J'ai pu avoir ce resumé de "viva las vegas 2007"

si une bonne ame peut le traduire ou a un bon traducteur ....



My Review on the Viva Las Vegas event
April 6th 2007 at the Gold COAST CASINO, LAS VEGAS NEVADA

Sandy has given you a report so I will try to cover what she missed..for the most part the event was a spectacular success. We arrived there on a Thursday Afternoon a pleasant day in Vegas about 85 degrees and being we live about a hour and 15 minutes away it wasnt a bad ride,. As we entered the casino we met Dickie Harrell of the Bluecaps and his wife, along with Bob Timmers and his lady and had'nt seen them since the Green Bay event of 2005., we stayed and ate dinner , all of us together. and then talked about the rehearsal we all were suppose to have the next day. and talked to Bob Kelly about the origination of the song Git it and found out he totally wrote the song along with another song did by Gene Vincent called Somebody Help Me but had related that the words were changed by Gene on Somebody Help Me....Great Guy.,, talked about a few Gene stories with Dickie and Bob Kelly and then we called it a night.

On Friday the day of the gig we got there at noon as Bob asked , the only thing I was dissapointed in was the fact we didnt have a live rehearsal ( cause all of us knew each other but many of us had'nt really played music with the band before and when you go in cold so as to get the bugs out, cold like that its good to have a LIVE rehearsal but everyone was pressed for time and the owner of the hotel wouldnt give up no more time.. I don't think anyone was pleased with this man, Sorry.... There were 2 shows mainly along with separate lounge shows, ours was the best in the main showroom, which was Bob Timmers venue.

So we just went quickly over the different songs we were going to do and got the arrangements together and by 2pm we were done with the rehearsal time and at about 2:30 I looked out there and there was a long line. And other venues were going on there was ROCKABILLY ALL OVER THE PLACE, at least three other venues at the same time., that weekend the Gold Coast was a Rockabilly Casino....and people were pouring in and at 2:45 I went to the lobby and WOW it was jammed a line went way behind the main entrance way and at 3:00 o.clock the room was at capacity.. Kay Wheeler had cancelled and Bill Barker was the MC and he welcomed everyone to the 10th annual Rockabilly Hall of Fame show and noted what a good show everyone was in store for and what a show it was..the show started with Dave and the Bad Cats, a damn good Rockabilly sound ( and guys and gals I'm going to quote this as accurate as I can please don't call or say no it was'nt that way...just do your own revue ha ha .)..any how then up came Bob Kelly and did a couple songs including that great song Git It. and Bob also had good guitar work...... Then they called me to the stage ( Mike Vincent) and I was Thankful and Proud to be in the Vegas venue. I opened with Elvis's Big Hunk of Love and for the second song I did a collage of songs where I mixed HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL AND LOTTA LOVIN TOGETHER and after I rocked out I got a great reception from the audience..which were now getting rolling and I had told them to come out on the floor and dance, which we originally thought were gonna be filled with tables but Alan Clark told me, No it was for dancing.. After my applause I raised my arms and said Thank you Las Vegas and Bob called out again Mike Vincent and again I got some applause...GREAT GREAT CROWD..Before I go any further I want everyone to know thet the audience was great with every artist...picture taking was everywhere.. before the show we were out in the lobby we all got in for a group picture or should I say pictures..there was Dickie Harrell and Glenn Glen and Bill Barker and Bob Kelly and Bob Timmers and Big Sandy and Art Adams and Alan Clark and Dave and the Bad Cats and BILLY LEE RILEY and Mike Vincent and a few others.. People in the lobby were taking pictures like crazy..fun time.

Then up comes Art Adams..fantastic guitarist, showman any time and friend...and DYNOMITE , Art goes way back and has a bunch of CDs to his fame,, he is a showstopper and brought a lot of fans out of there seats to the stage. he did a bunch of great rockabilly songs including Dancing Doll, he gave his all and DON'T STAND STILL AND HE ROCKS THE HOUSE.
Chan Romero was up next, he is the Hippy Hippy Shake man..he was good also but did a lot of Doo Wop standards and has a high pitched voice but a good voice, he did Ritchie Valens ...Donna and others like that and did his classic Hippy Hippy Shake..he was given a lot of time and utilized it with mostly Doo Wop songs
wasnt a lot of Rockabilly in his act but he was allright,

Then the Hillbilly Hellcats were surprizing , I guess they border on PHYSCOBILLY but they kicked butt, they were all on time and very together and they did a crazy song about themselves called the Hillbilly Hellcats...Great young guys that are one of the new Rockabilly Artists, that I feel should get Respect because groups like these are the continuing force of Rockabilly music in the future when the likes of Billy Lee Riley, the killer and the rest of us are gone...some of those groups bark to say the least ...not these guys stand up, tight together musicians that love what they do,, and do it great...there crazy antics and good music get your heart pumping like you were at 20 year old Jerry Lee Lewis concert..Great stuff guys...........

Then there was Jay Chevalier bright red suit and all he hails from Bayou country in Louisiana and one thing is for sure, I have never heard a bad musician from Louisiana, think about it the Killer and Dale Hawkins, Ronnie Hawkins and DJ fONTANA and so many others share that state musically and in their hearts. Jay is no exception..he moved he rocked and he threw his guitar around like it was a plane taking ahold OF HIM .. The LOUISIANA rocker NEVER slowed down and had the crowd in a frenzy and there were cat calls etc, by this time the crowd was really into it and the liquor was showing in a lot of them, but all good fun and Jay played it up and gave a good guitar lesson. to the fans and upon meeting him later he proved to be a person like he was on his guitar..GREAT..... He did about 30 to 40 minutes of top shelf rock n roll. I would definitly go to Louisiana to see him play.

Rory Justice was a young stand up bass player and damn could that boy play, he rocked that thing and you will hear a lot more from him as Glenn Glen was later to say..He did everything but make love to that thing and spun it twirled it and just gave a rocking time..and the only thing I'm not sure about , it seems it might have been his dad that also came on stage ...who too was great ( somebody let me know on this) gentle smoothe voice but great a little Billy Swanish...but this Bassist, man it sounded like Bill Black was back...good stuff Rory and he was so natural his hands just floated so perfect over this great instrument.

The show was getting really hot now and as my buddy Ronnie Weiser would say succulent slurpy Rock n Roll was in the house. (And we were wondering where Ronnie was that night) and now it was time for just that Mr guitar man himself...Alan Clark..he did I'm Your Rockabilly Man and many others, if you have never seen my friend Alan...you need to, this man does the guitar justice and more and plays clean and tight and the women think his tongue ain't bad either..kidding aside he rocks and is a master of the instrument and is the jokester of the show besides being a great musician. Alan goes way back and not only does he go way back he goes back with another great man ( who might as well be his dad ) but he is his partner for a long time and this is the Great Great Glen Glenn.

Glen Glenn came on stage after a thunderous applause and for his 72 years young..this man rocks and has rocked for at least 50 years plus.Age does not slow this man down, he has such a warm appeal with his audience it's like people from 12 to 100 love his music and the man, he is clear, he is great and knows his Rockabilly like no other. What a set he had Dickie backing him on drums, Rory Justice on bass, and both Alan Clark and Bob Timmers playing on guitars........Glenn likes to know and love his fans and he is quick to tell you about Alan Clarks great guitar playing even though Alan said Hey Glen looks good for 81 lol...they kid each other against some right on Rockabilly, Glen rocks the Golden state where he calls home and everywhere else he plays. He pulls this all off brings his natural self and playing a kick ass guitar and he loves everybody and EVERYBODY loves him. The pencils were up and the paper was out for autograqphs and he does this and don't miss a note, he is a musicians musician, with his friends and fans he is very warm, no conceit in this man and he very well could be, He's been friends with everyone all the way up to Elvis and tours on occasion with Tommy Sands. He fills the bill and no he's not Elvis but in his own way he is.. A Great man , musician, showman and friend. I'm proud to say I know Glenn Glenn and he has a beautiful wife Mary also whom supports him all the way...Glenn you da man. you will Rock till your 110..I know you will.

Then comes the Buzzards, this group played their own type of rockabillly and what they did of THEIR OWN was good and then the dynamic Dale Hawkins was introduced
The Buzzards backed him and amidst a rousing applause the Louisiana Tornado strutted up to the stage, he talked a little and told the audience he left yesterday at 2:30am to get here (Dale likes to talk and can make you laugh), he then went into a rousing Wildtamer and then into the classic Suzy Q, The Drummer was off on this on the cymbal beat and then went right in my favorite of his Little Pig man does he Rock on this and if you can't rock to this you can't rock.The house was shakin and moving and hollering Dale, Dale man I was in heaven..my favorites have always been Gene Vincent, Dale Hawkins,Jerry Lee and Elvis ( and in that order ) Dale rocked his usual self and gives it his all a great 50 year plus entertainer and his session and discography lists are immeasurable and he has played with all the great guitarists and was originally on the Checker and Chess labels in Chicago with the likes of Chuck Berry, Junior Wells , Little Milton and the Wolf and many more but tonight he again was supreme and pulled the evening off even with musicians that didnt know his music ( the Buzzards ) At one point he let the audience know ..ya know I dont usually resort to other entertainers songs..but in this case...and then came out with a rousing Johnny Be Goode...AND IT WAS GOOOOOD. and at one point the lead guitarist I guess was aggravated cause Dale stopped to talk as he made a gesture like whats going on...I believe Dale was the star and further if your gonna back a star, I feel you should learn their music and all their hits and instead they fumbled through La Do Dah Dah and they really messed up a new song of Dales which was a slow one... uh next.... and I guess he had enough and after Johnny Be Goode he walked off to thunderous applause..thinking he might have sold some things at the table afterwards, he did'nt cause there was no room for him to set up his stuff, and he patted me on the shoulder and said Mike I'm going to the house.

But before that happened the surprize of the night came AND EVERYONE WAS TOLD NOT TO LEAVE AFTER DALES PERFORMANCE AND HE TOLD THE AUDIENCE TOO. And then it was announced that Dickie Harrell was leading a tribute with Bob Timmers for Gene Vincent and all the performers came to the stage and everyone was up there and out it came Be Bop a Lula and the crowd went wild..this was the great moment of the night and Dickie was in supreme form the original Rock n Roll drummer of all time..My Buddy just Rocks and NO ONE BEATS this man of Rock n Roll, Im sure Gene was smiling down from up there and especially on his favorite drummer..Big Sandy also was there...this was a night I will never forget.

It was a totally great night put together through the tireless efforts of Bob Timmers and his Rockabilly Hall of Fame..he is the modern day Alan Freed and works as hard if not harder and also is at present trying through our Hall of Fame members and fans and inductees is trying to put Dale Hawkins in the Rock n Roll hall of fame in Cleveland, where he should have been a long time ago..please sign on his petition for this great musician as we say in Chicago with the Cubs wait till next year.

Great Moments......................

Billy Lee Riley showed up and sat at our table and he was congratulated many times through the evening, he looked great and was in good spirits..The Master of Sun Records and the man who started it all, a great guy and he has a great wife too...a real sweetheart wow what a rush I was 13 when I first heard him he was to appear in the late show and was to come on at 1 am in the show upstairs...I'm sure he was great as always. We took pictures I will cherish the rest of my life ROCK ON BILLY LEE. Sandy was in her hey day. She started crying. When she realized it was really Billy Lee and she got to hug him and talk with him and his wife.

The legendary Sleepy LaBeef also popped in dressed in black...dynamite artist we talked about some of his
Chicago dates. and his upcoming tour. Real nice guy and a Big guy, wouldn't want him mad at me lol. can't wait to see him perfrom.

Just seeing the legendary..Hawk....Dale Hawkins and Glen Glenn

watching Dickie Harrell , being the master of the drums he is.

Seeing Bob Timmers dreams become reality.

Talking to the wives and girlfriends of these famous musicians
and how they support and love them

getting a great night out with Sandy and both of us enjoying the music.

Meeting some of the other fans and members of the RaB- HoF group like Tony and his wife
and Larry and his wife Nikki another Chicago couple. Hope to see them all again.


Just a few not so good moments


( the showroom was great though, cant say much for the soundman.)

The worst was the mismanagement of that hotel to put on such a extraxaganza
their lack of consideration for the musicians and Bob Timmers efforts
did not go by without notice by anyone, they failed to even give performers wristbands to see the other shows, sorry the man runs a tight ship, lots of other things I can't print. Out of Respect for Bob, I'll keep my mouth shut.

Being I live a mere 65 miles from Vegas I have tried most buffets and this one by far was not in the top thirty that's for sure. Try the Orleans ( number 1 ) and cheaper or the Rio or Ballys or the Hilton and Barbary coast and there are many others, the Luxor and the Flamingo for steak.

Probably the worst moment ( Sorry Bob ) I think Dale should've been backed by Dickie on the drums and Alan Clark on guitar and Rory Justice on bass...here you would've had a kick ass jam..my opinion


In general it was a great great night and day and rockabilly abounded in its greatest forms and it is with great Thanks to All these great musicians who continue to pour their hearts and music out to their fans. What Guy Mitchell and Charlie Gracie and Billy Lee and Jerry Lee and Elvis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins started has spread for almost 55 years now and shows no signs of stopping and we all love you the fan and we love the music and we will continue to our dying day and we hope you do too........
Gene Vincent is alive in all our hearts, Also on the exact day of our gig on April 6th it was 50 years to the day that Bi Bickey Bi Bo Bo Go was released for Gene.. We look forward to next year...love you all , Keep Rockin....Mike Vincent

This is from Sandy.......
We went in on Thursday night and met with Bob Timmers his friend Diane, Dickie his wife Donna. Dickie's friend Joel from California, and I finally got to meet Bob (Git It) Kelly what a great guy. We had a nice time just talking and watching all the people arriving and listening to the bands they had by the casino bar.
We got there Friday April 6 about 12:30 and the guys that were there did a little rehearsing and I got to see Art Adams I got my hug from him like I said I would : ) Bob Kelly, Bill Barker.and all the guys from the band Dave & the Bad Cats and got to meet Rory Justice and his Mom & Dad really nice people. The people were starting to line up outside I think it was around 1pm, I didn't count but there was lot's of people, it definitly was crowded. Right before the show started we were standing outside the showroom talking with Big Sandy, Dickie, me and Mike and here comes Billy Lee Riley and his wife. Joyce I beleive her name is, I hope I got it right, cause she was really nice. But meeting Billy Lee Riley was a dream come true for me. He has been through some really rough and very hard times in last few years, But he really looked good and was in real good spirits. and we got pictures with him. He and his wife came in watched some of the show, But he had to go rest cause he was playing later on that night in the show going on upstairs. it was great meeting you Billy Lee, I hope to see you again and hopefully get to see you do your song Red Hot. Your always in my prayers.
The Show itself was AWESOME all the way through. They had tables set up in the back when you first come in to buy things from the RaB-HoF and Dickie Harrel, Glen Glenn, Alan Clark, Art Adams and Dale Hawkins.
I can't remember songs everyone did but they all kept the joint Rockin. Dave and the Bad Cats opened the show. Bob Kelly sang his song Git it he was Awesome, great voice and a really super guy, and then Mike Vincent the guy I live with, : ) and he did really great, He did a Elvis song Big Hunk of Love and High School Confidential with a collage of Lotta Lovin he doesn't get on stage too much anymore. But he's still going to the studio's making CD's............If I get anything wrong here and anyone that was there remember something, Please feel free to correct me or add your comments about the show. I had such a good time and met and talked to so many people I know I'm going to miss someone or get the songs wrong here.
I think Art Adams which is always great was next, He did Dancing Doll and Rockin' My Way Around and a few more. Mike's telling me what songs everyone did cause I would never remember them all, So if any are wrong, Please just say so Ok. But Art Rocked the house like always. Art's CD Dancing Doll is Great if you don't have it you need to get it. 18 songs and not a bad one in the bunch. I met Art in Green Bay a few yrs back and he's been one of my favorite Rockabilly guys and my friend.and if you get a chance to see Art play don't pass it up. He Rocks.... Love you Art.... : ) and he'll be in Green Bay next month.
Next was Chan Romero he did the song Hippie Hippie Shake really had them dancing. And Then came Alan Clark he did I'm your Rockabilly Man and a few others Alan is a great guy too he not only sings, plays a great lead guitar but this man can keep you laughing. Love you Alan...... and then he introduced Glen Glenn what a man and What an Entertainer. he did his Everybody's Movin and a quite few others. He had Alan Clark on lead guitar. Dickie Harrell on Drums, Rory Justice on Bass. Bob Timmers on guitar. Glen Glenn looks great he too had a few health problems but he is doing great and I met his wife Mary what a sweetheart. Glen is a very lucky guy. : ) You can get Glen Glenn's CD at Amazon.com. again don't miss the chance to see Glen if you haven't. I met him and Alan also in Green Bay a few yrs back and it was great seeing them again. Rory did a couple songs and he is really good too and what a dynamic bass player, make you think you were listening to Bill Black. It was really nice to meet you Rory.....
And Dickie was great on the drums, he makes it look so easy. but that man can kick ass. It was the first time I got to see him play, and WOW is he GOOD. It was really great to see them again. We met up with them also a few yrs ago in Memphis and just did a few things together there and got to know eachother and now we are great friends. My son Gene says Dickie is his Buddy and calls him his Uncle Dickie. I'm sure I shared the picture of the 2 taken in Memphis. Not only is he a great drummer and one of the best in the world but a great person him and his wife Donna are very special to Mike and I.
And Dale Hawkins WOW What a guy, He did his famous Susie Q and a few of his other songs and great as always. And he looked really good he's another we got to meet in GB a few yrs back. and he too has had a few health problems that he is overcoming and still has his big smile and telling his little stories between songs. Hope to see you again soon Dale. God Bless you. Love you Dale......
The end of the show was a sight to see. it was a tribute to Gene Vincent, Dickie Harrell and the song Be Bop A LuLa. Everyone that performed that night got on stage together and a few guys that was just there for the show joined in , in this tribute. It was a piece of History all up on one stage. I tell you it was an Awesome sight..... I could kick myself for forgetting my digital camera at home. I could not beleive I did that..........
And before and between all the Great Rockablly Artist putting on the show. I got to talk and got to know some of them a little better and of coarse take pictures. and also got to meet up with some of the others fans of these great people and members of the groups. Tony and his wife. Carol from GG group, Nikki and her husband Larry Hi you guys it was really nice meeting you and I hope to keep in touch. email me ok


And we mostly hung out with Bob and Diane and Dickie and Donna. throughtout the 2 days we were there. And again Bob did an AWESOME job in getting this show together. And it was really nice see you all again. Thank you all for who you are and what you do, Your music makes the world go round and I'm so Honored and Proud to have met you all and can say that some of you ae my friends. God Bless you each and every one of you. All My Love
Sandy
I know I'm leaving out a few here which Mike is going to add.

si vous pouvez donner les noms ?