Siân Greenaway is flying the flag for the genre that hipness forgot: 70s glam rock. “It’s joyous music,” she says enthusiastically and without irony. “It’s not serious, it’s uplifting, it makes you feel good. I want to reinvent glam rock for a modern-day audience.”
This hugely admirable mission is embodied in the form of Bobbie Dazzle, the singer’s catsuit-wearing, bellbottom-swinging, Glitter-beat-stomping alter ego. Bobbie Dazzle’s glamtastic debut album, Fandabidozi (yes, it’s a Krankies reference), is an exhilarating homage to the glory days of Sweet, Suzi Quatro, David Bowie, Marc Bolan and fellow West Midlanders Slade and Wizzard. Bostin’ anthems Back To The City, Merry Go Round and April Showers are powered by Greenaway’s full-throated voice, epic choruses and her occasional burst of flute.
It’s proudly nostalgic, but there’s a poignant backstory to it too. Greenaway, who used to sing in stoner-doom band Alunah, began working on the songs in early 2023, but it became more urgent when her sister Coralie became ill. “My sister knew about it and she was so proud,” says Greenaway. When Coralie passed away last July, the singer “just threw myself into it. It was such a juxtaposition to all the grief. It really did get me through a tough time.”
There’s another familial aspect to it, too. Greenaway’s late father, Martin, was a big fan of glam and punk in his youth, and was an amateur musician. She inherited his old records via Coralie. While she was sifting through them, she discovered pieces of paper that had on them lyrics written by her dad. One of those lyrics features in Fandabidozi’s exuberant opening track, Lightning Fantasy.
“It felt like both my sister and my dad were saying, ‘Here you go, Siân, this is a little help from us,’” she says. “There was another one called Castrator, which I didn’t use. I don’t think I can get away with a song that talks about cutting a guy’s balls off.”
On one level, Bobbie Dazzle is a way for Greenaway to stay connected to her sister and father. On another level it’s purely about making good-time music during a period when good times are hard to come by. “There’s a lot of craziness going on,” she says, “and we just need room to strut our stuff.”
She’s strutted her stuff at a handful of live shows so far and plans more. Her band includes guitarist Tadhg Bean-Bradley, bassist Leon Smith, drummer Eddy Geach and keyboard player/ backing vocalist Chris Dando, all of whom played on the album. And Bobbie Dazzle herself? Less a Ziggy Stardust-style character, more an extension of her own personality.
“It’s who I am on stage,” she says. “It’s still me, it’s not a character. Bobbie Dazzle is something I did for myself, and whoever wants to come along for the ride is more than welcome. It’s brought me joy, and I want to share that joy.”
Fandabidozi is out now via Rise Above.
