A flaming hot boogie from the ‘Boppin’ Bobbin Baboons’
The weather was fine so I took a walk down ‘to the hop’ on Friday. Well, to the Museumsmeilenfest actually – but the theme was decidedly 50’s with music from a little combo with an unlikely name: The Wild Bobbin Baboons, a fashion show and vintage Oldsmobiles.
The Bobbin Baboons, to give them their shortened name, are already a popular act in the area and have played before at the Harmonie as well as in their home town of Koblenz at Cafe Hahn. A potent mix of 50’s classics and stage acrobatics – not many bands set fire to pianos or wave double basses over their heads these days or any days past for that matter. It’s ultimately the music that counts though, and clearly these guys respect and love it in equal measures. As lead singer ‘Smelly Pelly’ told me later, He just heard Rock ‘n’ Roll from the likes of Fats Domino and Buddy Holly and was instantly hooked. “It doesn’t take much equipment-wise to play the songs, and most of them are simple Rock n Roll” as he described his favourite music. The Art of writing classic Rock, Pop, or any other music that lasts of course is creating a song that sounds like it grew itself, which isn’t so simple – there is a wealth of such Classics out there and this Band play it with both a musical and a visual punch.
Best foot forward…
The Bobbin Baboons all have somewhat unorthodox names (‘Smelly Pelly’ is just the tip of the ice-burg!) ‘Saxy Gerda’, ‘Bullet-proof Bruno’, a sax player named ‘Candy Kanne’ (not to be mistaken for a certain American Blues Diva). The names might be individual, but they play as a tight band. Boppin at the Highschool Hop, The Wanderer, Chantilly Lace, Jailhouse Rock… A rocking Johnny B Good and an impressive falsetto from ‘Bulletproof Bruno’ to finish on the old Lulu hit Shout were amongst many highlights. Check out the Bobbin Baboons Website for more mayhem – written as the band plays, with tongue in cheek and flair for the extraordinary.
Take a ride to the Jailhouse and Rock
Surrounded as we were by vintage petticoated dancers from The Flying Petticoats and Holly’s Hoppers, and flanked on each corner of the Museumsplatz by vintage 50’s cars (or more accurately in this case, given their origins, ‘Automobiles’ it was an afternoon of great music and nostalgia. Saturday will see a step forward to the 60’s at the Festival as The Beatles Revival Band make an appearance. Should be good as long as the rain keeps away – there were a few people who missed the old Tent here at 6pm when the rains came.
50’s Fashion on show from ‘The Flying Petticoats’
There is also a Romy Schneider Exhibition running at the KAH at present as an added attraction (and place to escape to if it rains)
and finally, a bit of RnR…