the Rockats
Featuring combined British and American personnel, rockabilly revivalists
the Rockats were formed by vocalist Levi Dexter in order to pay tribute
to the '50s sounds he loved. However, Dexter was only with the group
for one record, 1981's At the Louisiana Hayride (actually recorded in
1979); after his departure for a solo career, bassist Smutty Smiff kept
the band going for several years with rotating personnel. After 1981's
Live at the Ritz and the 1983 EP Make That Move, the Rockats finally
broke up for good; and I went for a solo career before forming the Havalinas.
Rockats - Live at the Ritz (1981)
We recorded, mixed and released this record in forty eight hours...it's
a pretty fair representation of what we sounded like two hundred and
fifty nights a year on the road...Chris Blackwell (owner of island records)
signed us after he saw Iggy Pop, PHIL Lynott (Thin lizzy), Frankie Infante(Blondie)
and Johnny Thunders joining us on stage for a very long encore one night
in New York...i guess a live record made sence, that's what the band
was all about.