a very nice lady arranged for me to get a copy which was sent to me all the way from 'Canada' and which I appreciated.
Rockabilly 514 is a one hour social / musical documentary about a community of people who are dedicated to the 1950's Rockabilly lifestyle, and features cameo's from rockabilly legends such as 'Wanda Jackson , The Comets' & 'Joe Clay' aswell as new upstarts like 'The Cockroaches, The Alley Dukes' & 'Bloodshot Bill' amongst a host other juvinille delequents.
Filmed over a 12 month period by 'Patricia Chica' & 'Mike Wafer' the 'Montreal' rockabillies featured in the documentary do-not see themselves as trapped inside the narrow confines of nostalgia in any way whatsoever and are well aware of what decade they are living in .This is their day to day life not some posey exclusive weekend dress up club who pretend its the 1950s for 48 hours before returning to their everyday 9 to 5 grind on monday morning.
From the outside it looks like the participants are living in a make believe long-lost era ,but speaking personally as a glam /punk fan and someone who is accused almost daily of living in a 1970s timewarp I can fully relate to them. I have friends and acquaintances here in 'Belfast' who actually inhabit the similar rockabilly world as their canadian cousins .
Rockabilly 514 gives the viewer an outsider sneaky peek into a whole other lifestyle of retro based music, dance / burlesque, fashion, tattoos, cars, and writing . And as a very keen youth culture vulture who once produced his own cut & paste rockabilly fanzine 'Graveyard Stomp ' circa 2000/2001 ,aswell as other multiple pieces of printed ephemera covering a variety of musical genre's who loves all that rockabilly flash bang & wallop (yeah! I wore pink pegs & blue suede buckled brothel creepers in the late 70s punk wars) ,I have to say really I enjoyed this documentary .
'Patricia Chica'also sent me another short film of her's 'Day Before Yesterday' on dvd.
Joe Donnelly Belfast 17.6.11.
Been trying to track down a copy of this rockin documentary since I discovered the online teaser trailers on 'Youtube' prior to the films release in 2008 . The film has since done the tour of the worlds film festivals and has been a prize winner but theres never been an official (UK) dvd release as far as I know , I was really very eager to see this doc. To say I was having major problems actually getting my hands on a copy from here, there or anywhere is an understatement.
Just when I'd given up I found a contact address for the films director 'Patricia Chica' and I decided to give it one last shot and get intouch with the main woman directly. 'Patricia' who was a very nice lady arranged for me to get a copy which was sent to me all the way from 'Canada' and which I appreciated.
Rockabilly 514 is a one hour social / musical documentary about a community of people who are dedicated to the 1950's Rockabilly lifestyle, and features cameo's from rockabilly legends such as 'Wanda Jackson , The Comets' & 'Joe Clay' aswell as new upstarts like 'The Cockroaches, The Alley Dukes' & 'Bloodshot Bill' amongst a host other juvinille delequents.
Filmed over a 12 month period by 'Patricia Chica' & 'Mike Wafer' the 'Montreal' rockabillies featured in the documentary do-not see themselves as trapped inside the narrow confines of nostalgia in any way whatsoever and are well aware of what decade they are living in .This is their day to day life not some posey exclusive weekend dress up club who pretend its the 1950s for 48 hours before returning to their everyday 9 to 5 grind on monday morning.
From the outside it looks like the participants are living in a make believe long-lost era ,but speaking personally as a glam /punk fan and someone who is accused almost daily of living in a 1970s timewarp I can fully relate to them. I have friends and acquaintances here in 'Belfast' who actually inhabit the similar rockabilly world as their canadian cousins .
Rockabilly 514 gives the viewer an outsider sneaky peek into a whole other lifestyle of retro based music, dance / burlesque, fashion, tattoos, cars, and writing . And as a very keen youth culture vulture who once produced his own cut & paste rockabilly fanzine 'Graveyard Stomp ' circa 2000/2001 ,aswell as other multiple pieces of printed ephemera covering a variety of musical genre's who loves all that rockabilly flash bang & wallop (yeah! I wore pink pegs & blue suede buckled brothel creepers in the late 70s punk wars) ,I have to say really I enjoyed this documentary .
'Patricia Chica'also sent me another short film of her's 'Day Before Yesterday' on dvd.
Joe Donnelly Belfast 17.6.11.