Perth Rocks

50's & 60's Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly dance, music and venues in Western Australia
Keeping WA Rockers informed, fit and healthy

"The Blues Had A Baby And They Named It Rock And Roll" - Muddy Waters
"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'"- John Lennon
"Nothing against the Louvre. But you can't dance to DaVinci" - Stax Museum of American Soul Music
"You can stop the show, but you can't stop rock'n'roll" - Alan Freed
"You don't stop rockin' because you get old, you get old because you stop rockin'" variation from George Bernard Shaw

Website Menu

Breaking News and Views

Thought For the Weekend? (from Jitterbug, Vicrock, thanks Alan) "Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid sideways - chardonnay in one hand, chocolates in the other, body thoroughly used up in food, drinks and DANCING, totally worn out and screaming ........woo hoo, what a ride ..........." Enjoy your weekend! Enjoy your bands and dancing!   Great night of music that rocked @ The Swan Yacht Club with Normie Rowe, Cyclone Tracee and Fossil Rock. See "Recent Events". Big Success first Zodiacs Friday Dance. See "Recent Events" for pics. Email from Ian @ Wokalup: As the hall floor at the rowing club is being redone from the 13th of July dancing has been cancelled from the 3rd of July. We are also putting in a new floor & patio in at the Wokalup. We hope to have it finished in 6 weeks. I will keep you all posted. Email from Teri & Gordon (Freestylers): All those that attend Osborne Park class on Thursday evenings next Thursday 9th July for 1 week only the hall is not available to us so there will be no class.  Sorry for the inconvenience. Email from Colette: As some of your Perth Rocks dancers would know, I'm participating in the dry July. Dry July challenges people to last a month WITHOUT DRINKING ALCOHOL and encourages people to raise sponsorship for their efforts with donations directly benefiting the lives of adults living with cancer right across Australia. if anyone would like to sponsor me they can go to https://www.dryjuly.com/profiles/colettelangford   Two new shows  --  "Tristars"  and  "Reflections" - would you be so kind as to include my website www.lesmeade.com  which includes news of two new shows  --  "Tristars"  and  "Reflections"  in your breaking news and  include the attached posters of our coming shows, including a Fundraiser for a young Cerebal Palsey sufferer, on your What's On" page. Any exposure on your great website, would be most appreciated. Sincerely,      Les Meade      "Jitterbug" Paul, from VicRock taking Perth ladies for a spin @ the Mustang Bar 28/6/09 Thanks Alan for pics.   Want a fresh new look? Try Angelo and Charlie, the Rockabilly Barber/Hairdressers @ Maurice Salon in Wembley. See "Gear & Rocknroll Services" page for more local and international service providers. 5 Essex St, WEMBLEY, 6018 (08) 9387-4395 Also see video clip Next Perth Rocks Breakfast is planned for Sunday 20th September @ 9am. Please let us know if you're coming. At the moment we've booked for 30. Last one was really enjoyable. Great way to get to know others without yelling over loud music. Celia and Josef Saturday 11 July @ The Charles- '60s night - See "What's On". For the first "Snake Pit" story see New Articles: Snake Pit Days: A Fragment of Perth's Rock'n'Roll History by  Andy Andros, Diane Lewis and Dr Cecilia Netolicky Email from Steve & Mary: Well we arrived back in Brisbane after a few dramas along the way, a bit of radiator overheating and distributor problems, but after 4,300 kms the old Valiant got us home safely. Mary and I shall miss not only the Rock and Roll scene in Perth, but the great friendships that went with it. There is certainly no comparison over here in Brisbane to the fantastic venues like the Mustang Bar and the Lynwood Arms as well as the numerous social dances held every weekend. It is hard to go somewhere here that has a live band and a dance floor of good size, especially on the south side of Brisbane. We look forward to seeing you at Wintersun 2010. Warm Regards, Steve &  Mary Looking for Psychobilly News - follow "psychobillynews" on Twitter for regular alerts on what's happening in the scene. Email from Cool Cats: Interested in learning ROCKABILLY and various other styles. Come and join the Cool Cat team see website http://www.coolcatsrocknroll.com/classes.htm for lesson times and venues. All welcome! Details also on Perth Rocks Dance Schools page. Looking for old Perth Rocks articles - go to "Old News & Views" or take a look at our Nostalgia Page for some great vintage video clips.     Rock'n'Roll is Alive! in Margaret River Saturday 18 July with The Continentals (see "What's On").     See videos below of last year's Perth Nostalgia Festival @ the Astor and the Jerry Lee Lewis Tribute Show @ DeVille's.         New Articles:  responses, feedback, opinions welcome - perthrocks@optusnet.com.au. See Old News & Views page for archived articles. Cherished Times: Reflections on Perth's Rock'n'roll Past  Ron Millar and Dr Cecilia Netolicky        Uploaded 30/6/09 These are the cherished memories of Ron Millar's early Rock'n'roll days in Perth. Ron describes himself as a "bodgie" (he says you can tell by the hairstyle), a "pure Rock'n'roller". When you hear him speak of The Snake Pit, Canterbury Court and Embassy Ballroom days, he's wistful and invigorated, he's smiling, and his eyes sparkle. It's obvious these memories are special for him, they are, for him, cherished times. Ron's had five strokes: 1996, 2007, 2007, 2008 and 2008, so remembering, for him, is hard work. He's retained few belongings. But, it's apparent, the era was very special to him, as he's chosen to keep a lot of memorabilia from the early days of Rock'n'roll in Perth. He still has the jacket, shirt and pants he used to dance  in, and he's still got a folder of newspaper clippings and posters from the era.   Ron today Ron had a distinct advantage over many other young blokes in those days. He had a car, and not just any car. He had a Ford Customline 1956. Cars were a big thing then - people would go and admire the cars out on the street. So, having a car definitely helped with getting a girlfriend.  Some of the girls were considered "really hot". It helped to have a good car, and be able to dance, to get a "hot chick". There was competition among the girls with what they wore, "they were always trying to outdo each other". There was also competition to attract the "special guys".  Some of the dancers were married, about half and half. Ron met his wife at The Snake Pit. She was a dancer. "So dancing was a big part of it". She liked Ron because he "could Rock'n'roll", and because he had an awesome car.  Ron describes the atmosphere at The Snake Pit as "electric". On a good weekend there'd be 200 to 300 people, about half of those dancers, the other half spectators. Of those, about half were Jivers and the others were Rock'n'rollers. Ron describes himself as "pure Rock'n'roller". He says there was no conflict between the different dancers, fights in those days were generally over "chicks". Ron says people went down to the Snake Pit whatever the weather, "Didn't matter if it rained". Sometimes they danced in the milkbar if it was wet. Sometimes they ate at Peters by the Sea (still there today - a Scarborough icon).  Ron used to also hang out at Canterbury Court. He had more freedom than most, because he had a car. Canterbury Court was good when it rained, as it was an indoor venue. There were chairs and tables at the Canterbury, and a huge wooden dance floor. They played Rock'n'roll, Jazz and there was some Ballroom. On a good night there would be 300 to 400 people.  There was also The Embassy Ballroom. That was 50% Rock'n'roll and 50% Ballroom. You had to dress up more if you went to Embassy Ballroom or Canterbury Court. At The Snake Pit you could wear jeans and a t-shirt, at the other venues you wore stovepipe pants, a black shirt, tie and creepers. Ron often wore bright pink socks with a pink and black tie.  Ron was a key figure in the organization of The Snake Pit reunions and the Rock'n'roll Walk of Fame in Scarborough and remains a "fixture" at the Mustang Bar (Perth's Rocknroll HQ). Through the subsequent decades, Rock'n'roll has remained a central part of his life.   Ron's original dance gear Les Dixon, Pat Grey & Ron Millar Unsourced photo from collection of Ron Millar Some Snake Pit facts extracted from Ron's memorabilia: (including Stirling Times Jan 17 1995 and unsourced articles) The man who "set up" the Snake Pit dance floor was Don Errichette. He wanted to give youngsters something constructive to do in their spare time. Don was a US Navy submarine chief petty officer stationed in Perth during WW II. He married a local girl, Rosina Rifici, and bought the small kiosk on the corner of Manning Street and The Esplanade. He named it "La Spiaggia (The beachfront)". (The new Cafe Spiaggia is built on The Snake Pit site).  Mrs Errichetti imported records from South America to play on the record player of the cafe with speakers facing the outside dining area. As demand grew, the Erichettes had the sand dune behind the shop excavated, a wooden floor installed and a jukebox. Don Errichette said the late Robert Holmes a Court was in-charge of building the Snake Pit for Bells Brothers.  Tony Martin and other members of the Scarborough Police and Citizens Boys' Club supervised dance competitions at The Snake Pit. Winners in those days were determined by audience applause.  The Snake Pit was never an official name. It was the name the area was known by because of the dancers "snakey actions". For first article Snake Pit Days: A Fragment of Perth's Rock'n'Roll History by Andy Andros, Diane Lewis and Dr Cecilia Netolicky see "The History of Rock'n'roll in Western Australia" page. Ron Millar, Susan Forsaith, Les Dixon & Tony Martin Stirling Times 17 Jan 1995 p3 We'd love to hear more stories of the era. That way we may slowly piece together a bit more of WA's rock'n'roll history. Send in your story, come and tell me your story and I'll write it up under dual authorship, or recommend musicians and participants who's knowledge can contribute to a richer picture of the Snake Pit days and the bodgies and widgies of the 50s and 60s era in WA. The Western Australian Snake Pit Rock'n'Roll CD - available from http://www.collectorrecords.nl/?page=shop&action=details&id=173 32 tracks played by the bands of this era - Peter Andersen and the Tornados, The Times, The Hi-Five, Bill Blaine & The Dynamics, The Roulettes, The Rhytmaires, The Red Rockets, Les Dixon Group, The Hawaiian Troupadores, Clem Croft, Leo & Pete, The Logan Sisters, Pam Bradley & Adrian Usher