• Shoreline Homepage

Hubba’s back: DJ ready for rockabilly revival

Girls put on those pink poodle skirts and guys grease up that hair, because DJ Hubba Hubba is coming to a nearby bar or club. The rockabilly, “psychobilly” and swing DJ by the name of Hubba has been entrancing crowds with his seamlessly perfect DJing skills, as well as tattooing numerous Seattleites and collecting vintage gas-related paraphernalia for the past 13 years.

So, what are rockabilly, psychobilly and swing exactly? Rockabilly is a form of music which is basically roots rock from the early 1950s. Think of very old rock with a tinge of vintage country music played with a stand-up bass. Psychobilly is a much faster form of rockabilly combined with elements of punk rock. It tends to be very theatrical; bands will often look ready for Halloween during their performances, wearing ghoulish-looking makeup and clothes. Swing music is 1940s style with a stand-up bass and horns. It had a revival in the mid-1990s with such bands as the Brian Setzer Orchestra, the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, and the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Hubba discovered rockabilly and swing from his father during his childhood. “I grew up with a custom car nut’s son surrounded by ‘50s music and classic car shows,” he recollected.

But during his teens Hubba preferred punk rock as opposed to what he was raised on. “I was around when the Stray Cats hit it big (in the early 1980s), and they were playing a faster form of rockabilly,” said Hubba. “I love the combination of punk and rockabilly together, that’s how I got into psychobilly.”

He started his DJing career in the early 1990s after being in several punk bands and building cliental at the Seattle Tattoo Emporium. “I started to DJ because it didn’t demand a lot, I also liked getting free beer and looking at the chicks,” he admitted.

At one time Hubba was DJing three nights a week while balancing his tattoo career. Every weekend he would do his DJ magic at the Showbox, mostly with swing music.

“I got burnt out with DJing swing music,” he said. “I kept on wanting to make the music faster and faster, but the crowd just whined and wanted slow music.”

Being a rockabilly DJ can also demand the lifestyle of a rockabilly man – the 1950s clothing, hairstyle, car and attitude all of the time. “I do have the car, and I do wear the clothes,” said Hubba, “but I think of myself as a true rockabilly guy. I just wear jeans and boots with grease under my finger nails.”

Hubba is currently on a break from DJing, but will start up again soon, tentatively during this holiday season. “You can only DJ for three or four years. People get burnt out and tired of the same thing,” he said, “but now a lot of the younger kids are of age to go to my shows, and who always wanted to come but were too young.”

The DJ believes that it also time for a comeback of rockabilly, since the music has been out of the spotlight since the Stray Cats played in the early and mid 1980s. “I think swing had its peak awhile ago; now it’s on a down swing. Rockabilly is becoming more popular with the hotrod, tattoo and cool car magazines.”

Whether he’s known as Hubba Hubba, the Vanilla Gorilla, Fat Boy or simply the Gas Geek of Shoreline, Hubba is the man to talk to when it comes to music or setting up rockabilly events.

Visit Hubba’s web site at www.djhubbahubba.com, for more information.