Song of the Day (Shocktober): The Meteors “My Daddy Is A Vampire”

English psychobilly trio, The Meteors, hit pay dirt on this track from their debut EP, Meteor Madness. The song is a goofy 1950’s callback that combines rhythm & blues guitars with ghoulish imagery. Powered by a slinky, tremolo-soaked guitar figure, lyrics about a family of monsters right out of a Universal Horror Movie, slow verses and a chorus that kicks jerkily into a blues shuffle, the song is an irresistible slice of festive kitsh.

The Meteors were one of the very first psychobilly groups to break through into the mainstream in Britain. While psychobilly was originally an American phenomena, likely originating in New York in the 1970’s with The Cramps, the music remained relatively underground in America, but gained significant popularity in Britain. This largely came down to The Meteors‘ meteoric (pun intended) rise in the UK and European charts throughout the early 1980s. Indeed, the group have been called “the first true psychobilly band” thanks to their blend of the “themes of horror, punk and rockabilly”.

The Meteors began in London in 1980 when P. Paul Fenech (guitar and vocals), Nigel Lewis (bass and vocals), and Mark Robertson (drums) decided to experiment with a new sound that mixed horror and science fiction lyrics with a punk rock / rockabilly crossover. The band were notably faster and more primitive/garage rock oriented than The Cramps, from who they took at least part of their influence. The group continues to this day, though Fenech remains the only founding member still in the group.