Rockabilly legend Robert Gordon to arrive at The Met
Rockabilly is music from a bygone era, but it still has a vibrant community centered around it. This community usually appreciates leather jackets, hot rods, BBQs and whiskey while also supporting the bands and musicians that are keeping the style alive. Since the ‘70s, Robert Gordon has been one of the acts collectively carrying the rockabilly torch. He was originally supposed to be at The Met located within the Hope Artiste Village on 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket on July 9, but it got postponed until September 9 as the writing of this article was happening. When Gordon takes the stage, he’ll be joined with his original backing band consisting of guitarist Chris Spedding, drummer Anton Fig and bassist Tony Garnier.
Gordon and I had an interview ahead of his originally scheduled date about growing up with the radio, which radio stations he listened to growing up, a new album he plans on releasing and dealing with the current vinyl shortage.
Rob Duguay: You grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s listening to rock & roll pioneers like Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran among others. What made you identify with the music at a young age?
Robert Gordon: I’ve always had a radio up to my ear at all times, that’s all I know. I just loved the music I was listening to while growing up.
RD: Which stations were you listening to at that time?
RG: WBON in Wheaton, Maryland and WEAM which used to be in Virginia. Those were the two channels I’d tune into.
RD: Do you feel like that era of rock & roll music, which really was the birth of it, has had a lasting influence either on you as a musician or everything around you when it comes to culture these days in America?
RG: I don’t know if it does anymore. Frankly, I don’t think it has nearly the impact it did when I was growing up. Everybody listened to the radio back then, but I don’t know if it has that much of an impact anymore.
RD: What was it like living in New York City in the ‘70s during the rise of punk rock and CBGB’s? Did you feel like you fit in more with what was going on than what happened during the ‘60s?
RG: I felt like I fit in the same way I fit in during the ‘60s. I was still in Maryland a lot during that time and I wasn’t doing that much music,
RD: Your most recent album Rockabilly For Life came out back in August of 2020 and it has a ton of collaborators on it including James Williamson from The Stooges, Clem Burke from Blondie and Paul Shaffer among others. How did you get these people involved, was anything done remotely because of the pandemic?
RG: The record company at Cleopatra Records came up with that idea. It’s already been two years since that album has been out and I have a brand new one that’s due to come out. If it wasn’t for the current vinyl shortage it would be out right now but I’m very excited about the new album, actually. It’s way different than Rockabilly For Life.
RD: You’re waiting on the vinyls and that’s going on for a lot of different bands and musicians these days. Do you have a timetable of when the new album should be out or are you just waiting by the day at this point?
RG: We’re sort of just on hold at this point because vinyl comes from China out of all places I believe so it’s on hold now until probably later in the summer.