Psychobilly is a rock music fusion genre that mixes elements of rockabilly and punk rock. It's been defined as "loud frantic rockabilly music", it has also been said that it "takes the traditional countrified rock style known as rockabilly, ramp[ing] up its speed to a sweaty pace, and combin[ing] it with punk rock and imagery lifted from horror films and late-night sci-fi schlock,...[creating a] gritty honky tonk punk rock." Dark imagery is also central to an offshoot of psychobilly known as gothabilly.
The Meteors are an English psychobilly band formed in 1980. Originally from London, England, they are often credited with giving the psychobilly subgenre—which fuses punk rock with rockabilly—its distinctive sound and style. Though the origins of psychobilly are debated, The Meteors are the second band to self-identify as psychobilly after The Cramps, and are often credited with the distinction of being a "pure" psychobilly band among fans of the subgenre.
The Nekromantix is a Danish-American psychobilly band founded in 1989 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their lyrics are generally structured around monster and horror themes. A central icon of the band's image is founder and frontman Kim Nekroman's "coffinbass", a custom-built double bass with a body in the shape of a coffin and a headstock the shape of a cross. Nekroman has been the sole constant member of the band. The current lineup consists of guitarist Francisco Mesa and drummer Rene "Delamuerte" Garcia, known as a guitarist and singer of the Canadian band "The Brains".
HorrorPops are a Danish punk band that formed in 1996. The band's sound is rooted in psychobilly, rockabilly, and punk rock.
Demented Are Go are a Welsh psychobilly band that was formed around 1982 in Cardiff, Wales. They were one of the earliest in the initial wave of bands to mix punk rock with rockabilly, and as a result, are considered to be highly influential to the psychobilly scene. The band often claims their name originated from the phrase "Demon teds are go!" as an adaptation of the phrase "Thunderbirds are go!" from the Thunderbirds TV series. Psychobilly is often associated with horror.
The Quakes are an American psychobilly band from Buffalo, New York, United States. They were formed in 1986. When the band began in the late 1980s, there was no scene to speak of in the United States. The Quakes moved to London to try to find an audience.
Patricia Day is the Danish upright bassist and lead singer for the rockabilly/psychobilly band, HorrorPops.
Viva Hate is a rock band that was formed late in the summer of 2004 by Geoff Kresge after he left Tiger Army. Shortly after forming Viva Hate, Kresge was asked to join the HorrorPops, with whom he played guitar with from 2004 to 2006, although the official statement of his departure was not made until the summer of 2007, leaving many questions regarding the nature of his parting ways with the HorrorPops.
George Graquitena, is an American vocalist, drummer and bassist, known for his participation in many south Florida punk and alternative rock bands from the 1980s through the present. He is also known by the stage name of George Van Orsdel.
The Switchblade Valentines are a Canadian psychobilly band from Victoria. The band consists of R.P. Fogarty on vocals and guitar, Mikey Valentine on guitar and backing vocals, Pauly Valentine on drums, and Alec Valentine on stand up bass.
Ripmen is a German psychobilly/Rockabilly group that began in 1995.
Batmobile is a Dutch psychobilly band from Rotterdam and Breda, formed in 1983. They were the first band not from the United Kingdom to perform at the influential psychobilly club, Klub Foot and are considered the seminal Dutch psychobilly band.
The Go-Katz are a British psychobilly band formed in Loughborough, Leicestershire in 1986. The original members were Howard Raucous on vocals, Beaker on guitar, Andy Young (guitar), Moff on Double Bass, and Wolf on drums. The band members have formerly made up Loughborough bands The Exorcists and The Go-Go Dakotas.
Pitmen is a German psychobilly group that was founded in 1995.
The Grave Diggers were an American rockabilly, surf, jazz, punk band. They are notable due to their eclectic musical style, their early foreshadowing of subsequent music revival movements, and the musical careers of their members.
The Silver Shine is a Hungarian three-piece, modern psychobilly and punk rock band from Budapest, Hungary. Its members include Krista Kat, an upright bassist and vocalist, Ati EDGE, a guitarist and vocalist, and Peete Jones, a drummer. Since its founding in 2004, the band has released nine albums and toured in 34 countries around the world.
The Thirsty Crows are an American Psychobilly/Rockabilly group from the South Bay area of Los Angeles, California. Thematically their songs tend to revolve around horror, binge drinking, and acts of revenge.
Hillbilly Moon Explosion is a Swiss rockabilly band founded in 1998. The group is known for a versatile mix of rock and roll, jump blues, swing, country, roots rock and surf music elements.
Stellar Corpses is a psychobilly horror punk band formed in Santa Cruz, California in 2005 by singer and guitarist, Dusty Grave and upright bassist Dan Lamothe. Their sound and style combine elements of punk, rockabilly, gothic rock, metal and rock and roll. Since their formation, Stellar Corpses have continued to tour both in the US as well as internationally.
Restless is a British rockabilly band formed in 1978. The group got their name from a song by Carl Perkins. The band performed their first gig in Sudbury in 1980, but the gig was hampered by frontman Mark Harman suffering from stage fright. Their first album, Why Don't You...Just Rock!, was released on Nervous Records in 1982.
