SKYROCKET! (formerly the K Tel Hit Machine)

Artist Information

Biography

WINNNER: 2007 SXSW AUSTIN MUSIC AWARD 'BEST COVER BAND

WINNER: 2006 AUSTIN CHRONICLE CRITICS CHOICE AWARD

SKYROCKET! is perhaps the most wickedly original party band to emerge from any music scene, let alone a city like Austin where original music rules. Two things make SKYROCKET! stand out: 1) The players. All of them are recording artists in their own right. Maybe you've seen them before, on tour, on TV, or performing around Austin. 2) The songs. It all started when this handful of the city's most successful and well-loved songwriters discovered a common passion for '70s "solid-gold" music: Disco, glam rock, soft rock and soul one-hit wonders. One forgotten hit led to another, then the '70s led to the '80s, and the song list grew, cherry-picked for the ones most likely to get screams of sudden recognition from the audience. They caught on quickly as one of the freshest, funnest dance bands around. By the end of 2005, they had even charmed city's impossible-to-charm music critics at the Austin Chronicle's holiday bash, and the band's popularity, well, skyrocketed from there.

"What started as a goof among friends has certainly grown – have them quote their fee sometime – but hasn't really changed; it's still a bunch of friends, who happen to be some of Austin's most talented musicians, getting together to jam on songs they all grew up on. The songs may be other people's, but what makes Skyrocket so delicious is that they do them with a style all their own." --Austin Chronicle

Instrumentation

TRISH MURPHY - vocals, guitar BENJAMIN HOTCHKISS - vocals, conga, glockenspiel JOHNNY GOUDIE - keyboards, guitar, vocals KYLE CRUSHAM - guitar, keyboards PAUL ENGLISH - guitar, vocals MIKE BELILE - bass DARIN MURPHY - drums, vocals

Discography

Audio

• SKYROCKET! Hit Storm
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Video

Introducing SKYROCKET!

Photo Gallery

Press

• 2007 AUSTIN MUSIC AWARDS
  

  WINNER - BEST COVER BAND SKYROCKET!

• AUSTIN CHRONICLE'S CRITIC'S CHOICE, BEST OF 2006 [+ Show ]
  

  BEST REASON TO PAWN YOUR KARAOKE MACHINE: The K-Tel Hit Machine That the K-Tel Hit Machine is one...BEST REASON TO PAWN YOUR KARAOKE MACHINE: The K-Tel Hit Machine
  
  That the K-Tel Hit Machine is one of the most beloved bands in originality-obsessed Austin should be no surprise to anyone who's seen them do "Hot Legs." Or packed into Antone's for their ELO tribute. Or salivated over their looming "Eighties explosion." What started as a goof among friends has certainly grown – have them quote their fee sometime – but hasn't really changed; it's still a bunch of friends, who happen to be some of Austin's most talented musicians, getting together to jam on songs they all grew up on. The songs may be other people's, but what makes K-Tel so delicious is that they do them with a style all their own.

• TRIBEZA MAGAZINE [+ Show ]
  

  The Wedding Singer Retro Show "What defines a typical cover band is their song selection. They s...The Wedding Singer
  Retro Show
  
  "What defines a typical cover band is their song selection. They sort of go for the low-hanging fruit and play things that people expect to hear," said Trish Murphy, member of Skyrocket and successful solo rock artist in her own right. In contrast, said Murphy: "We ask something of the audience. We ask them to suspend their normal expectations and follow us around musically." Expect the unexpected from Skyrocket, the seven-member Austin band formerly known as the K-Tel Hit Machine, that resurrects long-lost radio hits from the seventies and eighties. The kitschy lineup includes "Boogie Fever," "Baby Come Back," "Girls on Film" and "All Out of Love." The members of Skyrocket, all of them songwriters, delight in performing well-written pop tunes.

• FAN MAIL [+ Show ]
  

  All I can say is: You guys saw 175 faces, and you rocked them all! Thank you for making my wedding s...All I can say is: You guys saw 175 faces, and you rocked them all! Thank you for making my wedding so awesome and memorable.
  Laura Moser, co-author of “The Rise and Fall of a 10th Grade Social Climber” 5/19/07
  
  My friends are still talking about how much fun they had at our reception. You guys really brought your party hats that night, and blew everyone away. Thanks for making my reception so memorable for us. I love that people are calling me the rock star bride :)
  Amy Pearce, 5/12/07
  
  I'm still thinking about what fun my birthday party was on Saturday. Your band was really the big hit of the evening. Maybe you noticed a group of about 20 folks who never left the dance floor? I've known most of them for 15 years or more and I've never seen them dance like they did on Saturday. We all had such a blast! So thank you for bringing such fun to the party. Your choice of music was perfect and we could all really feel the energy pouring off the stage. Your whole group was just terrific.
  Paul E. Hoffman, Chief Operating Officer Calendar Club L.L.C. 1/13/07
  
  You made us look like heroes to our friends and clients. Let’s do it again!
  JoAnne McKinney, Realty World, Juhn Horton & Associates 9/8/06
  
  When everyone is high-fiving each other and singing with abandon, that's all you need to know. Coming soon to a flashback near you. Don't miss it.
  Ed Bailey, VP Brand Development, Austin City Limits
  
  Order yourself a tall glass of Boone's Farm and prepare to be elevated. It's a blast!
  Susan Castle, Music Director, KGSR radio Austin
  
  The band BLEW the lid right off the party. There will be a new following for SKYROCKET so get ready. My cup is overflowing with love and joy and our hearts are still recovering from all the excitement. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
  Abby & Casey Ford, married 6/17/06
  
  (Skyrocket) was the star band for the Austin International Consular Ball for 2006! Mayor Wynn recommended them for the event and now I am a huge fan. The international audience loved them and more people danced than in any of the past events. Thumbs up and five stars!
  Adrienne Carter Hughto, President, Solution Nation, 2006 Event Board
  
  The K-Tel Hit Machine [now SKYROCKET] absolutely MADE our wedding reception. If you're looking for something a little more fun, original, and definitely a little more "Austin," than your typical "Mustang Sally-playing" wedding band, don't pass them up. You won't remember who originally sang the gems The Hit Machine cranks out, but you'll definitely remember loving the songs and you'll have a great time dancing to them...again. Three months after our wedding, guests are still talking about the show they put on that night.
  Sherry & Randy Sims, 11/19/05
  
  Book this band and you will party like it's 1979. You will know all the songs, even though you won't want to admit it, and proceed to sing along and have a helluva night. More than just a cover band, K-Tel Hit Machine is a tribute band composed of A-List Austin musicians who have a love for the hits of the 70's and 80's.
  Erin Collier, Austin Chronicle Holiday Party 2005
  
  Lucky me! Through a friend I booked the K-Tel Hit Machine for our Octoberfest event. What arrived were some of Austin's coolest recording artists from across the spectrum. Everyone could feel each other reminiscing....dancing a lot....and at the end screaming for more! more! more!
  John Constantine 10/7/2005
  

Setlist

ALL OUT OF LOVE – Air Supply
AMERICAN GIRL – Tom Petty
ANY WAY YOU WANT IT – Journey
BABY COME BACK – Player
BAD TIME (to be in love) – Grand Funk Railroad
BRANDY (You're a Fine Girl) -- Looking Glass
BOOGIE FEVER – The Sylvers
CALL ME - Blondie
CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD – ELO
COOL FOR CATS - Squeeze
COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT – Climax Blues Band
COUNT ON ME – Jefferson Starship
CRAZY ON YOU - Heart
CRUEL TO BE KIND -- Nick Lowe
DANCING QUEEN -- Abba
DEVIL WOMAN – Cliff Richard
DON’T BRING ME DOWN – ELO
DON’T YOU (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
DO YA -- ELO
DO YA THINK I’M SEXY – Rod Stewart
DO YA WANNA TOUCH ME – Joan Jett
EBONY EYES – Bob Welch
EMOTIONAL RESCUE – Rolling Stones
EVERYBODY WANTS YOU – Billy Squier
EVERYONE’S A WINNER – Hot Chocolate
FAME – David Bowie
FOOLED AROUND & FELL IN LOVE – Elvin Bishop
FOX ON THE RUN – Sweet
GIRLS ON FILM – Duran Duran
GO YOUR OWN WAY – Fleetwood Mac
HEAD OVER HEELS - Tears For Fears
HEARTACHE TONIGHT -- Eagles
HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU – Olivia Newton-John
HOT CHILD IN THE CITY -- Nick Gilder
HOT LEGS – Rod Stewart
I LOVE YOU – Climax Blues Band
I WANNA KISS YOU ALL OVER – Exile
I WANNA ROCK & ROLL ALL NIGHT - Kiss
I WOKE UP IN LOVE – Partridge Family
IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW – Chicago
IT’S A HEARTACHE – Bonnie Tyler
IT’S SO EASY – Linda Ronstadt
IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD (as we know it) - REM
JACKIE BLUE – Ozark Mountain Daredevils
JET – Paul McCartney & Wings
JUST LIKE HEAVEN – the Cure
KING TUT – Steve Martin
KNOCK ON WOOD – Aimee Stewart
LIDO SHUFFLE – Boz Scaggs
LOVE IS LIKE A ROCK – Donnie Iris
LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN – Sweet
MAGIC - Pilot
MAGNET AND STEEL –W. Egan
MISS YOU – The Rolling Stones
MR. BLUE SKY – ELO
NIGHTS ON BROADWAY – The Bee Gees
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER – The Fixx
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER - Blondie
PHOTOGRAPH – Ringo Starr
PRETTY IN PINK – Psychedelic Furs
RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED FROM Maxine Nightingale
RIGHT DOWN THE LINE – Gerry Rafferty
ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT - KISS
ROCK THE CASBAH - The Clash
S-A-TUR-DAY NIGHT – Bay City Rollers
SAVE IT FOR LATER - The English Beat
SEVEN YEAR ACHE – Rosanne Cash
SHADOW DANCING – Andy Gibb
SHATTERED – Rolling Stones
SHE’S A LADY – Tom Jones
SHE'S TIGHT - Cheap Trick
SISTER GOLDEN HAIR - America
SUFFRAGETTE CITY – David Bowie
SURRENDER – Cheap Trick
THE AIR THAT I BREATHE – The Hollies
THE LONG RUN – Eagles
THE MIGHTY QUINN (Quinn the Eskimo) – Manfred Mann
THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED – Paper Lace
THE ONE THING --INXS
THIS IS SPINAL TAP – Selections from the motion picture soundtrack
TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS - Styx
TRAIN IN VAIN – The Clash
TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE – Eddie Money
WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN – The Carpenters
WOMAN – John Lennon
WOULD I LIE TO YOU - Eurythmics
YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING – Leo Sayer
YOU MAKE MY DREAMS – Hall & Oates
YOUNG AMERICANS -- David Bowie
YOU SHOULD BE DANCING – The Bee Gees
YOU’RE ALL I’VE GOT TONIGHT – The Cars
YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND -- Queen
YOU’RE NO GOOD – Linda Ronstadt
YOU’RE SO VAIN – Carly Simon
YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I WANT – “Grease” the Soundtrack

Basic Requirements

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