40 years ago today: the Stray Cats play the Commodore, Brian Setzer snarls "this ain't no fucking punk concert"

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      Forty years ago today--on August 13, 1982--the Stray Cats played the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.

      That was one year after the American rockabilly trio--guitarist and lead-vocalist Brian Setzer, bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom--released its self-titled debut album, which boasted such fine Setzer-penned ditties as "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut".

      A year later the band would play "New Wave Day" at the second US Festival, warming up an enormous crowd for the Clash.

      The Commodore gig was one of the first shows I ever reviewed for the Georgia Straight, and boy can you ever tell. If I recall correctly, at the time the paper's main concert reviewer, Ellie O'Day, was on vacation, so I got to take over her "Faces" column, which often featured photos by the legendary Bev Davies.

      Here's the writeup that ran in the August 20-27, 1982 issue of the Straight, under the headline Crowd Spits; Cats Spit Back:

      Talk about fun! I never thought I’d have such a bursting-out-laughing good time at the Commodore as I did in ’75 when Kiss was there, but last Friday (August 13) at the Ballroom Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom, and Lee Rocker–the Stray Cats–had me grinning like a Cheshire kitty.

      Not that the two bands invite much comparison. It’s just that both concerts seemed right on time. I was ready for the comic-book theatrics of Kiss back then, and I was ready for the cool-cat image and rockabilly righteousness of the Strays Friday night.

      I got to the club a little late–I missed the opening act Los Popularos–but as soon as I got up the stairs and into the room the electricity of the whole affair caught me. Everywhere people were standing and shaking. A few even took to dancing on tabletops. And the front of the stage was sheer pandemonium.

      All right, so I’m getting carried away. Let’s just say you had to be there. But it was quite a visual show.

      Lee Rocker’s upright bass was a different sight, as was Slim Jim’s drum kit. He only uses one cymbal, one snare, and one bass drum–and a pair of sticks. Phantom and Rocker used their most basic of instruments to create a gelatinous platform for Setzer’s Cochranish boogyings and spirited lead vocals.

      Songs like “Fishnet Stockings”, “Rock this Town”, and “Stray Cat Strut” kept a large number of the 1,000 or so in attendance on the dance floor throughout the show. After an energetic set and encore, the band left its fans fairly drained and satisfied from a non-stop dose of fifties rhythm ‘n’ boogie.

      Only one unwanted incident occurred during the performance, when someone from the front of the stage was dragged out by a couple of burly bouncers. At that time Setzer was heard to snarl, “Nobody spits around here…this ain’t no fucking punk concert.”

      He was right. It sure wasn’t.

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