DIBBS PRESTON: A BRIEF HISTORY

Stephen "Dibbs" Preston was born and raised in the Harrow section of London, England.
Having been brought up in a home that always had music playing, it was just a matter of time before
the young Dibbs embraced the notion of joining a band. Particularly knocked-out by a sound
known as "Rockabilly", Dibbs got together with his mates Levi Dexter and Smutty Smith. Along
with other band mates who came and went, Dibbs, Levi & Smutty made up the nucleus of
the very influential U.K. neo-rockabilly band called "Levi & The Rockats". The band
created quite a stir on both sides of the Atlantic with their revved-up, but still pure, version
of the early rockabilly sound that they adored. Flashy in both sound and appearance, "Levi
and The Rockats" appeared on several U.S. TV programs including "The Merv Griffin Show"
(where they actually performed live and did not mime as most bands did), "The Midnight Special"
and "Don Kirschner's Rock Concert". You can see most of these clips on YouTube.

Although the band got on great with Levi Dexter, he left the band at the end of 1979 after a
show in Los Angeles. His departure left the band, now including Danny B. Harvey on guitar
and Lewis King on drums, without a vocalist. Always a brilliant singer who often sang
many of the songs that Levi and The Rockats played live, Dibbs stepped to the front
and grabbed the mic. The band carried on as "The Rockats". Several members came
and went during the early 1980s. Among them was New York Doll Jerry Nolan who played
drums with the band who were now primarily based in New York City. Amazing guitarist,
Barry Ryan also joined the band at around this time. The group's following grew steadily
and included fans like Billy Idol and Brian Setzer. The band were also very close with
musical svengali and amazing photographer, Leee Black Childers.
Trivia: The Rockats appear as extras in the Blondie video for the massive hit "Dreaming".
Again, check out YouTube...look at Dibbs' shoes!

In 1981 while on Island Records, the band recorded a live gig at the Ritz in NYC.
The show was recorded/mixed and released on vinyl within 48 hours of the performance.
That feat has, to this day, never been achieved by any other band. The album
"Live at the Ritz" remains a stellar reminder of the brilliance of the band and it's
hold on it's audience during that very open-minded period in music history.
More Trivia: Billy Idol introduced the band at the beginning of "Live At The Ritz".

Signed to RCA in 1982, The Rockats took off like a bequiffed space shuttle. An EP called,
"Make That Move" was released in early 1982. The title track became a big hit and helped
the band land a roll (as themselves) in the film "Where The Boys Are '84". During this time
the band crisscrossed the United States touring as headliners and also as support
for the most successful acts of the era.

By the mid/late 1980s, the fickle (and increasingly uneducated) musical tastes in the U.K.
and U.S.A. changed to such a degree that The Rockats took a break from touring and
recording. The band members, who by now were based all over the world found it
very difficult to stay together as a working unit. Dibbs traveled the planet during this
time working with different musicians and trying his hand as an interior designer.
He even opened a haberdashery in Ixtapa, Mexico where he made a respectable
living selling English comforts like Branston Pickle and Robinson's Squash.

The Rockats reformed in various combinations throughout the early 1990s and
played as recently as 2006. Although many of the 1980s Rockats moved on,
the nucleus of the band always included Dibbs and guitarist Barry Ryan. Although
the group didn't tour as often as they once had they did play 2 sold-out tours of Japan.
The lack of touring didn't prevent the band from writing and recording new music.
Several CDs under The Rockats banner were released from 1992 - 2005.

In 2006, Dibbs and his wife moved to Glenside, Pennsylvania. A little suburb just outside
of Philadelphia, Glenside is the home of The Blue Comet Bar & Grill. Dibbs played
the "Comet" with the Rockats dozens of times since the bar opened in 1996 and
had many friends in the area. His relocation there, from London where he lived
since the late 1990s was greeted with much enthusiasm from the local scene, much
of which was comprised with musicians and artists. Within a short period of time, a
new band was formed around Dibbs. Called "The Detonators", the group included
(along with Dibbs), the most talented musicians the burb of Philly had to offer.

The band's first show was the 2006 Glenside Street Fair. Playing on the back of a
flat-bed truck, The Detonators stunned the massive crowd that had shown up to
see their debut with a set that consisted of newly penned songs as well as several
rockabilly standards. The success of this performance ushered in a new phase of
Dibbs career. As of this writing, The Detonators are about to release their debut CD
and within weeks will begin a full tour of the U.S.A. with Dibbs' old mate from the early
1980s, Stray Cats leader, Brian Setzer. Exciting times indeed and they've only just begun.

Keep checking out DibbsPreston.com for any updates and exclusive photos.