End of an era looms for legendary trio
STRAY CATS SAY:
'FAREWELL EUROPE'
by

Stray Cats farewell tour 30 years since they started a neo-rockabilly revolution, the Stray Cats are to return to the UK on what's being billed as their last ever European tour.

The legendary trio arrive in London on September 10th with a gig at the Brixton Academy.   Brian, Lee and Slim Jim play the Manchester Academy on September 11th and the Glasgow Academy on the 12th.   The 21-date tour finishes in Dublin on September 14th.   Tickets are now on sale at www.briansetzer.com.

Hard to believe

Brian Setzer said: "I would like to end the Stray Cats the way we started it.   That would be with the love of playing our brand of rockabilly music.   It's been 30 years since the Stray Cats formed.   Isn't that hard to believe?   There's no one I'd rather play with than Slim Jim and Lee Rocker.   They're the best!"

Drummer Slim Jim Phantom said: "I've been playing rock'n'roll with the Stray Cats for 30 years.   These are my guys and I'll love them to death do us part.   No one else is even in the same galaxy.   Come check out any show on this Euro 08 tour and you will leave the show fully rocked and fully aware that you've just seen the greatest show on earth.   I promise."

Slap bass player Lee Rocker added: "We are starting in Europe where things really began for us almost 30 years ago.   Brian and Jim and I are life long friends.   We were little kids when we first met, and we've had a lot of great times together.   The Stray Cats were and still are the best in the world at what we do, so do not miss these concerts."

British fans have been eagerly awaiting the Stray Cats' return to the UK since their last visit in July 2004.   Crowds packed their three gigs in London and Manchester.   Brian later admitted he had not been prepared for the response.

"Doing the European tour with the Stray Cats surprised the hell out of me.   I really didn't think we had that many fans over there!   We certainly didn't have that many in the 80s.   The audience seems to have quadrupled in size as far as interest goes.   I did no press, we certainly weren't featured in any magazines or on any radio or television stations and yet the fans came out in mass.   It wasn't just our older fans, or people my age, but kids!   Hell, there were a group of 16 and 17-year-old kids who chartered a bus from Sweden and came to the Finnish gig.   People from all over Europe just descended on the gigs, it was just an amazing turnout."

Hearing problems

Stray Cats at Shepherds Bush, July 2004
Stray Cats rock London, July 2004
Given the overwhelming affection for the Stray Cats, fans will be asking why the threesome are calling it a day.   Some will wonder if it is connected to Brian Setzer's hearing difficulties.

Speaking in 2005, the veteran guitar slinger revealed that he was suffering from tinnitus:   "I have a hearing problem.   It's a condition that's very common, not just among people like heavy metal players who use extreme volume, but even classical musicians.   I have a constant ringing in my left ear.   It's a very loud ringing which also happens to be an incurable condition.   I recently went for a hearing test and also found that I am half deaf in the mid-to-upper registers in both of my ears.   I have nerve damage.   I know a lot of people who have it from Dave Edmunds to Jeff Beck."

Brian confided: "I've ordered special ear plugs with filters in them and right now, I don't know how easy it's going to be to perform in them.   I DO know that singers have a problem with them although I know I can play guitar with them.   They insert all of the way into your ear, almost down to the eardrum.   Doctors say that if I perform without them, I could risk the chance of the tinnitus getting worse or perhaps even go completely deaf.

"So if this all means that I can't play any more, I've had a great 25 years and God has blessed me with a real talent.   I've made a lot of great friends and I've had a hell of a career."

But Setzer's webmaster Tommy Maguire said: "Brian has no intention of retiring.   He can't sit still for five minutes, so retiring is not something that I can ever imagine him doing."

And fellow Stray Cats Lee and Jim insist they will keep rockin'.   Lee Rocker said: "On a personal note I want to reassure my fans and friends that I have no intention of slowing down my schedule of writing and releasing new albums and touring.   My goal is to slap my bass and sing my songs till the day I drop and that I hope will be a long, long time from now.   See you on the road."

Life of Brian

Stray Cats After more than a year honing their rockabilly sound in the US the "Tomcats" changed their name to the Stray Cats and came to London in the summer of 1980 believing they would appeal more to British audience.   After several miserable weeks sleeping rough in cinemas and parks they finally got some lucky breaks.   Gigging at the Half Moon in Putney they bumped into Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and went to his home for a late night jam session.   They met Dave Edmunds who would produce much of their material.

Signed to Arista Records they found immediate success with the neo-rockabilly classics Runaway Boys and Rock This Town, recorded at London's Eden Studios.   Their first UK album was released in February 1981.

Later that year they opened for the Rolling Stones on the first three shows of their US tour.   Their second album on Arista was recorded in Montserrat and featured guest appearances by Little Richard's sax player, Lee Allen and Rolling Stones piano player, Ian Stewart.   Only in 1982 did they finally 'crack' the US, with an album on EMI America.   Stray Cat Strut went to number three in the singles chart.   The album Rant & Rave followed in 1983, including the hit single Sexy And 17.

A 1984 summer tour to Europe saw the band joined by fourth Stray Cat, guitarist/vocalist Tommy Byrnes.   In 1986 the Stray Cats performed live for the first time in two years at a charity concert in Hollywood accompanied by actor Bruce Willis on harp.   Long awaited tours followed in 1988 and 89, but in 1992 the band went their separate ways.

Big band

In 1993 Setzer fulfilled his teenage dream of leading a big band when he formed the 17-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra.   It was to become a driving force in the swing revival.   The 1998 album Dirty Boogie went double platinum.   But in September 1999 an entire European tour by the BSO - including a date at London's Royal Albert Hall and another in Manchester - was cancelled at the last minute because of poor advance ticket sales.   The BSO has enjoyed huge success in Japan where Setzer is deeply revered and continues to delight US audiences with an annual Christmas tour.

Setzer appeared in London in October 2001 with 68 Comeback Special.   The Stray Cats reunited in 2003 for a one-off show in California and finally came to Europe - including the UK - in summer 2004 to a rapturous reception.   2005 saw Setzer touring Europe with a line-up called The Nashvillains, but the only UK date was in Glasgow.   After another long gap, the Stray Cats linked up with ZZ Top and The Pretenders in 2007 for a successful 28-city US tour, which Brian declared to be his favourite Stray Cats tour ever.   In 2008, heralding the end of an era, the Stray Cats have announced their "Farewell Europe tour" which will take in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, Belgium, the UK and Ireland.

• How do you feel about the Stray Cats calling it a day?   .

Your say on the Stray Cats bombshell

"I have mixed emotions about the farewell tour.   It's fantastic that we get to see the greatest rockabilly band in the world again, but the word farewell does bring sadness too.   I've booked for Manchester & Dublin.

Steve's Stray Cats tattoo "This band changed the face of modern rockabilly.   The Stray Cats turned more kids onto this music than anyone since Elvis.   Sure, they were brash, played harder and faster than the original rockabillies, but they never intended to be 50s throwbacks.   They drew influence and gave a nod to Gene & Eddie, covered the Johnny Burnette Trio etc, but in their own modern way.   They added something magical to a style of music that had long lay dormant. What the narrow minded purists miss totally is this...   The Cats recorded Warren Smith's Ubangi Stomp for example, then kids like myself went out and found the original as well.

"I was 14 when I heard Rock This Town.   It's still my all time favourite song.   I have the Wild Cat tattoo on my arm and Brian Setzer on my back.   This band changed my life.  You could say I'm a little obsessed!   On the bright side, Brian, Lee & Slim Jim continue to tour and record some great solo music.   Lee's band is outstanding.   Every Cats fan should own the Bulletproof CD at the very least." - Steve

"Without doubt this band have been the inspiration for every band that's out there playing today on the rockin' scene.   There are sceptics who say that they harmed our scene but that is bull.   Brian,Jim and Lee made our old fashioned music modern.   I was at Brixton in 2004 as I will be in 2008 and everyone from all walks of life and both sexes thought that they had just witnessed three legends perform at their peak.   If they are bowing out then what a way to go out at the top, proving to all that they are the greatest modern three-piece in the world." - Dave B

"To be honest, I have been one of their biggest fans for years and I have bought tickets for myself and the rest of The Tonemasters to see them in Dublin.   With every negative though comes a positive and if you look more deeper into what they are saying, then they say that this is the Farewell Tour - not the end of the band!   I remember The Shadows a few years ago did a farewell tour, then promptly played in Europe again soon after in one-off shows.   Even last year I went to see The Eagles in Manchester and they called their tour the 'Farewell Tour Part 1' and now they are back at the O2 arena next month.   I mean: 'Farewell Tour Part 1' - now that's really having a laugh.

"It's good marketing hype to call a tour "The Farewell Tour" but money talks and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them.   After all, "The Reunion Tour" is also a good marketing ploy and another big money spinner - who knows, maybe even promoting a new album?   If it really is the last time, then it is sad, but I look forward to their individual projects as I enjoy all of their music, whoever is in the band.   All I can say is thanks for the inspiration as it was those three guys that got me rockin' in the first place." - Craig Dunn, The Tonemasters

"I just love the Stray Cats.   I didn't pay much attention to their music when they first started out but over the last ten years I have got really hooked on them.   I saw them at the Brixton Academy on their reunion tour and I have the Stray Cat tattoo on my shoulder.   I didn't know what I was missing when I was young.   They are the best rockabilly band around today." - Melanie C

"I'm gutted" - Steve Biddlecombe

Slim Jim cancels tour

Slim Jim Phantom has cancelled his European tour, including two UK dates, in a row with his European agents.

Slim Jim Trio
Slim Jim's US trio
The Stray Cats drummer, with former Restless front man Mark Harman and bassist Paul Lambourne, were to have played Hobbits in Weston-super-Mare on May 3rd and London's Ace Café on May 4th.

Slim Jim said: "It is with great regret that we have to make this announcement today.   Due to circumstances completely beyond our control the 2008 European Tour must be cancelled.   Jim and the band are very disappointed with events that have led to this decision but we are unable to make alternative arrangements at this late stage.

"Unfortunately we cannot go into any detail about how this situation has arisen, we can only apologise profusely for the inconvenience caused.   We are ourselves trying to come to terms with this last minute change of events, it is certainly not a position that any of us relish being placed in.

"Once again we would like to offer our sincere apologies to you all; to the bookers and organisers who have invited the Slim Jim Phantom trio to play at their venues and to Jim's fans who always show such incredible support whenever Jim comes to Europe."

Disappointed

Mark Harman told Planet Jive: " "Naturally I'm pretty dishevelled by the decision to cancel the European tour, epecially at this short notice.   Jim's the boss and he did have his reasons, and ones that I cannot go into as they are his and the European agent's business.   Nobody was happy with the way things had been planned, especially with the lack of communication.

"I know Jim agonised over this decision for a long time, and concluded that there was absolutely no choice for us but to cancel.   Jim is a real nice guy and we talked extensively about the whys and whos and the dos and don'ts etc.   This decsision was not taken lightly and we all hope at some time to be able to make up to the fans the anguish caused through a situation completely out of our control.   I'd also state that the Dieinstyle booking agency have always been totally professional with me but there were some obvious mess-ups on this tour which simply became impossible to fix.

"Of course, BIG apologies to all the fans who were out there waiting for the shows and to the promoters who put so much time and effort in this tour to make it work.   Life goes on, nobody died, and it's time to move ever onward and upwards!"

The Ace Café's Linda Wilsmore said: "We're disappointed, not only on a personal level, but also for those who had pre-booked to see them play specifically at the café, some of whom we know were coming over from Europe, and who can hopefully cancel their flights and get their money back.   We have had to spend the day telephoning them all with the news, and amending our website, but of course our May gig list has long been widely distributed."

Slim Jim will be in Europe in August and September for the eagerly awaited Stray Cats "farewell" European tour.   Slim Jim Phantom went on the road with his own trio in summer 2005.   The trio have toured Europe, America and Australasia with their own brand of high-octane rock'n'roll, including Stray Cats hits.


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