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LIVE REVIEW: SLIM JIM PHANTOM, Perth 15 June 2014

| 18 June 2014 | Reply

LIVE REVIEW: SLIM JIM PHANTOM, Perth 15 June 2014
With The Fireballs, Day Of The Dead & The Insinnerators
The Astor Lounge, Perth, WA. Sunday 15 June 2014
Review & Photos by Shane Pinnegar with Trulie Pinnegar

After booming opening sets from both the Insinnerators and Day Of The Dead, Sydney’s punkabilly veterans The Fireballs took the stage at The Astor Lounge for a ‘greatest hits’ set that brewed up a hot roddin’ mix of their best high octane rockers. The quiffy, shirtless, tattooed wonders ripped gleefully through such 90’s favourites as Bondage, Cat Machine, Under My Wing and Go Go Go. With Dylan Villain & Pete Speed’s thrashy metal riffs and a bouncing rhythm section led by double bass wunderkid Joe Phantom, The Fireballs cut a mean swagger on stage. Drummer Eddie Fury is a born comedian, swigging scotch (“green tea I prepared earlier” he says with a knowing wink), cracking jokes and obviously having a hoot of a time, and it’s infectious, as they prove their semi-legendary cult favourite status.

 

Slim Jim Phantom - Live in Perth 15 Jun 2014 by Shane Pinnegar  (11)
Headliner Slim Jim Phantom takes the stage exactly as you might expect: slim, enigmatic and exuding style like the influential icon he is. The former Stray Cat counts Motorhead’s Lemmy, Bowie collaborator Earl Slick, original Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and more as bandmates, and Rod Stewart’s ex Britt Eckland as an ex-wife. He’s been around more blocks than you and I, and he’s still got it, baby.

Standing behind his kit he proves that you don’t need flash and dozens of drums to propel good time rock n’ rollabilly tunes. To be perfectly honest Phantom leaves the heavy lifting to his two bandmates, double bass playing man mountain Dave Bean (from Sydney band Casino Rumblers) and legendary guitarist Tim Polecat of The Polecats. He nails down the beat, keeping immaculate time, and exudes cool and charisma, singing a few tunes, letting Polecat take the lead most of the time.

Which the guitarist does, like a six-string voodoo priest of the night, his hollow body Gretsch, skull necklace and shock of ginger hair bouncing around like the centre of attention as they rip n’ tear through a collection of tracks from Phantom’s outfits The Stray Cats (Rumble In Brighton, Rock This Town), 13 Cats (Snap, Crackle & Hiss), and some ultra cool rock n’ roll covers (Matchbox, Come On Everybody, Train Kept A Rollin’, All Over Now).

 

 

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries

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