The Rocktigers: Killing what's wrong in South Korea's music industry

In March this year, South Korean rock and roll band the Rocktigers (English site) released their third studio album, "Rock 'N' Roll Licence". Their first two albums, "Come On Let's Go" (2003) and "Oldies But Goodies" (2007) were fairly well received within the alternative music scene in South Korea but especially so in Japan. Inspired by Japanese garage punk band Guitar Wolf, founding members Tiger and Rock, whilst actively involved in the South Korean indie scene, resolved to bring this high energy music and its associated style to the country and set out to find the members that would eventually form the Rocktigers. 

Click the image above for more scenes from the Rocktigers' gigs

Trend-kill to Kimchibilly

According to their website, the Rocktigers "offer a trend-kill to all that's wrong with the Korean music industry. Spicing up the classic rockabilly sound, the Rocktigers are giving you rockabilly that's vintage and modern from Seoul: Kimchibilly. You haven't tasted Seoul until you've had a taste of Kimchibilly." Fans will certainly vouch that the Rocktigers are somewhat unique in South Korea, even amongst fellow purveyors of alternative music. 

They offer a real music experience complete with showmanship, or what should from now on be referred to as show-womanship in honour of lead singer Velvet Geena (the other members being Tiger, Roy, Eddie Tarantula and Jack "The Knife".) This feisty, sexy, energetic and seemingly indefatigable diva who with her cropped blonde hair, thrashes around the stage as if following Mark Twain's advice to "Dance like nobody's watching". She fronts the band but occasionally steps back to allow some bass twirling or pompadour swaying from the other members. 

The RockTiger cult

The Rocktigers are not part of mainstream Korean music and are unlikely to ever be, given the way the Korean music scene is orchestrated, but they are popular in Japan where the genre itself is much more popular. The band does have a cult following, particularly in the clubs around Seoul's Hongik University but increasingly in other cites across the country. 

The Rocktigers, who truly are a live band who have to be seen to be fully appreciated, have been plying their own brand of rockabilly at various festivals around the country and region ever since their debut album was released. 

They played at the closing ceremony at the seventh Annual Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in 2003. In 2004, they made their international debut at the annual Tokyo Big Rumble psychobilly festival; and more recently they played at the Jeonju International Film Festival, as well as plenty of domestic TV appearances and incessant gigging around the country, administering hearty doses of rock and roll to South Korean club audiences.

It ain't K-pop

The classic rock and roll guitar riffs may at first sound a little strange with Korean lyrics laid over the top but just like green tea ice cream or pickled cabbage, it's a fusion of styles and cultures that many people grow to love. It's refreshing too as South Korean TV is dominated by K-pop, the manufactured and frankly fraudulent music that seeps, like a populist sludge, out of the corporate offices in Apgujeong and Gangnam amongst others, and this couldn't be further from it.

RockTiger future

They have a Japanese EP in the works that will include some Korean songs recorded in Japanese and it will feature a remake of a popular Japanese song by The Venus. To promote the release, the Rocktigers will be headlining a Japanese tour that will include Japanese band Blue Angel and former singer of The Venus, Conny. 

The band is also rehearsing songs in English for an upcoming album that may put them on the radar of the United States and could blast them toward the dizzying and life-changing heights of international acclaim. This would give the band a chance to fulfil one of their ambitions, to take Kimchibilly home to its musical roots. Referring to the band's upcoming tour of Japan, manager and friend Jaeyoon Lee said, "Our goal is to play some dates in the United States and this tour is a stepping stone to that." 

Better news for fans resident in South Korea is the upcoming tribute to "The Runaways". Coinciding with the biopic film about the band, the Queens of Noise show will be an all-girl affair (aside from the pompadour sporting members of the Rocktigers of course) and will feature Rubber Duckie, Story Seller and 8 Bit. There is also another concert being lined up for the end of August.

With their energetic and lighthearted stage presence it would be a surprise not to eventually see the Rocktigers in venues all over Europe and North America and I will be glad to say that I knew of them before they hit the big time.

For more info on the band have a look at www.rocktigers.com and become a fan of their Facebook page or better still get hold of a few albums. The Rocktigers Korean albums are available on Amazon and iTunes as well as other global online retailers.