R.J.

Hi,
For years I played bass in Holland with a rockabilly band. I started in 1988 as a rhythm guitar player/singer but switched at the end of 1999 to bass. From that moment on my career as a rockabilly musician sky rocket. I played with bands such as. Red Shots, King Size Trio, Miss Marry Ann, Reno Brothers and Lill’ Esther and The Tinstars. With Them I played on the High Rockabilly festival in 2006. In that same year I Played on The Hollywood Showdown in L.A, USA. During that tour we played in six different states. We started in Chicago where we stayed at Jimmy Suttons house. Moved up north to Stevens Point, played in Oneida casino in Green Bay, go down heading Denver. Crossed the Rocky’s and passed the Nevada dessert. We did Riverside, San Diego, Anaheim and ended in L.A.
In 2004 I met the Phantoms in Estonia during the Valga Cruisin’ Festival. I never heard a Russian band playing but I was very impressed by there boppin’ style. In Russia these boy’s play 300 times a year (Wow). In St. Petersburg you can see almost everyday a rockabilly band playing! The Phantoms and the other rockabilly bands know how to play that old fashioned rockabilly perfectly. You name it they play it..
After the gig we kept in contact and they asked me to made a tour for them in Holland. What I did in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 I met them for the first time in St. Petersburg and we played some songs together in Money Honey. I knew right away that this was it for me. The way they played and give everything for their style convinced me to start a joint project.
So when they were in Holland for the 2nd time we start to make a program. I booked studio Moscow in Utrecht for our first recordings. The CD ‘What’s The Rumôr’ were released in September 2007. We did some shows in Holland, Russia and Germany. I have to say that I’m just a rockabilly singer. I do nothing special. I cover songs from my heroes like Bob Luman, Jerry Lee, Charley Feathers, Ronnie Hawkins, Ronnie Self, Glen Glenn and many others. But together with a Russian band we have that something special to make people dance and party..
Since 2007 I also started to work with another great band from St. Petersburg, the Neva River Rockets. This because the Phantoms are so busy with their own program. In my play list you will find the song Watcha Gonna Do. I recorded it at home with only one mic and added a 50’s echo to it. You’ll hear that there’s no difference in quality of making rockabilly with the Phantoms.
Of course we don’t have many chances to work together, because of the distance between our countries. That make this project special to all other rockabilly acts. So if you have the chance to see us please take the effort to do so and come and meet us!
Together we are the rockabilly bombardiers from Russia and Holland!
R.J and Phantoms - Bertha Lou (live in club Money Honey, Sint Petersburg, Russia) August 2nd, 2008