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SIN ALLEY

Psycho-rockabilly-surf band from Lier.

 
Songs
 

"Headin' For Vegas"
60 sec. - 118 Kb.
song : Sin Alley
Year : 1995
Record co. : C.O.C.K.

"Detroit 442"
60 sec. - 118 Kb.
song : Sin Alley
Year : 1996
Produced : Walter Broes
Record co.:
Demolition Derby

"White Trash Mama"
60 sec. - 118 Kb.
song : Sin Alley
Year : 1996
Produced : Walter Broes
Record co. :
Demolition Derby

 
   

The oldest traces of the band Sin Alley can be found in Franky & The Rednecks, a rockabilly band that had an ever changing set of musicians between 1983 en 1992, including Alain van den Brande (earlier with The Rowdies) and guitarist Ruben Block. In 1992, they decided to form the band Tiny Tinne & The Texas Jumpers together with drummer Koen Verbeek (who had been playing in a number of bands together with Filip Casteels - later El Fish - such as Shakey & The Hunting Tones, The Grasshoppers and The Crawlin' Kingsnake Rhythm & Blues Band ) and the short but spectacular female singer Martine Vanhoof. After a couple of months Tiny Tinne and her outfit changed the name of the band to Sin Alley.

 

After a first EP "Let's Dance", they recorded a CD/LP "Headin' For Vegas" in 1995. The sound of the band had evolved from rockabilly to rockabilly with psycho-, garage- & surf-influences (eg. the surf-instrumental "Dale's Dick", which was described by an adept of the genre from the USA as "A tribute to the big guy himself. This track shreds mercilessly, with big glissandos and major double pickage, plus an over all evil sound. Big twang and plenty of speed. It ain't no Fender sound, but then it doesn't seem to matter. A real grinder").

Within the psycho-rockalilly-surf "subculture", the CD was eagerly accepted. Zine Cosmic Debris for example wrote about "Headin' For Vegas": "This CD is, simply put, one of the most insane, balls-out, kick-ass Rock 'n' Roll records I've heard in a while! Put Wanda Jackson circa 1959 and Reverend Horton Heat in a blender and you'll get Sin Alley. Hailing from Belgium, they are fronted by the gorgeous and strong-voiced Martine Van Hoot, Sin Alley create a whirlwind of rockabilly, blues, country and punk that rarely lets up...".

 

More conventional sources such as Mvs in Humo on the contrary said things like : "The members of Sin Alley do have the looks it takes in these circles (royally applied brilliantine, finely trimmed sideburns, goatees at the right spot and one of grandad's wrong shirts around the shoulders) ánd really know how to move about in the shadowy underworld where bands like The Cramps have been roaming for ages. Sin Alley's sound is swinging and even exciting, but after about four songs we found out that the hideous squeaking and noise coming from the speakers wasn't a technical malfunction, but the voice of singer Martine Van Hoof. ... When they would give this singer to de Lama's, maybe something good would come from this band. If not, Sin Alley runs a terrible risk of becoming a blind alley."

At the end of 1995, drummer Koen Verbeek left the band (he would start a new band named Los Fabulous Frankies and would also feature in Runnin' Wild), and his place within Sin Alley was taken by Batmobile's drummer Johnny Z (Batmobile is the main Psychobilly band of the Netherlands, and also at the cradle of the Count Orlock label, on which the Headin' For Vegas CD was issued).

band pic 1996, photo Bart Verwilt

In 1996, the band issued a double single "Detroit 442" (in transparent blue and red vinyl) with 5 tracks - featuring a cover of song "Money" of the Sonics, in a production by Walter Broes (the singer of the great rootsrockband The Seatsniffers).

News about the band after this got very scarce, and the band died a subsequent silent death. A few years after these last life-signs, Ruben Block appeared on the scene with Trigger Finger (together with Noordkaap's Mario Goossens and Wladimir Geels) and together with Sin-Alley singer Martine van Hoof and Ashbury Faith's Axl Peleman in the poprock band à la Garbage AngeliCo. Martine (about 1,50 m. and sometimes labeled the Debbie Harry of Lier) about this in Gazet van Antwerpen : "I don't think we are going to conquer the world any longer. The years in Sin Alley have tought me experience and a sense for putting things in perspective".

Band members :
- Ruben Block (guitars, 6-string bass, backing vocals)
- Alain van den Brande (bass)
- Martine Van Hoof (vocals)
- Johnny Zuidhof (Johnny Z) / Koen Verbeek (Drums)

Buy CD's of this band at proxis

Albums :
- Let's Dance (EP, Demolition Derby 1994)
- Headin' For Vegas (Count Orlock (CD) / Nitro (LP), 1995)
- Detroit 442 (double single, red & blue vinyl, Demolition Derby, 1996)

Websites :
- the Sin Alley photo page
- Sin Alley at Psycho Bands
- the career of their first drummer Koen Verbeek, now in Los Fabulous Frankies
- the homepage of Batmobile (met Johnny Z)
- Trigger Finger, one of the current bands of Ruben Block
- Angelico, the current band of Ruben & Martine
- Demolition Derby, the label that published the Sin Alley LP's & singles.

Forum :
- Read the messages/questions about Sin Alley
- Add your message, question, cd- or concertreview ... about Sin Alley

 

 

   
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Last update to this site : December 2001.

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