El Destroyo are scene-changers. Before they arrived, the word “rockabilly” had barely seen ink in the pages of our newspapers and magazines. Now, for the few hundred people who have had the privilege to see this trio play live in Hong Kong, the rock-hillbilly hybrid has become associated with the words “fuck yeah!”. With Kiwi-born Billy Dean Cochran slamming it upfront with ass-kicking hooks on guitar, Maggie “Da Countess” Chang thumping it out on bass, and her hubby Babatunji “Bam Bam” Heath pounding out a riot on drums, they are winning over audiences with every kick and lick. The band demonstrate the limits to which music can be pushed, with just three instruments, a foot-to-floor mentality, and a lot of sweat.

In a curious billing, they’re joined at the Fringe by ska outfit Transnoodle, who have been improving with every outing. Despite often-whimsical songs about everything from Mormons to curry dinners, this seven-, sometimes eight-, and occasionally nine-piece band are a great to see, and dance to, live.

In Sydney, where El Destroyo’s Cochran lived for 20 years, there are regular and well-attended ska versus rockabilly nights. We shouldn’t hold out hope for anything similar anytime soon – after all, these guys are probably the only acts of their types in the city – but we can at least get a taste of what we’re missing.

John Lloyd