Flatfoot Shakers

The Flatfoot Shakers originally formed around April '97, when Kieron McDonald (Rhythm Guitar and vocals) and Steve Venus (Lead Guitar) got together for a jam. Both had been musicians with a passion for fine rockabilly music for some time. The rhythm section was soon formed with Jamie Vancam (drums) and brother Simon on upright bass. The band has undergone a few changes in line-up since then, with Phil Jones taking over lead guitar and Carl Baker handling the doghouse bass, but they have still retained that initial passion for authentic '50s music. The boys influences stretch across a wide variety of roots music, including Johnny Horton, Burnette Brothers, swing music and the Sun sound. They've hand picked the best of classic and obscure numbers for their covers, while new originals are being added all the time providing the guys with their own fresh approach to '50s rockabilly and rock 'n' roll. The Flatfoot Shakers try to deliver to the audience the songs of the '50s the way they were meant to be played... Flatfoot Shakers Band Members: Kieron McDonald (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar) Influences: Johnny Horton, Early Elvis, 50's Country Kieron lived abroad in Europe from '91 to '95 where he was able to soak up influences from the European Rockabilly scene jamming with various bands in England and France. Upon returning to his homeland in '96 he started laying down the foundations for the Flatfoot Shakers by building up an initial set of obscure and classic late '50s rock 'n' roll. He has been playing rhythm guitar since 1992 and tackles the lead vocals on most numbers. He is influenced by recordings of rockabilly, country and R&B artists of the 50's which he attempts to incorporate into each song. Phil Jones (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals) Other Bands: Starliners, Kingbillies Influences: Scotty Moore, Cliff Gallup, Grady Martin Phil hails from the UK originally, but moved to Oz in his early years where he learnt to master the guitar, emulating the masters like Scotty Moore and Cliff Gallup. Phil played with the popular rockabilly band "The Kingbillies" in the late eighties, which can be heard on various Aussiebilly compilations. He later formed the western swing band "The Starliners" in '92 and went on to record a successful CD in '97 (Re-Bop). His style of playing covers a diverse range of obscure '50s artists from rockabilly to hillbilly bop and western swing. Jamie Vancam (Drums/Backing Vocals) Other Bands: Turnarounds, Dr. Swing's Big Band Influences: Glen Miller, Big Band, Swing Music Jamie joined us in January 1998 and immediately fitted in, his style of playing blends in perfectly with our style of Rockabilly giving the band the swing feel to various country boogie numbers, and the much needed driving beat for our music. Jamie comes from a background of 40's and 50's Big Band and Swing music, he has developed a unique style essential to the authentic 50's music performed by the Flatfoot Shakers. Carl Baker (Double Bass/Backing Vocals) Other Bands: The Shot Rodders, The Continentals Influences: 50s Rockabilly, Big Band Swing Carl's inclusion to the band was a much needed one, his love for authentic rockabilly shows through with his hard slapping technique performed during the uptempo numbers. His swing influence is best witnessed with the many late 50's styled rock 'n' roll numbers performed by the Flatfoot Shakers. He has travelled down from sunny Queensland to soak up what the Melbourne rockabilly scene has to offer and is the latest member of the Flatfoot Shakers.