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Hear And Now: Lee Rocker

Author: Jim Carnes

In the late 1970s and early ’80s, Lee Rocker, left, and fellow Stray Cats band members Brian Setzer and Jimmy McDonnell (a.k.a. Slim Jim Phantom) single-handedly revived rockabilly music in the United States. By 1984, the Cats were no more, but stand-up bass player Rocker continues to … uh, rock on. His latest album, “Racin’ the Devil,” is pure Americana music, which, Rocker said in a recent telephone interview, is “everything that doesn’t fit in some other category.”

“Racin’ the Devil” includes seven Rocker originals plus a remake of the Stray Cats’ “Rock This Town” and a cover of “Running From the Hounds,” which he recorded with Phantom, Rocker & Slick.

Rocker will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Americana Ramble series at Marilyn’s, 908 K St. Tickets: $15; information: (916) 446-4361.

Knowing what we’ll likely hear from him, we asked what he’s listening to. Here are five albums – “in no particular order,” he insisted – on his iPod:

1. “Modern Times” by Bob Dylan. “I’m a huge Dylan fan.

Always have been,” Rocker said. “I was waiting for this album to come out, and it’s a real rockabilly album in a way, which I was surprised to hear.”

2. “Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Social Distortion. “I like their intensity and their passion. I think they really nail it.”

3. “All the Roadrunning” by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris. “I started out in London in the ’80s and I’m a fan of Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing. It’s a bit of a mellower album than I expected, but I play it a lot.”

4. “Modern Artillery” by the Living End. “This is a young band that in a way is coming from the same place the Stray Cats did, blending different elements of what’s goin on and assimilating them. And I always have to support a band with an upright bass.”

5. “The Complete Sun Recordings” by Johnny Cash. “No explanation needed. It’s obvious where I’m coming from here.”

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The Living End, Wooten Make Stops At TLA

Author: April Helmer

Tickets for The Living End’s Nov. 20 show at Philadelphia’s Theatre of Living Arts go on sale at noon Friday.

Advance tickets are $16 and $18 the day of the show.

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The Living End – Albert Hall – 15/9/06

Author: Ryan Cooke

Back in November 1999 was the last time the Living End came to Tasmania for a headlining show and that also happen to be my first ever gig, so TLE have always had a special place in my heart.

Me and the crew rocked up to the Albert Hall thirty minutes after the doors were meant to open and then waited and hour to enter the building, in which time we missed the whole performance by local supports the Reactions.

We did get to see End Of Fashion though, who were great as always; a lot of people were disappointed with them which I couldn’t understand. I thought their new material was great as was their stage show; only problem was the poor lighting.

After a bit of a wait, the Living End stormed onto the stage and belted out the first track “Till The End” from their album “State Of Emergency”. It was mostly a greatest hits set which was what most people I knew wanted to see.

All the classics including “Second Solution”, “Roll On” and newer tracks like “Long Live The Weekend”, “What’s On Your Radio?” were aired. The band closed with their huge hit from 1997 “Prisoner Of Society” which had the whole floor going off its face.

The band’s encore started with the classic, rarely played “Uncle Harry”, into the newer track “Wake Up” and then the classic “West End Riot”.

The Living End was the best I’ve ever seen them play.