Bohemia Village Voice

George Okines, left, with his rockabilly band Midnight Shift.

Most people have more than one string to their bow, but local businessman George Okines has four on his double bass. George, who owns Arko Property Management on Bohemia Road, has been playing in bands for 30 years. He started out on vocals and rhythm guitar, then added the saxophone, before switching many years ago to the double bass.
 The various bands George has belonged to over the years have all played 1950s rock’n’roll, or rockabilly. His current band, Midnight Shift, has been going for five years, and until recently it was strictly a family affair. ‘My daughter played the drums, my son played rhythm guitar, and my brother Colin played lead. Then about a year ago my son decided to give it up because he’s got a young family, and my daughter emigrated to the United States, so we recruited a new drummer, Brandon, and carried on as a three-piece.’ The band recently played at the Hastings Arms in the Old Town, but otherwise most of their gigs are further afield at dance or rockabilly clubs. ‘It’s a specialised audience, but there’s still a great following for the music, especially in Europe.’
 George, who is also the lead vocalist, says that the recent spate of TV programmes featuring old-time dance music has brought a new audience to rock’n’roll, to the extent that 1980s rockabilly LPs he featured on with previous bands are changing hands on eBay for as much as £30. Midnight Shift will also soon be recording a CD, which he says they’ll be selling mostly at their own gigs. Any fans of rockabilly music can catch George’s band on the Eastbourne Bandstand on 14th July and 4th August this year, while true aficionados will already know that the trio are headlining the opening night of the rock’n’roll weekender at Hemsby in Norfolk on 11th October.