By Garry Stuart
“I first started documenting the rockabilly scene in Swindon when I took my camera to a gig at a run-down pub called The Greyhound. The band playing that night was the North London band The Polecats, who had just had a record in the charts (a cover of Bowie’s “John, I’m Only Dancing”) and there were a lot of rockabilly fans crammed into a dilapidated backroom. This was my first introduction to live, frenzied rockabilly dancing and moshing, and the energy was amazing. I think I shot a 36-exposure roll of Tri-X on the band and the dancers. My favorite photo that night was a post-gig shot of the bass player leaning out of a 1960s Vauxhall Cresta window with a cigarette in hand and a slicked-back James Dean hairstyle.”
Photo © Garry Stuart.
The Tartan Cafe
Every Saturday morning and afternoon, the Swindon Rockabilly kids hung out at a 50s-style milk bar called The Tartan Café on Curtis Street. I took a bunch of 7×5 black and white prints of The Polecats’ gig down there to show them, and I was surprised when they insisted on buying them at 50p each. I also photographed them in and around the café and took prints in to show and sell to them.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
The Wrecking Crew
The next gig I photographed is now legendary amongst the scene. It was billed as Ivan’s 21st Birthday Party at the British Rail Staff Association Club in Swindon. The headline band were the infamous Meteors, who pioneered the Psychobilly genre – a fusion of rockabilly, punk, and horror-inspired themes. This should have been a warning to me! They had a hardcore of avid fans known as ‘The Wrecking Crew’ who came from all over the South of England and attended all of their gigs. Their specialty was to form a violent moshing pit of stripped-to-the-waist psychobillies who hammered the hell out of each other!
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photography in this environment was challenging, but I acquired a voluntary bodyguard. He was a tall, tough, mohawk-haired psychobilly who would batter anyone that came near me and my camera. I went on to shoot studio portraits of the local goth community, but soon moved on to concentrate on motorcycle-racing photography for biker magazines. To this day, I continue to photograph the Rock n’ Roll 50s style crowd, including their American cars, hotrods, and motorcycles.
Gallery
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photo © Garry Stuart.
Photography and words Garry Stuart.
All images © Garry Stuart, all rights reserved. No usage or reproduction of any kind without prior permission of the copyright holder.
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- Article first published
- June 28, 2022
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