As an ex-Bedfordian, I have a soft spot for the local rockabilly boys The Broadway Twisters. It’s a tough musical niche to do well, and they really do excel at what they do. Fans of The Urban Voodoo Machine will know Twisters main man Adrian Stranik from regular stints with Paul-Ronney Angel’s gang. He’s been fine-tuning the Twisters for a few years, since the end of his previous band, The Silver Brazilians. So, if you dig the scene, let’s jump in…
‘Night Tripper’ sets the pace, and should get you up and bopping. It could, in the best way imaginable, be 1956. Fast and lean. ‘Fender Car Disaster’ is John Lee Hooker on amphetamines, ‘You Give Me Nothing’ is as good as three chords gets; they are clearly loving every minute of it. ‘Girl With A Gretsch’ adds a touch of Mr Cash via Bill Mann’s bass.
‘The Madness Of Suzuki Seijun’, with accompanying video, gives a taste of their style. ‘Probably North Street’ features harmonica from another UVM buddy, Long John, and keeps it’s cool while name checking Milton Keynes. ‘TV Times’ slows things marginally, and Adrian shows us his best Cliff Gallup licks. ‘Any Dope Can Pull A Gun’, previously a live favourite by The Silver Brazilians, with added keyboards by producer Nick Mailing, is an absolute belter. ‘Crack, Baby’ is another familiar song from the many times I’ve seen the band. And, their take on The Urban Voodoo Machine’s ‘Cheers For The Tears’ is furious. Put simply, if you love Sun Records, Gene Vincent, The Stray Cats, Gretsch guitars, Johnny Cash, you need to listen to this album. Go, daddio!
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Author: Martin Chamerette
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