I'm fairly new here but got to thinking: What's the deal with everyone in the world jumping on the Billy-Bandwagon? I love the music, grew up around Rods and Kustoms, and really appreciate the artwork and simplicity of the time. I'll admit it: I do dress the greaser part sometimes...not because it's presently "cool," but because it has been cool for years and I have liked the music since I was twelve years old. But geesh, A lot of "newbillies" don't even know why they're in it. I can pretty much guarantee they don't like the tunes. Let's face it, although Hank and Cash are great...they're not "pop culture" friendly. And rods and kustoms? Hah! As soon as James Dean-A-Billy realizes that he actually has to maintain that 50 year old ride he'll sell the car and move on to the next fad. I dunno', maybe I'm off base. What do you all think?
well, not to be a ****. ...but this board is about cars - not clothes. ...but yeah, there's a lot of them around. so what? do what you do and who cares about style. just don't put a visor on your galaxie and you'll be fine. -- raaf
[ QUOTE ] well, not to be a ****. ...but this board is about cars - not clothes. ...but yeah, there's a lot of them around. so what? do what you do and who cares about style. just don't put a visor on your galaxie and you'll be fine. -- raaf [/ QUOTE ] Yup, I agree. But my post isn't about clothes. It's about people who are pretending to be into old tin and a specific type of music that is linked very closely w/ those cars. The clothing thing is kind of secondary. There's my rationale for the post if it's worth anything.
Why is it that everytime I turn on the rrrraaadiooo, I here the same 4 songs over and over again.... FUNKDAT!!!
What we need is the "ULTIMATE BILLY BATTLE" Catagories will be: 1. Name the Billy Tune 2. Largest Orca Betty/Best use of Leopard Spandex 3. Longest Wallet Chain 4 MOST tats 5. Oldest tats 6. Best Pomp 7. "I've been Billy longer than you" contest 8. Pabst Chugging contest 9. Lowest sled 10. Loudest Rod Celebrity Judge- RF Special Contestant- RF Betty Slayer-RF Should be a lot of fun! JimA- (Stray Cats fanatic since 1981!)
Cuffs are silly, chains are are for doing frame work,not your wallet, and hard rock is the music of choice in my shop. Well I also dig the blues. So i don't fit in I guess. But my cars still kick ***
I met Brian Setzer at a guitar show back in the 90s... I RULE!! What do I win??? (He WAS pretty cool though...we talked about his flatty powered Model A and the old Merc from American Graffiti that he owned...I was kinda surprised to see how short the dude is in real life!)
I picked up Eddie Bond & took him to a gig in my Caddy, & Joe Clay sang don't mess with my ducktails on the tape deck, sad but very true! When we arrived at the club he slip slip slipped in!!
THE 4 STAGES OF GREASERHOOD 1. Humble Beginnings When you are first enlightened by the wonderful underground world of grease youll have your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut: a sponge of ignorance soaking up information as it comes in from your new greaser peers. At this stage youll probably latch onto your new best buddy who introduced you to the scene and rely on him/her for tips on whats cool and whats lame on subjects like Hot Rods, Lead Sleds, Music and Fashion. This is the friend youll be asking, Are my pants cuffed right? Should I use Murrays, Dax, or Tres Flores? and for you gals Where do I buy one of those net things for my hair? Hopefully your buddy will be somewhat of a veteran to the scene and have all the right answers. If not, may God help you cause your both lost. 2. Mr. And Mrs. Know-it-all Stage 2 is truly comical in nature but the one I despise, although most everyone goes through it (some more than others). This is the part where youve been in the the scene for about a year now. Long enough to have seen quite a few bands at quite a few nightclubs and you know all about anything and everything including how Big Sandy started, how to shave the door handles on your new cl***ic car, who does good traditional tattoos, hell you may have even heard some stories about the old Wild Cats or The Teds and are thinking about joining a hot rod gang of your own. This is also the stage where all you guys have watched one to many movies and think its cool to treat your ol lady like **** cause youre the man and you need to be out drinkin Pabst Blue Ribbon and wrenchin on your car while shes inside fixin you turkey pot pie. And worse yet, you gals are putting up with this ****. This type of idealism goes on for about a year until the **** hits the fan. One day youll be telling some wild story about how you remember back in the pre- *******s days when Eddie Nichols got into a fight after a show at the Derby back in 1990 (even thought you were only 16 back in 90) and how you helped him out and gave him a ride in your shaved 53 Pontiac before the cops showed up, and suddenly you realize that youre telling this story in front of a couple veteran greasers who met you a year ago when you asked them if your pants were cuffed right. Now being solid vets to the scene, these guys are gonna be cool and walk away and let you live the fairytale, but one day someones gonna call you on it and make you look like an idiot in front of a lot of people. 3.Fork in the Road Now this is the turning point in your greaser career. One of two things will happen next. If you truly love the music and the whole vibe, youll live through the humiliating experience, go on with your greaser tendencies and end up a true veteran with stories of your own to tell. Or youll get out as fast as you can and rejoin the m***es in the Sublime/Skater scene where all are welcome. If you do press on, youll start to learn that being a true greaser really isnt a scene at all but a lifestyle. A lifestyle that doesnt come and go. If youve reached this point youre probably at home and belong to the select few who actually have the music and trends of post W.W.II in your soul. This is when youll truly start learning more about the history of the music and fashion. Youll learn he differences between Rock-a-billy, Jump Blues, Rock and Roll and the several variations of swing and how all this music feeds off each other and compliments one another. Youll start forming your own opinion on how high you like your pants cuffed or maybe you dont like to cuff em at all. This at***ude will bring you to the final stage of greaserhood. 4.The Veteran Youve been through a lot and have learned to weed through all the bull **** that people shovel out. Youve been hangin round the scene for 4 or 5 years now and you can tell who just joined this circus act and who are experienced vets and those who are claiming to be. This is the graduation stage where youre mature enough and know enough to sit back and laugh at the stupid things you did a few years back and at the newcomers who are making the same mistakes you did. You can now be confident enough to put on that one Disco record (I know theres one) that you always liked but were too cool to admit it and enjoy the rest of your greaser life. In conclusion Id like to leave a couple words of advice. Newcomers, take it slow and form your own opinion of whats cool right off the bat and itll save you some embarr***ment in the long run. Stage 2 Greaser, wise up quick cause no matter how much you think you know, the guy next to you probably knows a lot more but just isnt saying so. As for you true veterans out there, dont sweat the little ****. Everyone who matters knows youre a veteran and if they dont theyre probably a Stage 2 Greaser anyway Take it easy everyone, (Name with held to protect the guilty) P.S. The scene is still growing and isnt going to get any smaller anytime soon. But dont worry itll die down eventually and we can all be a happy family again.
How many CD's have the Stray Cats recorded/released...and why do they 'always' have the same songs on them??? whats next...'the Greatest Hits of the Greatest Hits' remixed & Digitally Recorded 'Real' Taildraggin consist of ******in your wallet and pullin your *** by the chain holmes.... I know where your coming from 'Mytlo 56' & agree with everyone else,,,Dead Topic... How about,,Whats a 'Rat-Rod'? Killer nailed it! Dirty Where can i get a 'Von Dutch' mesh trucker hat?
5th stage... Don't even bother with it anymore... The grease that is, because the grease isn't what it's all about anyway.
I agree its not about the grease or the music, I try to relate "kustom kulture" to cars all the way. besides I just use a little hair sray on the sides and its much easier. I get labeled a greaser sometimes but I think I'm just a dirty white boy who cant get enough old cars.
aint nothing wrong with being a *GREEZER*, if you slick your hair back, wear white T's, boots and cuffed jeans youre a greezer... maybe not a PC greezer, but better than sagging size 100 pants, any day... posers arent ruining the scene, nothing is ruining the scene but your imaginations. american cars have always been popular, and will remain that way for yrs to come... it could be worse....
[ QUOTE ] Cuffs are silly, chains are are for doing frame work,not your wallet, and hard rock is the music of choice in my shop. Well I also dig the blues. So i don't fit in I guess. But my cars still kick *** [/ QUOTE ] I like my cuffs...also like my cut off kahki shorts. My chain has kept my wallet attached to me, and not lost some customers seat or just plain ole lost for over 7 years....thats a record for me. Rock and Roll is the music of choice here at Rocket 90 percent of the time...that and Honky Tonk, Some blues, some old industrial and random others. Dont down the look...just down the people you dont like, that HAVE the look. And grease...depends what time i wake up and how well I feel, otehrwise its a hat day.
What about us that don't have enough hair to have a pomp, should I just shoot myself(I don't think I could stand the ridicule)? Should I be wooried weather I'm cool/uncool, oh ****, I use Brylcreem does that make me uncool to? -Jesse
Killer has touched on some ammusing points....which are true but I think true of any scene. When you became interested in the style/culture/music/cars is somewhat unimportant to me. I just don't like being told where to go by any of the wannabillies in the forementioned early stages that Killer had pointed out. Just don't be a *****...don't act like you know everything(nobody likes that no matter what group your in)...If you like the music then good; if you don't well don't listen to it. People who like old cars tend to like other vintage stuff...music/furniture/clothes....I do. I am more comfortable with it around. I dig doowop....some rockabillies laugh when I say that and I will be buying their used rockabilly CD's at the Sound Exchange in about a year. Who cares...let them do what they do....dress 50's if you want to dress 50' and if you want your pillow case to resemble the bottom of a KFC bucket...put grease in your hair. Tim MBL
jimA you crack me up. and jason that **** was pretty damn to the point. Now can we go back to the cars..
My hair is falling out... I painted my red wheels black... My cuffs were never that great anyway... Will anyone still talk to me?
Don't know what the whole deal is with cloths and music. I was there and been dressin' the same as long as I can remember. That is whatever I pick up and put on. KEWL has nuthin to do with your threads, your either Kewl on not. I never owned a rod that you could hear the tunes other than those commin' out of the engine bay. Here's the deal, "if it don't make you dirty it ain't yours!!" So if ya gotta work on that 50 year old heap and don't like it put it aside. Someone will make good use of it. By the way "Tradition" is not a fad its a way of life.
To those of you who provided civil answers: Thanks. To those of you who felt it necessary to take the "holier than thou" stance & be ****s: Sorry to have offended you all. I didn't realize my question was "tired," and will stay w/ in the realm of mechanical things from here on out...even though the question related to Kustom Culture, which I thought had to do w/ cl***ic Hot Rods and Kustoms?
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