Ricky & The Rockets Return To Stephen Talkhouse

After a long pause due to COVID-19, Ricky, alter ego of Supertramp’s founder, lead singer and songwriter, Rick Davies, and the Rockets, the present incarnation featuring G.E. Smith, Pure Prairie League’s Mike Reilly and friends will once again play Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on Friday, June 10.

The genesis of Ricky and the Rockets goes back to Europe in 1985 when some of the members of Supertramp (“Crime of the Century,” “Breakfast In America”) found themselves, after playing a two and a half hour plus set to a sold out arena, too wired to bed down for the night. They retreated to the hotel bar where Rick found a baby grand piano waiting. A round of drinks later, guitar, bass, drums and sax were jamming away, playing the music of their influences, mostly jazz and the blues. Before long, the “band within the band” would look forward to their “after show” gig as much as the main event each night.

As they arrived in each city Rick would have the local promoter, or the tour manger, scout out a suitable venue for that evening’s Rockets’ performance. It might be a local club, the hotel bar or another small place but it was always unannounced to the public. One would never know who might sit in on any given night — a local celebrity, a fellow muso who had come to the show, it was always a surprise.

On each subsequent Supertramp tour the Rockets would reemerge and between tours, during time off, the Rockets would often regroup for a private party or a charity event.

While rehearsing for a sold out 2015 European Tour, Rick Davies was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a manageable, but incurable form of cancer. The tour was canceled and Rick underwent extensive treatment to combat the disease. A few special local musicians, began to come by Rick’s home to jam with him and bolster his spirits.

Legendary promoter, Ron Delsner, introduced Rick to GE Smith, one of the most in demand blues/rock guitarists in the world who just so happens to live nearby. He and Rick hit it off immediately and began playing together with veteran bass player Mike Reilly, another East End local, and the genesis of the Hampton’s Rockets was born.

The addition of Brad Beyer (harp, vocals and keys), Bill Donnelly (The Rhythm Kings) on drums, Scott Kreitzer, (recently on Broadway with MJ) on the sax and local mainstay, Bosco, on guitar, rounds out the lineup. For the upcoming Talkhouse show the band’s set will lean heavily on the blues with a sprinkling of Supertramp interpretations mixed in.

Tickets are available stephentalkhouse.com. Rick Davies, now in remission, has always said “once a Rocket, always a Rocket.” So with that, one never knows what former Rocket may turn up to jam away on any given night. The Stephen Talkhouse is at 161 Main Street, Amagansett.