Editing Psychobilly (section)

==Musical style==
{{Listen
 |filename     = The Cramps - Zombie Dance.ogg
 |title        = "Zombie Dance" by The Cramps
 |description  = [[The Cramps]] combined [[rockabilly]] and [[punk rock]] with [[horror film]] lyrical imagery, laying the framework for psychobilly as this song demonstrates. From the album ''[[Songs the Lord Taught Us]]'' (1979).
 |filename3    = The Meteors - Wreckin' Crew.ogg
 |title3       = "Wreckin' Crew" by The Meteors
 |description3 = This [[The Meteors|Meteors]] song inspired the psychobilly style of [[moshing|slam dancing]] known as "wrecking".<ref name="Downey, 78"/> From the album ''[[Wreckin' Crew]]'' (1983).
 |filename4    = The Reverend Horton Heat - Psychobilly Freakout.ogg
 |title4       = "Psychobilly Freakout" by The Reverend Horton Heat
 |description4 = "[[Psychobilly Freakout]]" by [[The Reverend Horton Heat]] illustrates the fast tempos and [[double bass]] playing common to psychobilly. From the album ''[[Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em (The Reverend Horton Heat album)|Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em]]'' (1991).
 |filename5    = Nekromantix - Curse of the Coffin.ogg
 |title5       = "Curse of the Coffin" by the Nekromantix
 |description5 = This song by the [[Nekromantix]] demonstrates the genre's [[double bass#Slap-style bass|"slap" style]] of bass playing and horror lyrical imagery. From the album ''[[Curse of the Coffin]]'' (1991).<!-- This song almost has a speed metal/thrash sound...awesome!! -->
}}
Musically, psychobilly is rooted primarily in two genres: late 1970s [[punk rock]] and 1950s American [[rockabilly]]. [[Tiger Army]] frontman Nick 13 explains: "The number-one misconception people have is that psychobilly is the same thing as rockabilly. Rockabilly is on the family tree, but it's a totally different sound and attitude."<ref name="Downey, 77"/> Psychobilly progenitors [[The Cramps]] acknowledge their music's deep roots in American [[blues]], [[rhythm and blues]], and traditional [[rock and roll]].<ref name="Downey, 78"/><ref name="Downey, 79"/> ''[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]'' writer Ryan Downey notes that contemporary psychobilly also draws from other [[Rock music|rock]] genres and subgenres: "Driven by the rhythmic pounding of a [[Double bass|stand-up bass]], the music swings with the snarl of punk rock while sometimes thrashing alongside [[speed metal]] or crashing headlong into [[country music|country]] icon [[Hank Williams]]."<ref name="Downey, 77"/>
[[File:Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space Club Sin 2009.jpg|thumb|left|The Bloodsucking Zombies from Outer Space show the use of horror-film stage costumes and the decoration of the upright bass.]]
Craig Brackenridge lists other sources of inspiration: 1960s [[garage punk]], [[glam rock]], revival rock 'n' roll, and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]].<ref name="amazon.com">{{cite book |last=Brackenridge |first=Craig |title=Hells Bent On Rockin': A History of Psychobilly |year=2007 |publisher=Cherry Red Books |isbn=978-1901447804 }}</ref> Nate Katz states that "[w]hile traces of glam, metal, and punk can be found in psychobilly, at its core, psychobilly emerged from rockabilly, particularly the [[neo-rockabilly]] movement [in] London during the late 1970s".<ref name="furious.com"/> Katz states that "The Sharks brought in elements of [[new wave music]] to their sound." Moreover, "[i]n the song 'Take a Razor to Your Head,' they clearly seek out those breaking away from neo-rockabilly into psychobilly".<ref name="furious.com"/>

Downey acknowledges that contemporary psychobilly's roots extend into [[2 Tone (music genre)|2 Tone]] [[ska]], [[garage rock]], [[hardcore punk]], [[street punk]] and [[Oi!]].<ref name="Downey, 77"/><ref name="Downey, 78"/><ref name="Downey, 82"/> Hilary Okun, publicist for [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]] and [[Hellcat Records]], notes: "The music appeals to fans of punk, [[Indie rock|indie]], [[Heavy metal music|metal]], [[New wave music|new wave]], [[goth rock|goth]], rockabilly, [[surf rock|surf]], [and] country."<ref name="Downey, 78"/> The influence of heavy metal on the psychobilly style resulted in the [[Nekromantix]]'s 1994 album ''[[Brought Back to Life]]'' being nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] in the category of "Best Heavy Metal Album".<ref name="starkult">{{cite web |title=Nekromantix |website=Starkult Promotion |url=http://www.starkult.de/bands/index.php3?band=nekromantix.txt |access-date=July 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060809052444/http://www.starkult.de/bands/index.php3?band=nekromantix.txt |archive-date=August 9, 2006 }}</ref>

Psychobilly is commonly played with a simple [[guitar]]/[[Bass guitar|bass]]/[[Drum kit|drum]]/[[Singing|vocal]] arrangement, with many bands consisting of only [[power trio|three members]]. Often the [[guitarist]] or [[bassist]] will be the lead [[singing|vocalist]], with few acts having a dedicated singer (Mad Sin being one of the examples with a dedicated singer).

Psychobilly guitarists often play rockabilly-style hollowbody archtop guitars with f-holes and a tremolo bar. Guitarists may play punk-style power chords one moment, and then shift into rockabilly-style fingerpicking and rockabilly guitar-style seventh chords, with a heavy focus on minor chords and palm muting. Notes are often bent, either by pulling the string down or by using the tremolo bar. Gretsch hollowbody guitars are a popular choice. Guitarists often use 1950s-style tube amplifiers such as by makers such as Fender and it is common to see stacks of two speaker cabinets. As with rockabilly guitarists, the overdrive tone usually comes from what is produced naturally by overdriving the tube amp, rather than by plugging into a distortion [[Effects unit|pedal]].{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

An upright [[double bass]] is often used instead of the electric bass found in most rock bands (though an electric bass is sometimes optional). The use of the upright bass is influenced by 1950s rockabilly and rock and roll musicians, particularly in the use of [[walking bass]] lines and the use of slapping.
The bass is often played in the [[Double bass#Slap-style bass|slap style]], in which the player snaps the string by pulling it until it hits the fingerboard, or hits the strings against the fingerboard, which adds a high-pitched percussive "clack" or "slap" sound to the low-pitched notes. [[Kim Nekroman]] and [[Geoff Kresge]] are two examples of psychobilly bassists who have developed a rapid, percussive slap bass technique. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17CJcHKMsRk&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D17CJcHKMsRk This live Nekromantix song showcases Kim's rapid percussive slapping].
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUcM724fbHU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKUcM724fbHU This live Tiger Army song shows Kresge's rapid slap bass technique.]

Psychobilly bassists often use gut strings, to get the deep, low 1950s tone. Like rockabilly bassists, psychobilly bassists often use both a bridge pickup and a fingerboard pickup, with the latter being used to pick up slapping and percussive sounds. Psychobilly bassists often decorate their basses by painting them with retro pin-up style images or designs or by putting stickers on them.

[[File:HorrorPops live 03.jpg|thumb|left|[[HorrorPops]] frontwoman [[Patricia Day]] plays an elaborately decorated [[double bass]], a common instrument in psychobilly.]]
Some acts have made their upright bass the centerpiece of their stage shows; some psychobilly musicians elaborately decorate their upright bass, such as Nekromantix frontman [[Kim Nekroman]], whose "coffinbass" is in the shape of a [[coffin]], with a headstock in the shape of a [[Christian cross|cross]]. Nekroman created his original "coffinbass" from an actual child-sized coffin, and has since designed new models to achieve better acoustics, as well as collapsibility for easier transportation.<ref name="thursby">{{cite web
 |last       = Thursby
 |first      = Erin
 |title      = On the Lighter Side of Death: Interview With Nekromantix
 |website    = EU Jacksonville
 |date       = April 26, 2007
 |url        = http://eujacksonville.com/pages/04-19-07/nekromantix.htm
 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20121208124208/http://eujacksonville.com/pages/04-19-07/nekromantix.htm
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-date= December 8, 2012
 |access-date = August 10, 2007}}</ref> Another notable act to use a coffin-shaped bass is the [[Brazil]]ian psychobilly band Os Catalepticos.<ref name="Downey, 82"/> [[HorrorPops]] frontwoman [[Patricia Day]] also uses an elaborately painted and decorated double bass.

The Cramps performed without a bass player in their early career, using two guitars instead. They did not add a bass guitar to their arrangement until 1986, and have used an electric bass since that time. Cramps guitarist/bassist [[Poison Ivy (musician)|Poison Ivy]] sees this as one of the distinctions that separate the band from the psychobilly movement: "I think psychobilly has evolved into a gamut of things... It seems to involve upright bass and playing songs extremely fast. That's certainly not what we do."<ref name="Downey, 78"/>

Samantha Von Trash's history of psychobilly lists 13 essential albums for people new to psychobilly: The Cramps: ''Songs the Lord Taught Us''; Reverend Horton Heat: ''Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em''; The Misfits: ''Static Age''; Social Distortion: ''Mommy's Little Monster''; ''The Essential Johnny Cash''; Cult of the Psychic Fetus: ''Funeral Home Sessions''; Cult of the Psychic Fetus: ''She Devil''; Demented Are Go: ''Satan's Rejects''; 7 Shot Screamers: ''Keep the Flame Alive''; Nekromantix: ''Curse of the Coffin''; "Rockabilly Riot!" compilation; Thee Merry Widows' self-titled EP; Stray Cats: either ''Built For Speed'' or ''Rock This Town''.

===Stage shows===
[[File:LivingEnd2009.jpg|thumb|[[The Living End]] demonstrate psychobilly stage antics; in this photo, the guitarist is standing on top of the upright bass.|alt=]]<!-- I love the bass rig...not just an 8x10", but also ANOTHER 2x10" on top...raw power!! -->
The performance style in psychobilly concerts emphasizes high energy and a lot of interactions between the band members and with the audience. The HorrorPops sometimes switch instruments for fun, and Kim Nekroman does stunts such as playing the fingerboard of his Coffinbass with his tongue. Demented are Go are known for their wild stage show, which included simulated on-stage sex with a vacuum cleaner. The Australian band [[Zombie Ghost Train]] were known for appearing on stage in "zombified" clothes, featuring rips and bloodstains, and zombie make up, complete with fake stitches across the face.
[[File:Gibson ES-335 sunburst.jpg|thumb|upright|Psychobilly guitarists often play 1950s-style hollowbody guitars.]]
The [[Phenomenauts]] are known for their inventive and fun-filled live shows, which often include smoke machines, the Streamerator 2000, and various on-stage theatrics. [[Big John Bates]] was banned in one venue due to concerns about their overly risque stage antics. [[Deadbolt (band)|Deadbolt]] is known for its use of power tools during their live sets, and it is customary for the audience to be showered with sparks of red-hot metal during their live shows. [[King Kurt]], a 1980s band, was known for its infamous "food fight" gigs, in which eggs and bags of flour were thrown around on and off stage and audience members were given free haircuts. "King Kurt had a bad reputation for doing things that would make people question the band's stability. These included going on stage in dresses, dressed as Zulus, and playing drinking games on stage. Tabloids often accused them of mixing drugs ... into whatever they made people drink on stage, tossing dead animals into the crowds, and rampant sex occurring as they played."<ref name="furious.com"/>

"At any psychobilly show, you might see some dancing... only, it's not your average dancing. That would be what's called [[moshing|"wrecking"]]. According to wreckingpit.com, wrecking is more like a demented hybrid of "[[slam-dancing]] and freestyle wrestling". It's basically the semi-official psycho happy-dance, hence the Nekromantix song, "Struck By a Wrecking Ball"."<ref name="midnightcalling.com">{{cite web |last=Von Trash |first=Samantha |title=The Wreckin' History and Culture of Psychobilly |url=http://www.midnightcalling.com/wordpress-mc/wordpress-mc/2006/07/the-wreckin-history-and-culture-of-psychobilly/ |website=Midnight Calling |access-date=October 20, 2013 |date=July 3, 2006}}</ref> "Originally, the dancing was known as 'going mental' – this type of dancing eventually became known as 'stomping', and then finally took on its official name: 'wrecking{{'"}}.<ref name="furious.com"/> One definition of "wrecking" is "a strange form of dance that can best be described as a combination of slam dancing, [[swing dancing]], and fistfights."<ref name="furious.com"/>

===Lyrical style===
Lyrically, psychobilly bands tend to favor topics and imagery drawn from [[horror films|horror]], [[science fiction]] and [[exploitation films]], [[violence]], lurid [[human sexuality|sexuality]], and other [[taboo]] topics, usually presented in a comedic or [[tongue-in-cheek]] fashion reminiscent of the [[camp (style)|camp aesthetic]]. Shawn McIntosh and Marc Leverette note that while rockabilly and punk scenes took their retro "nostalgia very seriously, striving for authenticity", in the psychobilly scene, the "aesthetics of kitsch, camp and cheese" are openly embraced.<ref name=mcintosh>{{cite book |last1=Leverette |first1=Marc |author-link1=Marc Leverette |first2=Shawn |last2=McIntosh |title=Zombie Culture: Autopsies of the Living Dead |year=2008 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0810860438}}</ref>

Psychobilly bands drew on "all eras of horror, from Gothic novels and classic films to schlocky cold war flicks to psychological thrillers and splatter films."<ref name=mcintosh /> Psychobilly songs make reference to slashers (The Meteor's ''Michael Myers'') and serial killers (e.g., The Frantic Flintstone's ''Jack the Ripper'').<ref name=mcintosh /> Most acts avoid "serious" subjects such as politics. Original psychobilly act [[The Meteors]] articulated a very [[politics|apolitical]] stance to the scene, a reaction to the right- and left-wing political attitudes dividing British youth cultures of the late 1970s and early 1980s.<ref name="Downey, 77"/> This attitude has carried through later generations of psychobilly. [[Nekromantix]] frontman [[Kim Nekroman]] describes: "We are all different people and have different political views. Psychobilly is all about having fun. Politics is not fun and therefore has nothing to do with psychobilly!"<ref name="Downey, 78"/>
Nate Katz explains the rationale for psychobilly's apolitical stance as follows:<ref name="furious.com"/>
<blockquote>
1980 was an important year for Britain. Recently elected [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s policies led to a drastic decline in employment, especially among the blue collared and youth (Kim, 2005). A year later, there were five [[race riot]]s within the London area... On a political level, London was incredibly tense. Fans of psychobilly (known as psychos) wanted none of this, or at the very least a break from the stress created by the political world. By establishing an unwritten rule that the music was to be [[apolitical]], psychobilly music became a method of escape from the real world.</blockquote>

Katz notes that at the "same time [in the 1980s], the revival of the B-movie, particularly the return of horror movies, occurred...[,] such as ''The Howling'', ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'', a remake of ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'', ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]'', and ''An American Werewolf in London'' (All 80s Movies). Psychos gravitated towards these movies due to their lack of seriousness, mindless gore, and enjoyed the throwback to the original [[B-movies]] of the 1950s."<ref name="furious.com"/>