BRIAN aka THE DUKE : croonin' and strummin' /
SWINGIN' MIKE : stand up bangin' and yellin' /
SIX-GUN STEVE : doghouse slappin' /
COOL DADDY PAUL : twangin'
Influences
Carl Perkins , Johnny Cash , Elvis Presley, Johnny Burnette Trio , Duane Eddy, Gene Vincent , Charlie Feathers , Eddie Cochran , Jerry Lee Lewis , Hank Williams , Billy Lee Riley, Bill Haley and his Comets , Hasil Adkins , Roy Orbison , Stray Cats , Link Wray , Lefty Frizzel , Chet Atkins, BR 549 , Screamin' Jay Hawkins , George Jones, Slim Sandy , Johnny Reno , Johnny Horton, Bo Diddly, Buck Owens , Sleepy La Beef , Devo.
DUKE SEDAN AND THE HI-TONES ARE THE PREMIER ROCKABILLY BAND IN ONTARIO AND DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING LIVE ACTS ANYWHERE.
THESE FOUR GREASY CATS FORMED THE BAND IN DECEMBER OF 2007 TO FILL A VOID IN THE LONDON MUSIC SCENE THAT AT THE TIME WAS LACKING ANY ROCKABILLY AT ALL. THE DIFFERING PERSONALITIES OF THESE FOUR CATS IS WHAT MAKES THE BANDS UNIQUE SOUND. “DUKE SEDAN” IS A GREASE MONKEY BY TRADE, WHO GREW UP LEARNING ALL THE STANDARD ROCKABILLY CLASSICS FROM OLD TIME PICKERS OUT ON THE EAST COAST. “SWINGIN’ MIKE” WAS A CAREER HOOD AND WAS SAVED BY THE SOUNDS OF ROCKABILLY, WHICH KEEPS HIM ON JUST THIS SIDE OF THE LAW. “SIX-GUN STEVE” IS A MILD MANNERED CUSTOM CABINET MAKER BY DAY AND A SLAP HAPPY BASS MASTER BY NIGHT ON STAGE. “COOL DADDY PAUL” IS THE BANDS JAZZABILLY PICKER, WHO LEARNED HIS SKILLS IN UNIVERSITY.
NOW, THANKS TO THE HARD WORK OF THE BAND. THE ROCKABILLY CULTURE IN LONDON HAS MADE A COMEBACK, WITH SEVERAL NEW BANDS POPPING UP.
THE BAND PLAYED THEIR FIRST SHOW IN MARCH 2008 AT THE NOW TORN DOWN BRUNSWICK HOTEL IN LONDON TO A SPARSE CROWD MADE UP OF MAINLY FRIENDS AND A FEW HOTEL REGULARS. HOWEVER, THE SHOW WAS A SUCCESS AND THE BAND KNEW THEY HAD SOMETHING TO BUILD ON. THIS BEGAN A MONTHLY RUN OF SHOWS WITH EACH ONE BECOMING BETTER ATTENDED TO THE POINT OF PACKING THE PLACE. ROCKABILLY FANS AND NON - ROCKABILLY FANS WERE ALL BOPPIN’ TO THE SOUNDS OF THIS NEW AND EXCITING ACT.
THINGS BEGAN TO MOVE FAST FOR THE BAND AS THEY GAINED POPULARITY IN TOWN. THEY FOLLOWED UP THE BRUNSWICK SHOWS BY OPENING UP FOR WELL KNOWN BANDS SUCH AS ‘THE MATADORS’, ‘BUZZ DELUXE’ AND ‘BLOODSHOT BILL’. THEY HAVE ALSO SHARED THE STAGE WITH HUNGARIAN PSYCHOBILLY LEGEND ‘PETER GORILLA’. THE BAND RELEASED A DEMO IN THE SUMMER OF 2008 CALLED “ROCKABILLY BALL” AND IT QUICKLY CLIMBED UP THE CHARTS AT LOCAL RADIO STATION ‘CHRW’, AT ONE POINT HITTING THE NUMBER ONE SPOT!
THE BAND SPENT THE REST OF THE SUMMER AND FALL TOURING AROUND ONTARIO WITH STOPS IN TORONTO, WATERLOO, GUELPH AND BAYFIELD.
NOW AS 2009 ROLLS ON, THE BAND HAS BEGUN WORK ON A FULL LENGTH DISC, WHICH SHOULD BE RELEASED IN LATE SUMMER.
AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO ROCK JUKE JOINTS ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE THEY CAN.
You can contact the band by email at : rockabillyball@yahoo.ca or you can reach us on FACEBOOK at : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=619512116&ref=profile/pages/DUKE-SEDAN-AND-THE-HI-TONES/23168441776
Hey killer strings on fryday night! Sorry me and erik couldn't make it out to your stag and doe, brian...we started drinking and forgot. Lookin forward to the 13th Cheers TNR
