Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour News
SLIM JIM PHANTOM
COMING TO THE CLIFFS PAVILION - 7 FEBRUARY 2018
AS SPECIAL GUEST OF THE DAMNED
TO PROMOTE HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY
A STRAY CAT STRUTS
My Life as a Rockabilly Rebel by Slim Jim Phantom
"And now for my friend Slim Jim Phantom, 'Opportunity Knocks.' Don't screw it up, boy!"
Lemmy, Motorhead
SLIM JIM PHANTOM
COMING TO THE CLIFFS PAVILION - 7 FEBRUARY 2018
AS SPECIAL GUEST OF THE DAMNED
TO PROMOTE HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY
A STRAY CAT STRUTS
My Life as a Rockabilly Rebel by Slim Jim Phantom
"And now for my friend Slim Jim Phantom, 'Opportunity Knocks.' Don't screw it up, boy!"
Lemmy, Motorhead
Slim Jim Phantom, a true rock-n-roll icon as the legendary drummer for the Stray Cats is set to be special guest on The Damned UK tour for 2018. Jim’s band will include long-term friends from The Pretenders James Walbourne (guitar) and Nick Wilkinson ( double bass).This year Jim released his autobiography entitled ‘A Stray Cat Struts – My Life As A Rockabilly Rebel’, published by St Martin’s Press.
A veteran of the London and LA music scenes, Slim Jim recounts in his memoir not just the Stray Cats' rise, but a different type of life spent in the upper echelon of rock-and-roll stardom. With a love for 50s rock-n-roll the Stray Cats took inspiration from that bygone era and mixed with their youthful energy and aggression produced the updated hard-edged rockabilly sound that saw them conquer the UK, Europe and the U.S; gaining friends and fans like Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned and Robert Plant and many more along the way. He talks about his ten year marriage to actress Britt Ekland, his move down the Hollywood Hills to Sunset Strip, where his son was raised and his own world-famous rock-and-roll bar Cat Club.
In June 1980, 19-year-old James McDonnell (known as Slim Jim Phantom) boarded a plane from New York City to London with his childhood friends and band mates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker. In less than a year, they went from being homeless, hungry, and living in punk rock squats to the toast of the London music scene, spearheading the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 80s. The Stray Cats had numerous hit singles; their classic album “Built for Speed” went double platinum, and their song “Rock This Town” is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of “The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.”
In the last several years, Slim Jim has continued to work with many legendary musicians including Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and long time David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick. He’s also partnered with British guitar ace Darrel Higham under the band name Katmen; the pair released a critically acclaimed rockabilly record on Decca records, toured extensively and appeared on the British TV show Later … with Jools Holland. He has also worked on numerous other projects including his own explosive self-named roots-rock trio, and HeadCat, co-starring the sadly departed Lemmy Kilmister and Danny B. Harvey. Jim also enjoyed a stint playing with The Killer, rock-n-roll originator Jerry Lee Lewis, and even performed in a now-mythological band called The Cheap Dates with acting legend Harry Dean Stanton, a long-time pal of his.
He currently is a member of The Jack Tars, a punk super group that currently includes long time collaborators Mike Peters and Captain Sensible, plus rotating members that include Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses, Chris Cheney from The Living End and long time fan and fellow Long Islander Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live and Portlandia.
Jim is deeply committed to charitable works, too: he climbed both Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro for Love Hope Strength Foundation (an organization co-founded by Mike Peters of The Alarm that benefits cancer research) with fellow rockers Peters, Robin Wilson from the Gin Blossoms, Cy Curnin from the Fixx and Glenn Tillbrook from Squeeze. The treks were filmed for a National Geographic documentary that was shown on National Geographic channel and VH1.
Over 30 years and millions of record sales later and Slim Jim Phantom continues to inspire and excite audiences worldwide. With a sound, style and image that remain as fresh today as they ever were, Phantom has cemented his place among rock royalty. Considered by many as the coolest drummer in rock-n-roll, Phantom’s influence is still clearly felt on today’s music scene with countless rockabilly drummers imitating his pioneering stand-up style.
Jim resides in Los Angeles, California when he’s not out touring the world.
A veteran of the London and LA music scenes, Slim Jim recounts in his memoir not just the Stray Cats' rise, but a different type of life spent in the upper echelon of rock-and-roll stardom. With a love for 50s rock-n-roll the Stray Cats took inspiration from that bygone era and mixed with their youthful energy and aggression produced the updated hard-edged rockabilly sound that saw them conquer the UK, Europe and the U.S; gaining friends and fans like Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned and Robert Plant and many more along the way. He talks about his ten year marriage to actress Britt Ekland, his move down the Hollywood Hills to Sunset Strip, where his son was raised and his own world-famous rock-and-roll bar Cat Club.
In June 1980, 19-year-old James McDonnell (known as Slim Jim Phantom) boarded a plane from New York City to London with his childhood friends and band mates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker. In less than a year, they went from being homeless, hungry, and living in punk rock squats to the toast of the London music scene, spearheading the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 80s. The Stray Cats had numerous hit singles; their classic album “Built for Speed” went double platinum, and their song “Rock This Town” is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of “The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.”
In the last several years, Slim Jim has continued to work with many legendary musicians including Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and long time David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick. He’s also partnered with British guitar ace Darrel Higham under the band name Katmen; the pair released a critically acclaimed rockabilly record on Decca records, toured extensively and appeared on the British TV show Later … with Jools Holland. He has also worked on numerous other projects including his own explosive self-named roots-rock trio, and HeadCat, co-starring the sadly departed Lemmy Kilmister and Danny B. Harvey. Jim also enjoyed a stint playing with The Killer, rock-n-roll originator Jerry Lee Lewis, and even performed in a now-mythological band called The Cheap Dates with acting legend Harry Dean Stanton, a long-time pal of his.
He currently is a member of The Jack Tars, a punk super group that currently includes long time collaborators Mike Peters and Captain Sensible, plus rotating members that include Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses, Chris Cheney from The Living End and long time fan and fellow Long Islander Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live and Portlandia.
Jim is deeply committed to charitable works, too: he climbed both Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro for Love Hope Strength Foundation (an organization co-founded by Mike Peters of The Alarm that benefits cancer research) with fellow rockers Peters, Robin Wilson from the Gin Blossoms, Cy Curnin from the Fixx and Glenn Tillbrook from Squeeze. The treks were filmed for a National Geographic documentary that was shown on National Geographic channel and VH1.
Over 30 years and millions of record sales later and Slim Jim Phantom continues to inspire and excite audiences worldwide. With a sound, style and image that remain as fresh today as they ever were, Phantom has cemented his place among rock royalty. Considered by many as the coolest drummer in rock-n-roll, Phantom’s influence is still clearly felt on today’s music scene with countless rockabilly drummers imitating his pioneering stand-up style.
Jim resides in Los Angeles, California when he’s not out touring the world.
"Slim Jim Phantom is to drumming what Woody Guthrie is to guitar playing. That attack. Have we invented the definition for 'roots drumming' yet? Let's do it now. So much rhythm and power, all from just a few drums. Expressive and driving, all done while standing up. He was and is part of a musical movement that was huge and unexpected." Fred Armisen
"Slim Jim is the real deal. He is a rock-and-roll star of the highest order, and the pages of this book will no doubt enlighten the lives of anyone who reads them, be they seasoned troubadours or fired-up angry young men in search of the kind of rock and roll that began with Elvis and lives on within the noble heart of Slim Jim Phantom." Mike Peters, The Alarm
"Jim is pretty much unfazed by anything—send a plane ticket and a few bucks to pay the bills, and he's more than happy jamming in a bierkeller with a Bavarian rockabilly ensemble ... Unlike a lot of drummers who mainly listen to themselves, Jim plays the song, contributing to the arrangement in the same way his hero Ringo did." Captain Sensible, The Damned
"Slim is still youthful and hot-headed, but he lays down a strong beat and is a big help with the daily crossword puzzle." Harry Dean Stanton
"Who woulda thunk that while punk was reigniting the spirit of rock and roll, a rockabilly revival was trickling under the door. When in swept the Stray Cats clear across the mainstream, and that primal boppin' energy was fresh again. No more would vintage rock and roll be viewed as mere oldies or '50s music, filtered through a Happy Days glaze of Sha Na Na and American Graffiti. This sound was now! When was the last time an upright bass was cool? And who had ever seen a stand-up drummer, let alone with the onstage spin and sparkle of Slim Jim Phantom?" Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys
"Slim Jim Phantom, a long drink of water and a master of the spectacularly cool, less-is-more approach to drumming. A tough cookie in his drape coat but a mensch underneath, our man has a wealth of talent and from a lifetime of being in with the in crowd, a tale for every occasion." Glen Matlock, The Sex Pistols
Links to purchase the book: http://bit.ly/2cxBaCy http://amzn.to/2cJYb6N
"Slim Jim is the real deal. He is a rock-and-roll star of the highest order, and the pages of this book will no doubt enlighten the lives of anyone who reads them, be they seasoned troubadours or fired-up angry young men in search of the kind of rock and roll that began with Elvis and lives on within the noble heart of Slim Jim Phantom." Mike Peters, The Alarm
"Jim is pretty much unfazed by anything—send a plane ticket and a few bucks to pay the bills, and he's more than happy jamming in a bierkeller with a Bavarian rockabilly ensemble ... Unlike a lot of drummers who mainly listen to themselves, Jim plays the song, contributing to the arrangement in the same way his hero Ringo did." Captain Sensible, The Damned
"Slim is still youthful and hot-headed, but he lays down a strong beat and is a big help with the daily crossword puzzle." Harry Dean Stanton
"Who woulda thunk that while punk was reigniting the spirit of rock and roll, a rockabilly revival was trickling under the door. When in swept the Stray Cats clear across the mainstream, and that primal boppin' energy was fresh again. No more would vintage rock and roll be viewed as mere oldies or '50s music, filtered through a Happy Days glaze of Sha Na Na and American Graffiti. This sound was now! When was the last time an upright bass was cool? And who had ever seen a stand-up drummer, let alone with the onstage spin and sparkle of Slim Jim Phantom?" Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys
"Slim Jim Phantom, a long drink of water and a master of the spectacularly cool, less-is-more approach to drumming. A tough cookie in his drape coat but a mensch underneath, our man has a wealth of talent and from a lifetime of being in with the in crowd, a tale for every occasion." Glen Matlock, The Sex Pistols
Links to purchase the book: http://bit.ly/2cxBaCy http://amzn.to/2cJYb6N
For tickets at Cliffs Pavilion Southend go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Tour dates are as follows:
JANUARY
Fri 26TH NEWCASTLE – o2 Academy
Sat 27th DUNDEE – Cairn Hall
Sun 28th GLASGOW – o2 Academy
Tues 30th LEEDS – o2 Academy
Wed 31st MANCHESTER – Academy 1
FEBRUARY
Thurs 1st BIRMINGHAM – o2 Academy
Sat 3rd LEICESTER – o2 Academy
Sun 4th NOTTINGHAM – Rock City
Tues 6th FOLKESTONE – Leas Cliff Hall
Wed 7th SOUTHEND – Cliffs Pavilion
Fri 9th CARDIFF – Great Hall
Sat 10th BRISTOL – o2 Academy
Sun 11th BOURNEMOUTH – o2 Academy
Tues 13th SOUTHAMPTON – o2 Guildhall
Wed 14th BEXHILL – De La Warr Pavilion
Sat 17th LONDON – o2 Forum
JANUARY
Fri 26TH NEWCASTLE – o2 Academy
Sat 27th DUNDEE – Cairn Hall
Sun 28th GLASGOW – o2 Academy
Tues 30th LEEDS – o2 Academy
Wed 31st MANCHESTER – Academy 1
FEBRUARY
Thurs 1st BIRMINGHAM – o2 Academy
Sat 3rd LEICESTER – o2 Academy
Sun 4th NOTTINGHAM – Rock City
Tues 6th FOLKESTONE – Leas Cliff Hall
Wed 7th SOUTHEND – Cliffs Pavilion
Fri 9th CARDIFF – Great Hall
Sat 10th BRISTOL – o2 Academy
Sun 11th BOURNEMOUTH – o2 Academy
Tues 13th SOUTHAMPTON – o2 Guildhall
Wed 14th BEXHILL – De La Warr Pavilion
Sat 17th LONDON – o2 Forum