Back in the 1980s sightings of The Mudcats were frequent in the Reading Berkshire area, where this strange species soon attracted a devoted following eager to see them in their natural habitat: offbeat venues like The Paradise Club and Hatton’s. Fans of the Mudcat Man would scream unnervingly at his bizarre moves and eccentric delivery of classic R&B and swampy rockabilly. Sadly, Mudcat spottings became so rare as the new decade approached (the 90s that is), it was widely believed the species had become extinct. But no…. The desire to Crawl and Shake It Up with chaotic frenzy became too great, so after a series of scorching reunion gigs, The Mudcats tumbled into the studio. The result is this electrifying retrospective of their inimitable repertoire. Recently recorded with the benefit of 30 years’ advancement in music technology, as well as a smattering of arthritis and hearing loss, Shake It Up is a compilation of classic covers together with Mudcats originals that helped define the band’s unique and slightly alarming sound. The Mudcats may be older, but they’re still on a Knife Edge, their raw, urgent rhythms cutting through complacency and defying anyone with a beating pulse to Stay In Line. Listen up and grab your rockin’ shoes! You’ll soon be crawling with the Cats, and viewing insects in a new, friendly, light. If you enjoy it – tell your friends. If you don’t – visit your doctor! And meet us on Facebook @themudcatsuk Recorded by the talented and ever-patient Martin Nichols at The White House studios in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, Shake It Up stars the original Mudcats line-up of: Howard Eason – vocals Phil Harriss – harmonica and keyboards Adrian Swinburne – guitar John Patterson – bass Pete Hall – drums Track listing: 1. Told You Before (Hall/Swinburne) 2. The Crawl (Shuler/Victorian) 3. Diddy Wah Diddy (Dixon/McDaniel) 4. The Key (Eason/Swinburne) 5. Stay In Line (Eason/Swinburne) 6. Little Darlin’ Be Mine (Leady) 7. Shake It Up (Eason/Swinburne) 8. Hey There Little Insect (Richman) 9. Good Rockin’ Tonight (Brown) 10. Cadillac (McDaniel) 11. Teen Dream (Harriss) 12. I’m Lost Without You (Chatman) 13. Knife Edge (Hall) 14. Drunk On Love (Eason/Swinburne)