It's a Rockabilly World! (2016) - full transcript

A rockabilly life.

If I gotta explain it,
you won't understand.

♪ Well, I went to see
My little girl last night ♪

♪ Yeah, I went to see
My little girl last night ♪

♪ Oh, how she thrills me
When she holds me tight ♪

♪ Well, now, honey-honey bun

♪ Yeah, honey-honey bun

♪ Bop-a-bop-a-bop
A-honey-honey bun ♪

♪ Yeah, honey-honey bun

♪ She's my sugar
And she's my spice ♪

♪ She's the gal
That treats me right ♪



♪ She's my honey bun
Well, my honey bun ♪

♪ Well, I love my baby
And my baby loves me ♪

♪ Yeah, I love my baby
And my baby loves me ♪

♪ And we're as happy
A-as we two can be ♪

[groovy guitar riff playing]

Hi, I'm Eitaro Sako.

I'm a guitar player
from Nagoya, Japan.

I came here ten years ago,

and... doing rock 'n' roll.

Actually, my dad loves
American oldie like a...

He has like a cassette tape

for American oldies stuff
in his car.

And then, I grew up with that.

And then,
Back To The Future movie came out.



McFly rules.

[guitar solo playing]

Marty McFly is
a big influence to me.

He showed me
how to rock 'n' roll

and Chuck Berry music.

All those 50s
rock 'n' roll and pops.

Rockabilly is everywhere,
from when I was in China

to everywhere in Europe,
all over North America.

I've heard there's
a great scene happening

in South America now.

It's everywhere.

I think people are a little
bit more ready for this,

because it's also globally,
it's really...

It's not just a trend,
it's also globally recognized.

People are actually a little
bit more understanding.

Well, they understand
a little bit better.

So, I don't think it's
completely foreign anymore.

Which is nice 'cause it's
the right time for people

to kind of be introduced
to it again.

So, they're excited
and they kind of feel...

"We can actually come in."

It's just the whole movement
globally that's happening

where people are going slow

and they wanna go back
to the good old days.

They wanna appreciate
their time.

They wanna move back
to that style,

and where you put a stamp
on your personality.

Everything speaks
of who you are.

We're from Austria, Vienna,
the capital of Austria.

And we're in
the Rockabilly scene

because the music is great.

And better than...

It's real music and not this...

utz, utz, utz.

[man] I'm from Italy originally,

been in the rockabilly scene
since I was a kid.

We all started the same way,
listening to Elvis.

Swede and Finland,

Japan, Australia, New Zealand,

we have done tours,
it is everywhere.

I decided to move to US,

and play rockabilly
with the real guys.

With the guys that grew up
with that sound in their blood.

So, that was my goal
when I was a kid.

I achieved it years later
but, here I am.

If you wanna karate or judo,

you wanna practice in Japan.

Or you wanna be a Sous chef,

you gotta go to Japan.

But, you wanna learn
rock 'n' roll,

you gotta be here.

That's why I came here
and played,

[blues solo playing]

[cheering]

[groovy rhythm playing]

50s were the best.

Everything's been downhill
since the 50s.

I love the style, the clothes,
the cars.

Everything about it is so cool.

The 50s had everything.

Great music, great cars,
great movies

and great looking women.

I like the old morals
and I like the 50s lifestyle.

I believe in...
a man has to work

kind of a thing
and a woman stays at home.

I would love to stay at home

and just cook and clean all day.

People comment on the way
that women were treated

back in the 50s.

But, were women treated
better in the 50s?

Yeah, it depends what
you class as

being treated better,

because then they just
sat at home all day.

Cleaning the house and

cooking food, ready for when
their husband got back.

I heard a comedian,
Louis C.K. say,

he said, "If a black person
had a time machine,

it wouldn't be a good device

'cause anytime, any place

he would go, he would
have [bleep] issues."

Back in the 50s
you had to look...

You had to be clean lookin'.

Dress nice, be polite.

Never cross the line on chicks.

It drives me crazy when
I walk into a store

and I see some woman

struggling to get a stroller
in the door.

And nobody's helping her.

Like go and hold
the door for her.

What's wrong with you?

Guys, pull out a chair
for a lady. Open a door.

Pay for dinner.

Once you a cross a line
on a chick at a show,

you're like every guy
in the neighborhood,

puttin' the moves on her.

Can't do that.

Kiss on the cheek, handshake.
And that was it.

No matter if she was
a dog or a foxy,

treat them all the same.

The thing that happened
in the 50s

that isn't around anymore

is people's politeness.

It's like Bryan Wilson
says, man.

I wasn't made for these times.

I definitely gravitate towards

anything that happened
before I was born.

I got the name Doris Mayday
from doing roller derby

when I was a teenager.

And I wanted to take
on a 50s name,

but make it kinda
rough and tough.

My first job was at
Elvis-A-Rama which was

an Elvis-themed gift shop.

And I was fortunate enough
for my co-worker was

65 year old original
roller derby queen.

So, she told me
all sorts of stories

and at the time, I was going
through some teen angst

and I wanted a healthy escape

of all of my teenage angst
and roller derby

seemed like a cool,
retro way of doing that.

You take an airplane
out of America,

the only people you're
gonna see is Elvis,

Marilyn and James Dean
'cause they made a statement

for generations, generations,
generations.

50s is what had my heart.

I love the designs of the cars,

the furniture, the clothes,
everything. I mean,

a lot of these people,
just like me,

we got all of our houses
all vintage, everything.

We're kind of like
vintage freaks.

Retro lifestyle, I just
love the aesthetic.

Maybe that's super vain but
there's nothing like the look

of all things 50s to me.

The 50s are the best,
forget the rest.

[cheering]

[rockabilly music playing]

Rockabilly was the only music

that I could play
everything I'd learned,

'cause rockabilly has
elements of country.

Rockabilly has
elements of the blues.

And rockabilly, a lot of it
came from western swing

where all those guys
could play jazz.

Country music's great,

but I like the vintage stuff.

And it's the rockabilly stuff,

and it's hoppin' and boppin'.
It's rock 'n' roll.

The general rockabilly thing,

I would say
it would be blues-based,

which is black blues.

You don't get any better
than black blues.

So you get a lot of that stuff,

amp it up a little bit.
That's rockabilly.

It's exactly what
it sounds like.

It's kind of rockin',
and it's hillbilly music

That's where
the "Billy" comes in,

which, originally,
interestingly enough,

was a derogatory term.

Some of the swing guys
and the western swing guys

were calling this "Rockabilly"

and that wasn't friendly.

They were calling it
"The Music" at that point.

Three chords and big hair.

And rockabilly to me is
a down to earth...

It's a real image.
I mean, it's tough,

it's people that stand up
for themselves,

and it's tattoos.

It's not like glitter
and it's not like

halos and lights and cameras.

I mean, it's not like Lady Gaga.

It seems like music, nowadays,

they expect you
to have theatrics

and an image that is
so unreal and so unnatural.

You're like
a comic book character.

Rockabilly music started
in the 50s,

mostly in the South.
It was rock 'n' roll.

It was the rock 'n' roll
of the time.

And it still is rock 'n' roll.

And that's why you had
of course Elvis, but

Eddie Cochran, Johnny Burnette,

Barbara Pittman, Wanda Jackson.

These guys were rock 'n' roll.

They were young
rock 'n' rollers.

Rockabilly music.

It feels almost like
equivalent of soul to me.

It's pretty much
timeless really.

Even though it was really small,

Rockabilly really only
lasted only five years

in the original time.

From 50-55 to like...
It was done by 60.

The Beetles
{end-italic} were definitely
influenced by rockabilly.

Besides the fact that
they hired Carl Perkins

to come and play on their album

and did two of his songs,

when they were like
at their peak.

I think that they were
really influenced.

And so those
early pictures you see,

they're all wearing
all the leather

and they have the greasy hair.

We know that they were
rockabilly influenced.

A rockabilly was around
in the 50s

really didn't get
much acceptance.

It was very fringe.

They didn't really
call it "Rockabilly,"

although that phrase
was used a few times.

It was only in the 1970s
in Britain

where these rare records
were getting discovered.

They came to the forefront
and really became

an individual genre of it's own.

If I'm playing in
a rockabilly band

and I start doing jazz solos,

people love it, next solo,
if I go into the country thing,

people love it,
if I go into blues things,

they love it.

Every other genre is so strict.

Rockabilly to me, it's like,
it meant like a freedom

of taking all these
different elements

and put it into a context.

[guitar music playing]

I was watching this 80s
compilation commercial

for this 80s hairbands
or whatever.

And... hit after hit,
and all of a sudden,

The Stray Cats
{end-italic} come
on the commercial.

I'm like, "Wait, who are
these guys?"

They got pompadours
and 50s Gretsch guitars

and the drummer is
standing up and they're all

tatted and they look like
rebels out of the 50s.

I thought this was an 80s crew.

I had no idea who
The Stray Cats
{end-italic} were.

And so, I ran into
the living room

and I was like, "Dad,

have you ever heard of this
band called
{end-italic} The Stray Cats?"

He says, "Oh, yeah,
they're 80s rockabilly band."

Who are they...

I haven't really heard them.
I just saw them,

just aesthetically, they were...

they just knocked me out.

So I said, "Can we go
to the Tower Records,"

We lived around the corner,
"you know the Tower Records,

and pick up some
Stray Cats
{end-italic} music?"

And that's when, the first
time I heard
Rock This Town

and
Sexy in 17
{end-italic} and
Runaway Boys,

Built for Speed,
it was just... That was it.

In that genre or even
a few of the related genres,

they're still the biggest
selling guys in the world.

So they're, by definition,
they're the most

popular rockabilly band ever.

Stray Cats Strut, it's like...

everyone knows that
song whether they...

and so now what
you see happening,

you play rockabilly, you go,

"Stray Cats,
{end-italic} they know exactly
what you're talking about."

My guitar idol is Brian Seltzer.

I saw him on the movie
in
{end-italic} La Bamba.

And he's got the Eddie Cochran

Summertime Blues.

And yeah, a big orange guitar
and pompadour.

And then, actually,
after that movie

I'm chasing
Stray Cats
{end-italic} stuff a lot.

And do the more
punk rockabilly stuff.

It's got a great beat

that insists you get up
and move your ass, man.

I definitely can dance
to it all night long.

And during the day,
I can go on through my day

with rockabilly music
for uplifting, upbeat.

I've been into rockabilly
since I was younger too,

so it has definitely
grown onto me.

[energetic riff playing]

♪ Well, I drink From a bottle ♪

♪ She drinks from a cup

♪ And I like To get down, baby ♪

♪ She likes up

I love punk rock music

and that's why I have punk rock
tattooed on my hands.

I also love all kinds of music.

I used to love metal music,

but I've grown out
of that scene. Thankfully.

And then,

I think a lot of people that
are into punk growing up,

kind of mature and get
into the rockabilly music

because it's still
very fast paced

there's a good beat to it,
but it's not as aggressive

and crazy as punk.

I listen to all kinds of music.

I worked in a record store
growing up.

So I have a really weird,
eclectic taste.

I don't just listen
to rockabilly music.

But, I listen to a little bit
of everything.

A lot of really old music.

A lot of 20s, 30s, 40s.

Soul music, rockabilly music,
Pop music

I love Brittany Spears.

I'm not afraid of it.

[slap bass playing]

I'm Djordje Stijepovic.

I play bass.

I play blast cult bass,
and I'm from Belgrade, Serbia.

Djordje.

He's a crazy ass Serbian

that somehow dodged
enough bullets

and got across the border
and made it over here.

He's kind of a historian

as well as a really
bad ass bass player.

I got into rockabilly
when I was nine or ten.

And I played the guitar
for a little bit,

for a couple of years
I played the guitar

but, it never really
fit me that well

and then I switched to bass
when I was 12 or 13.

And since then
I've been playing bass.

I've been playing upright bass.

I wouldn't say that
I'm a psychobilly guy

or I'm a rockabilly guy.

I'm definitely
a rock 'n' roll guy.

But in the bands that I dig,
from all those styles,

for me, it was never
that important

of how much you call yourself

and how would you call
the style that you play,

it was more important
that how you do it.

I had this crazy epiphany dream

that I had to play upright bass

and I remember hearing
Stand By Me
and realizing

that's the difference between

what everybody else plays

and what I wanna...
That sound that I want.

So, I snuck out of my house

and I went into this...
I broke into my high school.

I went and I broke in
and everything,

couldn't get in that door
so I hauled ass back to my car

and I got a crowbar

and just prodded
the [bleep] doorframe out

and ripped the door out.

And stole the bass.

And I remember a friend of mine

thought the cops were comin',

so, he took off in my car

and I had this upright bass

and I was standing
on a football field

and I'm like, "[bleep]
I need to get out of here."

So I was hauling ass out
of the football field,

into the woods

and then I kept it
out on the woods

I threw a tarp on it.

And I just went out
there everyday

and sort of just woodshedded

on upright bass, I would
go home, listen to Elvis,

Then I'd haul ass back
to the woods and go

[imitating bass] that's it!

♪
Woke up this morning
With a ring in my hand ♪

♪
My store was pound
And I wished it was dead ♪

♪
Hopped in the car
And rolled to Rome ♪

I call these guys
"Hipster dopes"

because they're a younger
version of the rockabilly's.

♪
Going one two three four ♪

♪
Five six seven eight ♪

♪
Gonna be great
Just can't wait ♪

♪
Meet me in the mornin'
Half past eight ♪

♪
Hold it up when you
Pass that ball to me ♪

[guitar music playing]

There's sort of this newer
version of rockabilly.

It's kind of enjoying a bit
of renaissance, again.

It's like every ten years.

[guitar music playing]

♪
You're a sweetheart, baby ♪

♪
It's just what you are ♪

I've always been a fan of music.

But actually playing,
I started at about ten

years old, starting on drums

and just banging in the garage.

♪
I didn't know
You collected souls ♪

♪ Gambling fire Rolling bones ♪

♪
I should've known
You would take it all ♪

♪
But I never planned
To be your voodoo doll ♪

♪ Used your lips To pull me in ♪

♪ Just to stick In another pin ♪

♪
But if you want
This heart of mine ♪

♪
Your evil just won't
Work this time ♪

They're sort of a new thing
because they're

not quite as car
and bike culture oriented,

There's still a lot of ink,
there's still the deal.

But it's a little different.

They love Setzer and Horton Heat

and all the guys that are from
the second wave of rockabilly,

but they really, really are
into the earlier rockabillys.

These kids, they know
who the icons are.

They listen to Charlie Thompson,

they listen to Charlie Feathers.

They know whoever they're into,

they know who they're into
and why they play like that.

And these guys are young.

I fell in love with rockabilly
music when I had one of my

girlfriends about ten years ago
play me Wanda Jackson.

[Dave]
Dominic Puertz,
she's a rockabilly.

She's actually...

Completely in touch with
the early 40s, 50s and 60s.

She has "Wanda,"
for Wanda Jackson tattooed

on the side of her neck.
She's kind of serious.

You know what I mean.

[Dominic]
I went and saw
her play for the first time

at a hair salon in
Redando Beach and there were

like... 70 people there
and she just like,

toured up and I've seen
her a ton of times since

and she was a hero
of mine as a singer.

And she was one of my kickers

for really getting
into rockabilly music.

[rockabilly music playing]

♪
Someone told me
About a gypsy woman ♪

♪
Said she could
Get inside my head ♪

I saw the movie Cry Baby when

I was maybe eight
or nine years old.

I literally remember
the moment at a Mom and Pop

video store when
those still existed,

seeing the VHS tape
with Johnny Depp

on the cover and I just...

I died. I rented it that night
and I was changed ever since.

And it's super silly and cliche

'cause I say it over and over

but I swear it was
a pivotal moment in my life.

And I say if I hadn't
seen that movie,

I have no idea what
I would be like today.

Because it just got struck

something in me
that I was like...

so in love with the visuals
and the music and all

aspects of the 50s.

There's nothing better
than playing live.

Nothing can compare
to getting on stage

and playing live.

I mean, it's cool to be on set

and working on movies and going
to premiers and things

like that but there's
not one thing in life

that can compare
to getting on stage.

Playing with Drake,
he's awesome.

Especially these high
schools, because

all the kids are
crazy about him.

They all grew up with
the TV show,
Drake & Josh.

So they're familiar
with Drake Bell

being an actor
and playing some pop music.

And I think it's great
because now they're getting

introduced to rockabilly.

[crowd cheering]

[boy] I got into Drake's
music about two years ago.

I was sitting at home
and I thought...

My little sister was watching
Drake & Josh
{end-italic} on the TV

and I remember thinking,

"He does music now, right?"

And I started looking him up
and I bought his albums

and I just loved it.

♪
I lose a little
More of my free will ♪

♪
Put me in a kettle
Full of broken hearts ♪

♪
Add a little pinch
From your magic jar ♪

♪
Just so I forget the
Kind of girl you are ♪

♪
Baby, I'm catching
On real fast ♪

♪
This isn't going to last ♪

♪
And I'm through eating
Your poison seeds ♪

♪
And I've built up
My immunity ♪

♪
I'm done with all
Your bitchcraft ♪

♪ I've got to get My soul back ♪

♪
We've played this
Game so long ♪

♪
I'm not sure
That it will come back ♪

♪
I'm not trying to
Make you feel bad ♪

♪
But baby I just can't live
With all your bitchcraft ♪

There's another
movement right now

that you wouldn't call punk,

but they definitely have
a rockabilly influence.

Jack White, White Stripes,

Black Keys, all these guys,

if you listen to them, it's
blue-sy, kind of rockabilly.

We look at artists that

look like they have
a great potential,

that can still do it
and why not?

It doesn't matter if they're 16,

it doesn't matter if they're 26.

We really don't have any rules
at Cleopatra Records.

If the guy was 90

and he wanted to make a record,

and we could make
a good product,

we would do it.

If you're 20-something
years old,

You might get it as
a songwriter,

but you ain't getting no deal.

If you're 19, 17, 18,

you got a shot.

That's where the world is now.
Fast food, boy.

[drums beating]

Growing up in the 70s,

music around that time was
just a lot of pop music

and I gravitated
towards Elvis Presley.

He was the first artist
that I actually

purchased a vinyl record from.

Elvis, obviously was
bigger than anything.

Elvis is a big influence
of mine.

I'm actually an
Elvis impersonator.

♪
Oh, baby let me be
Your loving teddy bear ♪

♪
Put a chain around my neck ♪

♪
Drag me anywhere ♪

♪ Oh, let me be Oh, let me be ♪

♪
Your teddy bear ♪

Loved Tank Williams.

He loved the black music,
the rhythm and blues music.

And that's what he did.

He dressed like a...

I guess you call a pimp,
in a sense.

I also have
the golden Elvis suit,

the black leather Elvis suit

and that late 1970s Elvis suit.

I'm hosting the
Elvis and Priscilla

hair contest today,

here at the 15th annual Elvis
festival at Costa Rica.

Guys that dress up like
Elvis in their jumpsuits

make me cringe.

♪
I got the house cat blues ♪

♪
Ever since I said I do ♪

♪
I got the house cat blues ♪

♪
Ever since I said I do ♪

♪ I'm a mouse Of the house ♪

♪
Ever since I said I do ♪

♪
I want some lovin' ♪

♪
She says no not now ♪

♪
When I want some lovin' ♪

♪ She says no, not now

♪ We already did
On our wedding night ♪

My real name? Elvis Presley. No.

[instrumental music playing]

The rebel thing is actually
very strong in Europe

where people fly
the confederate flag.

Whereas here, if you fly the
confederate flag in America,

you're looked at
as being racist.

Punk has never used
a confederate flag.

And we've seen bootleg...

bootleg products with
the confederate flag.

And we don't really like it.

It couldn't have anything
to do with racism because

rock 'n' roll was
started by black people.

Some of the best singers
and the best records

were done by black artists.

I don't see the confederate
flag as racist at all.

That's not what it
represents for me.

It represents being a rebel

and kind of going
outside your box

and doing things that not
a lot of normal people do.

So I don't see it
as a bad thing.

Ugh, that's embarrassing.

Are there people that
have a full set of teeth

that would have
a confederate flag hanging?

The confederate flag,
for anybody that's actually

considering themselves
to be a rockabilly rebel

or a teddy boy,
it's very symbolic.

It symbolizes our music.

I think the confederate
flag is a piece of [bleep].

It wasn't just about slavery.

It was about being proud
to be from the South.

It's very racist,
look at the history of it all.

The Ku Klux Klan
and religious Christianity.

Rebel behind it is a big X.

They don't know that X
represented the blood

of a pure race.

A race they didn't want
anybody to have anything

to do with them.
So on and so forth.

[man] Are there any Black
people in this sub culture?

Actually, they...

There actually is.

Not as much as...

as our nationality, but...

there actually is a...

If you look around,
you will find a lot of...

African American, like,
in the scene.

I don't think anyone's serious

who has a confederate
flag anywhere around them.

I'm sure

it symbolizes racism
to some people

because of the time period.

But people's histories
are different.

And...

I don't believe the object
itself can be racist, man.

I don't believe it.

I obviously understand why
people would find it racist.

At the same time,

I think it's more of an issue

of it stands as us
being divided as a nation.

I don't think that's where
we need to be anymore.

I don't think it needs
to be around anymore.

That's the quote I stand by,
100 percent.

If Chuck Berry
had've been white,

he would've been the king
of rock 'n' roll. Not Elvis.

[guitar riff playing]

Rockabilly to me is
just down to earth.

It's like, just people like
have a simple life.

They like their cars,
they like their women

and they like to party.

[rockabilly music playing]

A lot of people think that
rockabilly is about anger

or violence or rebellion.

And it has a flair
for that but it's

more like stage.

That's not the real
meaning behind rockabilly.

It's about having fun
and expressing yourself.

My uncle, Jerry Lee Lewis,

yeah, he's been known to

party a little bit.

A drink or two.

A chemical substance
every now and again.

But he's the last man
standing though, so...

Maybe it's not as
bad as they say for you.

First off, I know you all
have been out here probably

having a really good time

and you might need
a designate a driver.

So I always make the
best designated driver,

because I can say
the alphabet backwards.

And also, I don't drink.
So there you go.

So let me do the
alphabet for you.

I'm on this cleanse where
I'm only drinking juice

with alcohol, so...

There's Bloody Mary
in the morning,

and there's Jack Daniel's
and grapefruit juice.

It sounds horrible
but it's really good,

the rest the day,

and sometimes there's
juice of the cactus

which is tequila
and grapefruit juice.

That kind of what it's
been like for seven days.

It has helped me focus more.

When I was at Viva,
I played eight shows

in four days at four
different casinos.

So I needed to be more
focused and I didn't want

food that slowed me down a lot.

[man] So no food?

Yeah, it's been a little
over a week.

[man] So no food for a week?

I'm not worried. Nothing.
Not one French fry. Nothing.

I've never seen Danny
eat a morsel of food.

I've only seen him drink
copious amounts of tequila.

Danny B. Harvey's
been known to party.

Yeah, every once in a while,

if the mood strikes him.

And it does, often.

I don't know it's just...

I don't sleep.

That's the theory,
I don't sleep.

But I don't know, I feel happy.

Nothing's changed, so...

[man] So what time are
you going to bed tonight?

Well, tonight I won't
go to bed at all.

[guitar riff playing]

♪
I caught you cheating ♪

♪
And runnin' 'round ♪

♪
And now I'm gonna
Put you in a ♪

♪
Hole in the ground ♪

♪
I'm gonna ride
To your funeral ♪

♪
Daddy, in a black Cadillac ♪

♪ Oh, yeah You think you are ♪

♪
Oh, baby, but you
Can't come back ♪

♪ Now I'm gonna Bump you off ♪

♪
Gonna tell you
The reason why ♪

♪
You're worth more
To me dead, daddy ♪

♪
Than you is alive ♪

♪
I'm gonna ride
To your funeral ♪

♪
Daddy, in a black Cadillac ♪

♪ Oh, yeah You think you are ♪

♪
Oh, baby, but you
Can't come back ♪

♪ I'm gonna Buy me a pistol ♪

♪
A great big forty-five ♪

♪
I'm gonna bring you
Back baby, dead not alive ♪

♪
I'm gonna ride
To your funeral ♪

♪
Daddy, in a black Cadillac ♪

♪ Oh, yeah You think you are ♪

♪
Oh, baby, but
You can't come back ♪

[retching]

Thank goodness that
the Lord forgives

what we do on Saturday
nights, Sunday morning.

My name is Jimmy Angel.

I've only had two
jobs in my life.

New York Yankees for
three and a half years,

until I got hurt.

And then, teen idol,

since 1957.

♪
Where, where, where, where
Where, where, where, where ♪

♪
Where were you? ♪

[man] Yeah!

♪
Her mom says no ♪

♪
Daddy says no way ♪

♪
To you ♪

♪ No, no, no No, no, babe ♪

♪
All you think about ♪

♪
Is who you're thinking of ♪

♪
Escaping from school ♪

♪
Kissing in the house ♪

♪
Smoking in the parking lot
And running in the room ♪

[Jimmy]
My teddy bear
is my best friend.

He's been with me 55...

about 55, 58 years.

Where I go, he goes.

I haven't got no wife.
I haven't got no kids.

So he's it.

♪ It's Elvis The king of rock ♪

[woman] Jamie Angel, now
he's a hunk with burning love.

I know he's been around
a long time and...

he's one of the cool people.

[Jimmy] I get up

and always do my walk.

I walk up about a mile,
about a mile each way.

[woman] I just know I saw
him on TV somewhere.

I can't believe I'm seeing him.

I come back and watch Mod Squad.

Which I like, I was in

twenty magazines with
the
Mod Squad.

I watch that.

They took off Hawaii 5.0.

That really upset my bear.

He loved McGarett.

[man]
Jimmy, have you
seen the movie,
{end-italic} Ted?

That was disgusting.

Me and Lucky even
went to the movie.

No teddy bear
should talk like that.

F this, F that!
Are you kidding me?

And masturbating on
the film, a teddy bear?

That was very uncool.

Lucky says that's not even cool.

What kind of bear is that?

Guess he got that right.

That was very uncool

for teddy bears.

Teddy bears never
let you down, buddy.

They're always there for a hug,

a kiss.

You can talk to them.

They're not gonna divorce you,

not gonna take your money,

not gonna lie to you.

They're always there, buddy.

Better than a chick
in a lot of ways.

If anybody ever took my bear,

Try to hurt him or
take him away from me,

I'd kill 'em.

That's exactly right.

[gunshot]

[clapper clapping]

♪ And I'm walking
Down the street ♪

♪ Looking so cool

♪ All the cats and kittens

♪ Are starting to drool

♪ They follow me around
Tryin' to copy my style ♪

♪ They all wanna know
How to be this wild ♪

♪ My beating heart's cool

♪ Nobody's fool

♪ I'm beating my cool
You know I can't lose ♪

♪ Never say no
To a guy like me ♪

♪ Just stand back
And give me sympathy ♪

I think what is
so wonderful about

the whole scene is that
everybody's so welcoming

and they really are a part
of this because they love it.

Because it reminds
them of simple times.

It brings back goodness
and that happiness.

That's something that
we all share together.

It's an amazing thing how
the pin-up culture has really,

it's an empowering
thing for women.

It's really given a lot of women

a lot of self-confidence.

It's a really cool thing to see.

People have no idea
at the hospital that I'm

a pin-up model or I do
rockabilly 'cause if they did,

probably fire me.

Rockabilly has given
me self-esteem.

Before, I was just
the loser kid in high school.

Then once rockabilly
came into my life,

then I started getting
interest in pin-up modeling,

and dressin' up and making

my face look beautiful,
finally putting on makeup.

Then everybody started
noticing me and talking to me.

So, yeah, it's done
a lot for my self-esteem.

With pin-up culture these days,

it's really cool to see
that women of all shapes

and sizes and different
backgrounds and...

Every different color,
tattooed, no tattoos,

classic, modern, everyone
can kind of get into it.

In a world where women are
ripping each other to shreds,

it's really nice to see women
supporting each other and

coming together for the love
of kind of the same things.

So I kind of fell into
being a pin-up girl.

I started off, straight
from high school,

I went to theater school

and learned how to do
hair and make up.

'Cause I wanted to be
behind the scenes.

I didn't want to be into
movies and films and things.

So as a make up artist,
I just learned all the

different styles of make up.

And it was pin-up
make up and hair

that really stood out to me.

And it kind of made me
create this style.

Which you see today.

And I guess that's what
got me into the fashion

and then the modeling
came later on in life.

I came from a very small town.

And being a little
bit different,

I kind of stuck out
but I was the art

teacher's daughter so...

I think they thought
it was okay.

This is something that

it could be different
now but it's still familiar.

And it's also really classic.

Especially when it comes
to the women's clothing of it.

It's classic, it's feminine,

it's pretty. It's sexy
but not vulgar.

So you can stand out
but there's nothing to

really, actually
pin point and criticize.

'Cause it's just
classically beautiful.

Growing up...

I don't know.
I guess I was different.

I was part of the punk crowd.
All my friends were all punk,

we just used to go
to shows every night.

Hang out, I wouldn't say

I was awkward or unpopular

I definitely had
plenty of friends

and everyone was
cool and very creative.

I think that's how I ended up

being so colorful.

Just because I was
surrounded by amazing,

creative, colorful
people growing up.

The rockabilly community
is very accepting

of all shapes and
sizes, colors, creeds.

Tattooed, not tattooed,
normal colored hair,

pink hair, blue hair,
green hair.

Whatever. You can do whatever
you want and be accepted.

I did not go to prom.

No one asked me to prom.
I only went to one homecoming

as a pity date for
my sister's friend,

because they needed even
numbers. And then I went to

two Sadie Hawkins where you
obviously go with a friend.

But yeah, no one
ever asked me to any.

I like the whole scene,

but I'm still discovering
a lot of it,

'cause I just started getting
into it a couple years ago.

So I predominantly model,

but pin-up modeling is my hobby.

And so, I don't do it
on an everyday basis.

My kids are awesome.

I have a five year old

and a one
and a half-ish year old.

They've never known
any different.

So they don't think it's weird,
they don't think it's unusual.

They're just like, "Hey,
Mum's got blue hair."

"Yeah, whatever, it's cool."
My little boy,

he loves it. He loves
my tattoos. He loves

whenever I change my hair.
I'm always asking him

for advise on what
I should wear.

He'll pick out dresses for me.

So to be able
to come in and really

master those styles
and put that whole look

together, it turns a lot
of heads on the street.

My husband always tells me,
whenever we go places,

he's like, "Oh, this person's
staring at you. That

person's staring at you."
And I...

Because I've been
doing this for so long,

I don't pay attention to it.

But it's nice.
Women like to turn heads.

Making money from
being a pin-up girl is

really hard and it's not
why I'm in it, to be honest.

I actually don't make
a living as a pin-up model,

but I do make a living
as "Cherry Dollface"

So I'm more of like a brand now.

So between YouTube and
appearances and traveling

and classes and teaching hair
and makeup and all of that,

that's my full-time job.

But the modeling
has always been a hobby.

It's really good fun.

It's a really great
confidence builder.

And I've just made so
many friends from doing it.

I came from another country.

I left my whole life behind
and moved to America.

I didn't know anybody.

And then from getting involved
in the rockabilly scene,

I just met so many
awesome people

and they all had
similar interests to me.

Everyone's very supportive.

And for girls,
I think it's great

because a lot of girls
that want to get involved

in pin-up modeling, they're
sometimes the more awkward

girls, they're the more...

They don't have the confidence

or they've been
hurt in the past.

And they get into pin-up
modeling and it's...

It builds them up
and it makes them feel

that they can do anything.

I look a lot different now
than I did in high school so,

there's a shock factor.

If I was to walk
down the street with

straight hair
and modern clothes,

they probably wouldn't
look twice at me,

they wouldn't think it was me

at all. So it
definitely gives you

like, "Oh, there goes
the 50s girl."

But also, people
treat you differently.

The times when I do happen
to roll out of my house and

not be done up, I notice people

don't smile as often,

people don't open doors for you.

So it's almost like
they expect you

to behave in that manner of

50s quintessential manners

and kind of the politics
that go in there.

[rockabilly music playing]

Dressing like this makes
me feel incredible.

Just makes me
feel super confident.

I dressed somewhere
similar to this

last night when I was at my
ten year high school reunion.

And everybody was just like,

"Oh, my God!
You look incredible.

You look amazing."

And I'm like,

this is one way you can look

and go anywhere and your...

it shows, your confidence shows.

Everything is just so much fun.

You're not gonna look like
the person next to you.

You're not gonna have the same
clothes as the person who went

to Forever21

or any other stores
with the mall or whatever.

It feels amazing.

Everybody looks at you.
I like attention.

They all give you attention
and it's a lot of fun.

It's a lot of fun.

The best thing about
being a pin-up model is

all the people that
I get to meet

and work with and all the
places I've been able to

travel to and shows and...

It's just really great
meeting great people.

A lot of pin-up girls
will do work for charities.

So whenever I do events,

that's whenever I
build my own events,

I always do raffles.

So we all raffle off
like a
Gretsch
{end-italic} guitar

or something from one of our
sponsors that they've donated.

And then that money will go
towards a really good charity.

We're here today to give you
the raffle money we raised

at the charity bomb show,
Squid Ink.

So we raised $550

for the Mason Streets
Veterans Association.

And I'm handing that to you
and I hope it really helps.

I am sure that the veterans
here at Madison Street will

- definitely appreciate it.
- Thank you.

[engine revving]

♪ You know the other night
I was sleeping ♪

♪ I heard my Mama
Talking to my Papa ♪

The whole rockabilly
scene is pretty much

surrounded with
this type of cars.

I love the cars.

My dad kind of brought
me up with that.

And actually, the car on
the other side of the street

is a '48 Chevy.

And that was my first car.

My dad actually bought it for me

before I was born.

The Dead Sleds Pirate
has to have a ship,

a greaser rockabilly has
to have a sled, you know.

If it wasn't for car clubs, then

there probably wouldn't
be a lot of rockabilly fans.

They sponsor, they
support the scene.

And yeah, they like to party

but if it's getting too rough,

it's time to leave.

[man]
I build cars out
of one reason, man.

It's because there's no reason
for me to live if I'm

not building cars.

[rockbilly music playing]

[man]
These guys
are all the coolest guys

and the coolest girls
anywhere in the city.

Someone breaks down
and we see them off the road,

we pull over and we
will help that person

so he could get
back on the road.

And they would do
the same for us.

Styles of the 40s and 50s,
It's just something thats very

stylish, beautiful.

You can admire the curves.
Kind of like a woman.

When we started this car club,

about ten years ago,

we originally wanted
to keep it about five guys,

four guys but now it's grown to

over 20 members.

[airplane buzzing]

Our ladies are as part
of this club as we are.

Our family, our kids,

and that's what makes
this club the way it is.

True rockabilly needs
a cool ride, man. A hot rod.

Now my car ain't pretty,
but it's pretty [bleep] fast.

And I love speed.

Speed kills, kids.

But what a way to go!

[brakes screeching]

[drums playing]

Psychobilly is part
of where I come from.

- But it all rocks.
- Vulgar language.

Somebody made up that name

for really crazy sort of

high tempo, kind of
thrashy rockabilly.

But it really is rockabilly
played a little faster,

a little louder.

Other than that, I don't
really see the difference.

Psychobilly is rockabilly

on a higher level of steroids,

meets some hardcore punk.

[psychobilly music playing]

♪ She got me going

[man]
Psychobilly is, it was
the spin off of the punk thing.

And I dig where the cats
were coming from, I just...

I don't know how long you can

sing about a gravestone
or whatever.

You can party
in the graveyard all day,

but they've been partying
in the graveyard

for the last [bleep] 30 years.

[psychobilly music playing]

I knew
The Cramps
in 1979 as a teenager.

And that was the first time
I heard the word psychobilly.

I love
The Cramps.
Honestly, I didn't know

much about them until
the last handful of years.

The Cramps

inspired a lot
of the psychobilly bands.

But their genre transcends

any labeling, really.

They're their own thing.

I would definitely
say
The Cramps

coined the term "psychobilly."

♪
Let's go baby
Let's go get it ♪

♪
I am the madman, baby ♪

♪ Let's go

♪ Out and run

♪ Come on and roll

♪
Let's go baby
Let's go about it ♪

♪
I am the madman ♪

♪
Go, go, go, go, go, go ♪

Poison Ivy {end-italic} is like,

hello, she's like
a hero of mine,

fashion and otherwise.

And can't beat 'em.

[uptempo rhythm playing]

[man] Cramps are definitely more

Rockabilly influenced than punk.

Just taking that wildness of

roots music and the early

pioneers, Johnny Burnette,

Elvis Presley,

Jerry Lee Lewis, definitely.
Little Richard.

Definitely.

If you guys can jump around
like this for five minutes,

I will dare you,

Mr. Energy, Tim Polecat.

[crowd cheering]

[guitar solo paying]

You have...

punkabilly, you have
a lot of different

gothabilly now, like you know...

It seems that a lot of people
want to invent their own thing.

We are a zombie rockabilly band.

So, in other words,
we dress like zombies.

We have zombie go-go dancers.

And we put on a great show.

♪
Zombie baby ♪

♪
Will you be mine? ♪

♪
I love your rotting flesh ♪

♪
Until the end of time ♪

[man]
People are attracted
to things that are real.

Musicians will take that
and try to create their own

thing out of it.

[bass music playing]

Rockabilly life, man.
Rock 'n' roll tattoos,

women, what it's about.

[rockabilly music playing]

[woman]
So one of the
great things about rockabilly

is body art.

Which is fantastic.

You'll see girls with sleeves,

full face tattoos and necks,

and all down the legs, pin-ups.

It's gorgeous.

When I am 80 years old
and I have these tattoos,

I'm just gonna be able to tell

my grandkids I was a badass.

I got these tattoos,
I was a badass.

And my mother told me

that I wouldn't be able
to handle the pain of it.

So, joke's on you, mom.
I got a lot of them.

I think it's cool
that there are those

pin-up type looking girls.

They have a certain
look that they...

They're taking elements
of the 50s

and they're also taking
elements of now

of which tattoos
are very popular.

And then making it their own.

And I think that makes really
good, modern, unique art.

I decided I was
gonna get tattoos

when I was maybe five years old.

I've always loved them.

And in the town that
I grew up in, there wasn't

really a lot of tattoos,
and if it was,

it was all on men.

But I wanted to be
the tattooed lady.

I live the rock 'n' roll
lifestyle 24x7.

I tattooed all
of my skin, my face.

And then I have my mustache

grown but it says rock 'n' roll

right above my lip

'cause I eat, sleep,

rock 'n' roll 24x7. 2:00 a.m.

My friend, Smutty Smith,
got tattooed

in Britain at a very
young age and still

is covered in tattoos
and he was probably

one of the most visual people
in the Rockabilly scene

from the 70s onwards.

An inspiration for
other bands, in fact.

He got the look and he
has a lot of tattoos.

I come from a working
class suburb of London.

And London had
a much different culture

to the United States
over the period of years

To the working class, tattoos
were a part of our culture.

The teddy boys,
the rockers, the bikers.

But when I first
came to America,

and displayed those
tattoos in 1977,

I realized that the only
people at that time in the US

that had tattoos were
ex-marines, cons and sailors.

They weren't trendy and there
were very few tattoo shops

in each city. And actually,

New York didn't have
a tattoo shop

because it was illegal.

Los Angeles only had
Cliff Raven and Bob Roberts.

Now, there's tattoo shops
in every corner in LA.

Kinda always knew I wanted
to get them but

my mom was like, "You're
gonna be homeless if you get

any tattoos into my roof."

So I waited until I was
18 and I moved out.

Reason I don't have any tattoos
is that I'm afraid of needles.

I'm a sissy.

I love tattoos, personally.

I don't really think
it's really an issue.

I think regardless,
tattoos, no tattoos,

you're still beautiful,
regardless.

It's definitely. For me tattoos
is another form of art.

I'm just glad kids went
and got everything tattooed.

'Cause then, now I can do it.

Man, they see a tattoo on your
neck or something, it's like,

Woo. Pull over.
That's the way it used to be

few years ago, kids.

Don't start with your face now.

Save something for later.

If you have your face tattooed,

you can be very
[bleep] successful.

And that's how I guess
I am out to disprove

that in society if you
have your face tatted,

it doesn't mean you are
some [bleep] ex-con

or some [bleep] loser.

I don't have any tattoos
'cause I don't think

too many rockabilly guys
from the 50s had tattoos.

There was a time in
American culture where

you probably couldn't
work in a Wells Fargo bank

20 years ago if you had tattoos

on your hands or your neck.

Now when you check into
The Hilton in New York City,

the check out girl's sleeves,
has got more sleeves than me.

It's totally a part
of pop and art culture now

since bands
Stray Cats,
Rock Cats, Guns N Roses,

Motley Crew, I mean and it's

David Beckham, it's...

When famous people,
when people in the limelight

have tattoos, it's
just a course of time

before the popular generation
kind of latch on to that

I think if God wanted
tattoos on the body,

he would've put 'em there.

That's my own opinion.

I don't think you
should try and...

cover up what God gave you.

They make rude
comments and stuff.

It's like, "Why did you do
that? You ruined your life."

All that kind of stuff.

My mom doesn't really
like it but she's old.

My grandpa would probably
turn over on his grave.

My mom doesn't really like it.

I mean, what mom does?

But I tell her,
"You don't pay my bills.

"I pay my own bills.
So if you don't like it,

"I guess just lose
my phone number."

But she keeps calling me.

[laughing]

Some girls probably think
I'm crazy for tattooing

my whole face but...

there's not really they
can say. I'm good in bed.

This is normal.

We're normal.

Tattoos is a very recent thing

that's come to the rockabilly
scene in terms of style.

And it probably came from
teddy boys in England.

[bass music playing]

Teds have been
around since 1953.

Actually since the 40s.

But we didn't get the name
"Teddy Boy" till 1953.

It means Edwardians.

So really, it was
born in Britain.

They wear these Edwardian...
It was the period, man.

They quiff their hair.
That's where the...

Jelly roll came from.

And they'd wear
these drain pipe pants

and long jackets.

The teddy boys,
it's about respect

and we look at
ourselves as the top

in rock 'n' roll
and rockabilly music scene.

We feel that nobody
else is even on...

As good as us.
We feel like the rest are

basically like the dirt
on our shoes.

Teddy boys hated the punks
and the punks hated the mullets

and the mullets
hated the skinheads.

But then you realize,
when you've left school

that you'd get beat up by
a bunch of skinheads.

You were in a classroom with
them a year before in school.

So we all went the same.

The carpenters
and brick layers and welders

and fishermen and bakers.

All from working class

backgrounds with the same

disgruntled attitude. Whether
it be about the economy

or the lack of jobs
or Margaret Thatcher.

So the identity for
each of those groups

really was like a gang.

[man] Back in the day,

there would be a group of Teds
and you wouldn't even want

to walk by them.
They were very feared.

There are fights. I had
to go to a lot of gigs

and end up getting in a fight.

I think I'm one of the last
Mohicans that really

liked teddy boys because

I like Teds but he
doesn't act like a Ted.

Teds are really polite
and they're really hip

and they're really smart

and are great DJs and they have

a certain cool etiquette

and teddy boy Brett
has none of that,

and he's got a blabber
pull on his nose.

I'm a barber

since Barbara crossed my nose.

Teds want to beat the
[bleep] out of that guy

and so do I.

I don't want to be liked

in the American Rockabilly scene

People that do like me know
where I'm coming from.

They agree with what I say.

The people that don't
like me are the people

that are posers because

they know I'm calling them out.

I'm gonna read some of the
comments that were pulled off

the internet about me.
I think they're pretty

[bleep] funny.

"You're one stupid
[bleep] idiot."

"I sincerely hope you die."

"Top douche. Narcissistic
fruit salad master."

"A rich, dumb, ugly [bleep]."

"Pretty gay having a bunch
of guys tattooed on your body,

especially being a guy."

[laughing] [bleep] is funny.

Some people call him the most
hated man in rockabilly.

I don't think Greg knows
how to express himself.

Hopefully, you can get
what I'm saying, Greg.

You're not expressing
yourself too well sometimes.

And what you're trying to say
would piss off a lot of cats.

You said, "I'm the only
true rockabilly,"

but I know what he was meaning.

He's meaning this,
he was watching the scene,

like what goes on in Viva.

In the last couple of years,
all these kids come in

like a fashion show,
don't give a [bleep]

about the music,

don't know who Gene Vincent is.

That's like a sin.

You don't know
who Gene Vincent is?

This is our St. Gene Vincent.

And that's the point
he's making.

That's the point he was
making with his body.

I just don't think he
has the words to say it.

[rockabilly music playing]

Hair is very very important

to be in the rockabilly scene.

And that's for guys and girls.

If the hair is not right,

then you just look wrong.

[rockabilly music playing]

I think it's great,
anything that has a statement

that you look out,

you turn around on
the street, you're driving,

"Wow, that guy looks cool.

He looks like he's
really into music."

I like people that
have a certain look

like they're really
into what they're...

Making a statement, visually

as their fashion attire.

Well, for me,
this is my signature.

So there's videos on

YouTube where guys have

5,00,000 views
of them combing their hair.

[woman] I got into
doing rockabilly hair

because I always loved this era,

I loved this style.

Hair is very important
in the rockabilly world

because it basically
is just an expression

who you are and what style
you're trying to evoke.

And it just pulls
the whole look together.

You can wear pin-up
or rockabilly clothes,

but you don't have the right
hair, it's not gonna work.

The Rockabilly girls, to me,
look very cool when they

look like they walked out of

a 1956-57 photoshoot.

[woman]
My favorite blond
of all time is Diana Dors.

Like Marilyn who? Diana Dors,

she was a British
film star in the 50s

and she had the best hair.

The best hair ever and she

just had a banging body
and she was hot

and to be able to come
in and really master

those styles and put
that whole look together,

it turns a lot of heads
on the street.

We are here today because
I'm having one of my

vintage hair styling
classes where

I put out there.

If girls wanna come in and
learn how to do hairstyles

that I do, they can come in.

I show them step by step,
three different styles

on a couple of different models

and they can get up close
and personal and see

exactly how I do
these hairstyles.

We didn't know what I
was doing or how to do it.

So, recently
I just perfected it.

[laughing]

So it's extremely important.
It's like the cherry on top.

All the guys have
the best hair ever.

It's all...

I totally love a pompadour.

What I don't like,

are the psychobilly pompadours
where it's shaved.

The mohawk hair,

slick, high and tight.

Shark fin and psychobilly quiff

comes out and it looks
like a shark fin.

And we spend a lot
of money on product

for our hair.

My hair is not
moving in anything.

The wind, if it pushes it,
it'll be right back.

So, it's pretty sturdy.

[man] I started Layrite

deluxe pomade,
that is a necessity.

Really, I had my own
pomade before Layrite,

and it was Hollywood's
pink pomade

and it just didn't wash out.

No, never again!

My whole comb had hair in it.

Oh, my God. I don't want
to be bald by the time I'm 30.

[music playing]

[man]
Nobody looks cool in
the middle of their haircut.

You don't wanna see a girl
before or during your haircut.

Only after.

I know Hollywood's barbershop

don't allow women in there.

[screech]

It's odd.

A woman, I wouldn't say
belongs in a barbershop,

'cause they have their salons.

If a girl came in here,
the conversation would change.

You have to be able
to do pin curls,

you have to do finger waves,

you have to be able
to do roller sets.

'Cause the barber
is more of a man's

kind of the deal.

But I know there's
women out there that

do barber, but...

[laughing]

I cannot step foot
into the barbershop

during business hours.

If a woman does want
to enter the barbershop,

she cannot so we let
her sit in the front.

He wants to have a barbershop
where he doesn't allow women,

it's his shop. He should
be allowed to do that.

It's America and they can
do what they want so...

I think it's cool that they
decide to stick with tradition.

Rockabilly, any good
rockabilly cat's

going to want to have
a good pom you know.

It was love at first hair.

[rockabilly music playing]

♪
Well, I'm getting
Tired of working ♪

♪
Day to day ♪

♪
Gettin' up at six
Do what other people say ♪

♪
Sometimes I get depressed
And I have to move away ♪

♪
'Cause the only time
I'm happy ♪

♪
Is when I'm rocking
On the stage ♪

♪
It's so exciting ♪

♪
When I'm locked
I'm locked and bombed, baby ♪

♪
I'm gonna drop ♪

♪
The music's getting
Slower baby ♪

♪
Ready to explode ♪

♪
Get so excited when
I rock 'n' roll, yeah ♪

♪ Get so excited When I rock ♪

♪ Rock, rock, rock Yeah ♪

[woman]
Viva Las Vegas
is one of the biggest

rockabilly shows in the world.

Viva Las Vegas is like

the United Nations
of rockabilly.

It's the biggest international
event, has the most people.

Any casual observer
would think it was the

biggest music scene ever.

Viva Las Vegas is gonna happen

because this cat, Tom Ingram,

came out and he
brought this style

of the English festival thing.

Weekend festival to America.
He actually helped

helped save the scene.

Recently, I was referred to

as the Walt Disney
of rockabilly.

Viva Las Vegas is the
granddaddy of them all.

Al carte. Everybody from
around the world

comes to Viva every year.
People from...

Germany, Finland, there's
people that are obsessed

everywhere in the world.

Everywhere! People come,
it's like, kind of

the Mecca of rockabilly,
once a year.

I have to see the people.
As much as I love the music,

and the cars
and all the outfits.

It's a huge fashion show!

Viva Las Vegas is good but
90 percent of the people

that are there are
posers and jokes.

[woman] The worst part
about rockabilly,

the Silly Billys!

Yeah, they upset me.

The Silly Billys
to me are people like

The Weekend Warriors,

whenever they go out to a show,

they just like to dress up.

And they don't really know
the life or know the music,

but they just like to pretend
for like a car show

that they're part of the
rockabilly movement, but...

If you go up and talk
to them about a car

or anything, they're like,
"What?

Huh? Uh?"

Yeah, it's kind of sad.

It's definitely, one,
a show not to be missed.

24 hour a day costume party.

You get to dress up
and be a badass.

It's more of a big,

cartooney, kind of a scene.

Do the pin-up in the cars
take away from Viva?

No, that's kind
of like why I dope.

Viva Las Vegas is different
to other festivals

because it's all held
in one hotel,

where we have
multiple function rooms,

multiple vendor rooms.

Plus the pool party
and then the large area

outside for the car show.

There's Viva Las Bowling,
which is just everyone

having a bowling tournament.

[rockabilly music playing]

[man] The pool parties.

The big event that
spans three days,

♪ Get so excited when I
Rock 'n' roll, yeah ♪

[man] The car show,

is very strictly pre-'64
period correct.

And that's where we
have the largest stage.

♪
When I rock n roll ♪

In these shows, when we
have the burlesque competition

and the burlesque showcase.

And then there's
the pin-up contest,

which I'm gonna be
doing this year,

which is gonna be really fun.

[upbeat music playing]

Viva Las Vegas is music first.

Yes, music is number one.

[rockabilly music playing]

♪
Come on, baby
Take me by the hand ♪

♪
Take you round the world ♪

♪ And back again

♪
Big brown eyes
And that long brown hair ♪

♪
You got a good look to make
A blind man stare ♪

♪
Come on, baby ♪

[woman]
I've been overwhelmed
with how amazing it is.

How many wonderful
people there are here.

All the events that are
scheduled for Viva Las Vegas.

It's been amazing so I'm hooked.

I already booked
my hotel room for next year.

Viva Las Vegas, baby.

Viva Las Vegas!

[man]
Put your hands together,
from Memphis, Tennessee,

50s teen idol, Mr. Jimmy Angel.

I don't know how
to read and write.

Never learned it.

That's why I don't do email,

I don't do...

messages on the phone,

Somebody knows me, they call me.

I want to get America back

and I'm starting to think
I can pull it off

before I go bye bye.
I'm 79 now, so...

We're trying to get it done.

I hope so, baby.

The deal is,

when you get knocked down,

no matter who you are,

you get up.

You don't lay down. You get up

and show 'em what you are.

[all] We love you Jimmy Angel!

That's what this is all about.

I don't care about money.

I care about leaving footprints.

I'm 79 years old.

So I want people to know
that I'm a 50s bobcat

and I tried my best.

For a man who wears black,
I've had a colorful life.

I think the reason why

people love the way
psychobilly, rockabilly

and the whole car thing

is because it hasn't
gone too mainstream.

It's theirs. They feel like they

own it, they own it.
When they connect

with somebody that
looks similar to them,

that shares
the same type of ideas

and ideals,

I think there's
a stronger connection

to the whole scene.

Anything from back in 50s,
it's very dreamy.

And everything
has positive vibes.

That's why I like it.

I think
the rockabilly lifestyle,

it's kind of second nature
for myself

and I think for a lot of people,

I know personally, I grew up

hearing stories from
my grandparents

of going to dances and post war

and going to their home
and everything being vintage,

and listening to old music and

to me, it always
was a safe place.

And a very welcoming time

and also, very
romanticized times.

A guy that's a musician,

that's living the lifestyle,

like anybody,
like a Danny Harvey,

you ask yourself,

"How does that
guy make a living?

How does he live that lifestyle

24 hours a day?"

And the reason how a guy
like that does it is

he's working 24 hours a day.

He's basically working
seven days a week,

When I discovered rockabilly
when I was a kid,

my whole life changed.

I knew what I wanted to do.

And I still do it. I'm happy,
I would say that

I love the life I live and
I live the life I love.

We're just here to take
the rockabilly scene back.

You can't be in a bad mood.

You're just gonna go in there
and it doesn't matter what's

going on in your
world right now.

You're walking out sweaty,

probably a little drunk
and pretty happy.

I love to be a part of art

and creativity and
meeting people that are

so into that too.

And I found it in this scene.
There are so many beautiful

rays of sunshine in this
whole scene that I just...

I'm hooked and I want to
keep meeting more people.

And I love that it's the music,

it's the feeling, it's the vibe,

it's the dancing, it's the cars,

it's the babes, it's everything.

Rockabilly is
a nostalgic salute to

quaint slice of Americana.

We live in 1950s time capsule.

[woman]
You shouldn't
care what people think.

Be who you wanna be
and what makes you happy.

If you wanna avoid criticism,

say nothing, do nothing,

be nothing.

[rockabilly music playing]

I have this dream like
I got to play bass,

and then I started looking
around going like wow...

[disruption]

Get the fuck out of here!

Yeah, I'm kind
of the Italian redneck,

yeah, I'm half Italian
and half redneck,

my Dad was from Missouri,

and my Mom's Italian,

yeah, it's kind
of a weird mixture.

Here we go,
Rockabilly swings are...

Oh, fuck, rockabillys...

[man] That's my fault,
that's my fault.

Rockabilly swings
to a different drummer,

sure, I'm sorry.

[mumbling] Sorry.

If you want to be,
fuck it, I'm sorry, man.

[groovy bassline playing]

That's it, I think I'm done,

it got me though,

man, I hope I can
hold a mic Friday night.

Do you promise to adopt

each other's hound dogs,

and always always give
each other especially sex,

a hunk of burning love?

[rockabilly music playing]

I learned tap dancing
on YouTube,

mostly a video
on Sammy Davis Jr.

[tapping]

[rockabilly music playing]