Rock ‘n' roll to the sounds of the 60s

Local 50s and 60s tribute band Rocket Joe Joe and the Old Time Bangers will be moving aspiring jive dancers to twist and shout.

Rocket Joe Joe channels the style as well as the music of the 50s and 60s, with authentic vintage instruments and costumes. [Images with kind permission from Rocket Joe Joe]

The band, who specialise in high energy rock ‘n roll, will play at Porters’s Learn to Jive night, which takes place on the last Wednesday of each month.

Following the success of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, there has been a revival in vintage music and dance around the city, with Cardiff Lindy Hoppers and Rocket Joe Joe proving extremely popular.

Lead guitarist and singer Adam Williams says, “We’ve only played one Learn to Jive night so far but it was a huge success. We arrived as the class was coming to an end and everyone was having an amazing time. It was great to have a crowd who could dance so well.”

Wednesday’s class starts at 7.30pm, costs £3 and promises to be informal and fun, with no need to sign up beforehand.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGaJK3K5Ukg[/youtube]

Rocket Joe Joe and the Old Time Bangers comprise Jess (vocals), Adam Williams (guitar and vocals), Jason Crews (bass) and Matthew Nurse (drums) and are all Cardiff residents.

Rocket Joe Joe formed in 2012. The name apparently comes from a time when Matt the drummer was stood up by a friend on a night out. In order to get his revenge, he tried to make his friend jealous by saying something along the lines of, “You missed an awesome night last night. I saw an amazing band called…Rocket Joe Joe & the Old Time Bangers.”

Adam says, “For years he swore the band was real but he came up with the name on the spot–possibly influenced by the City Road Pizza place ‘Rocket Joe’s’. But we’ll never know for sure. When starting a band playing only 50s and 60s music, the name seemed like an obvious choice.”

Follow the band on facebook and twitter for more upcoming concerts in Cardiff.