Psychobilly duo The Living Deads headlined a wild show at Mavericks on Saturday night.

Consisting of drummer Randee McKnight and blue-haired bassist Symphony Tidwell, The Living Deads are what it would sound like if a pair of 1950s rock-n-rollers stumbled into the hardcore punk scene (or vice versa).

Tidwell and McKnight trade vocal duties, with McKnight on drums and occasionally guitar and Tidwell expertly plucking a stand-up bass. Mixing crashing drums and raw vocals with arrangements drawn from old-school rockabilly and girl group pop, they make music to mosh to or twist to (the crowd at Mavericks danced, for what it’s worth).

Saturday’s frenetic set was filled with raucus tunes like  “Robot Kids” and trashy romance anthem “Everything is Broke But Our Love,” as well as a handful of sparse blues ballads. They also saluted the pioneers of their genre with a cheeky cover of The Cramps’s “Like a Bad Girl Should.”

The Living Deads were preceded by Montreal psychobilly trio The Lab Ratz and Ottawa-based GOAT! who played a set of punchy, raunchy punk songs and endeared themselves to the crowd by handing out drink tickets.

Symphony Tidwell

Lineup: The Living Deads / The Lab Ratz / GOAT!

Venue: Mavericks

Date: April 21, 2018