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London rockabilly/psychobilly solo musician Jon Crabb joins us to talk about his musical background, and what you should expect from his music when you press play. Connect with Jon, below…
DGM: What are your origins, and how long have you been playing?
JC: I was born in 1992 in Tooting, South West London. I got my first guitar when I was 15 and have been playing ever since.
DGM: How did you feel performing your first gig, and how was it?
JC: Oh I was very nervous at first, not knowing how it would go down. But like every other performer, once you’re in your ‘comfort zone’, familiar with what you’re doing, and you have a supportive audience watching; that’s when you start to feel better.
DGM: What should people expect when they check you out? How would you describe yourself?
JC: I think audiences can expect me to be both rebellious and humorously entertaining, as well as musically talented! I often like to get crowds going by getting them to sing and dance to my music, and try and reach out to what they’re feeling if life has been very unfair to them recently, which describes what we’ve had to put up with for over a year now. They can expect what they hear to be positive.
DGM: The new music scene is bursting at the seams with fresh talent. In what ways do you feel you stand out from the others trying to build a name?
JC: I can’t say I’m too different from the others, but I feel what makes me stand out is how I write my songs in different genres and try and reintroduce them with modern-day subjects. I haven’t seen any other artists try it before, except whenever they offer a unique genre twist of a song cover which, of course, is excellent.
The difficulty with writing originals is trying to avoid making it sound the same as the last one. I will admit I have that trouble sometimes, but I’ve never seen any other artist try and write their next song and make it so different from the last one.
DGM: What are you working on at the moment that people can check out?
JC: I am currently still writing and recording as well as waiting to gig again. I’ve got a new EP waiting to be released sometime during the summer, so people can follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more updates. If they want to hear any of my previous songs, they’re now available on all music platforms.
DGM: Who do you feel will be the next band to break out?
JC: There’s an all-female metal band I know called HAWXX. They have a unique talent for their heavy music arrangements and their songs are about realistic subjects that I think are relevant today. I reckon everyone should check them out, if metal music’s not ‘too heavy’ for your ears, haha.
DGM: What band out there at the moment do you feel you are best suited to open for?
JC: I think I would like to open for The Stray Cats, or their double bassist Lee Rocker as a solo artist. They have that classic rockabilly groove with both their originals and covers, and I don’t think there’s any music genre from an early decade that’s been revived and refreshed as well as by The Stray Cats.
It’s my favourite music subgenre and they brought back the fifties and made rock ‘n’ roll sound more refreshed, realised and cooler than ever. Their double bassist Lee Rocker is great too, and if I opened for him I would request an opportunity to have a jamboree on one song.
DGM: What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
JC: Last December, after months and months of no gigs because of lockdown, I saw Lady Luck Lexy & The Riverside Boys. They are a really great rockabilly trio and played a mixture of both originals and covers.
DGM: What is the album that you have in your collection that would surprise most people?
JC: Ohh there are so many to choose from, but if you like psychobilly music, which is a mixture of punk, rockabilly and themes of old horror movies, I recommend you check out The Vincent Razorbacks “Volume 13”. It’s hard-packed with spooky rock ‘n’ roll that may only be suitable for listening to around Halloween, but it’s worth tuning into. Even the artwork, done by band guitarist Vince Ray, was very convincing for me.
DGM: Although 2020 was a year to forget for many reasons, there was some incredible music released; what would be your album of 2020?
JC: “Songs in the Key of Quarantine” – Gold Hope Duo.
They’re half the members of another rockabilly band called Lara Hope & the Ark-Tones and this album perfectly sums up the pros and cons of last year’s hell. There’s a strong connection with the lyrics and you get that friendly vibe from the artist reaching out to the listener.
DGM: How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
JC: You can find me on:
https://www.facebook.com/CrabCityRocker
https://www.instagram.com/crabcityrocker/
