Shack Shakin' in the Rain!

Last Monday, Some friends and I travelled to a remote pub on Saddleworth Moor to see Th'Legendary Shack Shakers play. They were great! On the way there, there were thunderstorms and downpours, and this is the flash flood we drove through on the way. Despite there only having been five minutes of rain, it covered the wheels of the car!



Here are the band in action. The gig was upstairs at The Royal George, a family restaurant/pub and was organised by the Saddleworth Blues Club. It was rather strange; one side of the room was populated with damp psychobillies who had all crammed into a few cars to drive over from the city, the other side consisted of the ageing gents of the Blues Club, sat around tables like they were at a wedding, but still obviously enjoying it.



Banjo!



Col. JD Wilkes on harmonica



The 'shithouse bass'!



I Bought one of their records which I didn't have yet, Swampblood, a shirt, and I took a poster off the wall and had JD sign it. The Colonel is also a talented artist, you can see some of his comics and quirky, grotesque sideshow banner paintings at his site, www.jdwilkes.com along with his writing and film projects.

If you haven't heard the Shack Shakers, I insist you do so immediately! Their unique Southern Gothic sound draws together elements of blues, punk, polka, hillbilly and horror and encompasses a raw, unpretentious, almost psychotic fervour for traditional American culture and music. A review of the gig will be featured in the next issue of TNS Records Fanzine, out next month (ish!)