Killing Joke: New LP and Tour
- Thread starter Fox
- Start date
sideshowbob
Champagne fascia aficionado
Blimey, I haven't heard KJ for > 20 years, but a friend with good taste has told me repeatedly that they're still worth hearing, so I might even go to the London gig.
-- ian
-- ian
Youth is playing bass...
...a great (and rather unhinged) writeup of my second favest band in the whole history of the entire world evah (today... it'll probably be Cannonball Adderley tomorrow) can be found here.
Not sure about what happened to begat The Courthauld Talks. Mid-life crisis? Nervous Breakdown? Not gotten laid? Some? All?
...a great (and rather unhinged) writeup of my second favest band in the whole history of the entire world evah (today... it'll probably be Cannonball Adderley tomorrow) can be found here.
Not sure about what happened to begat The Courthauld Talks. Mid-life crisis? Nervous Breakdown? Not gotten laid? Some? All?
Me neither -- but for leftfield stylee KJ try The Orb Remix of Democracy I have it on Aunt Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call Of Duty. Mind boggling stuff and the blue vinyl and aboriginal art is sweet.
I'll be at the London gig. Hopefully see some of you there.
Ron The Mon
Location: Detroit
I'm not a Killing Joke fan at all. I have a few friends who freaked when their first record came out; "Ron The Mon, you've got to hear this", I'd heard a dozen times.
Then their second album came out, "Ron The Mon, you've REALLY got to check these guys out!"
The day their third album (Revelations) came out, I happened to be in a record shop and bought it. I hated it. I called everyone and told them how much I hated it saving them the trouble of calling me and telling me to buy it.
A few years later, a friend I've known for 30 Years (Troy Gregory), joined Killing Joke and he, and everyone repeatedly still badgered me to listen to them again.
Fast-forward a decade. My family was in the corner beer store and my son said to me, "That kid over there goes to my school!". So I did the polite thing and introduced myself to the parents. I noticed they had a couple Belgium beers in their cart I hadn't tried. So the dad invites us over for some beer and dinner. We get to their place and the kids are off to the bedroom doing the kids thing. The wives go in the kitchen and do the wife thing.
I head into the living room and see one of the funniest sights ever; a guitar bigger than the practice amp! I asked if I could pick it up. Right away I notice a turntable with "Live At Leeds" on it. I mentioned that "Live At Leeds" was one of my favorite records of all time. He said the same and that he plays it as often as possible. I then started playing "Substitute" and he stopped me, saying I was the only person he's heard play it right (Most guitarists play the riff as two or three chords, when it's actually four.).
I continued playing a few licks of some new songs I'd been working on. He asked if I was in a band. I answered yes, and he admitted, "I have one of your records and don't care for it, but I love your playing!". I then handed the guitar off to him and (this is my reason for posting) it was among the most gut-wrenching, awe-inspiring, goosebump-rendering, original "cool" guitar playing I'd heard. I once was invited to Earl Klugh's house where he was demoing a few ideas among five of us in his living room, which is still my favorite solo performance. This was a close second.
I asked him what band he was in as his playing was obviously spectacular. He said Killing Joke. I uttered, "I have one of your records and don't care for it, but I love your playing". I then told him I was an old friend of Troy's, and we started putting the puzzle pieces together and realized we had quite a few mutual aquaintences. The riffs he played for me were supposed to be on the next Killing Joke record which I promised to buy.
If the new record sounds one-hundredth as good as the riffs I heard in Geordies' living room, buy it.
Ron The Mon
Then their second album came out, "Ron The Mon, you've REALLY got to check these guys out!"
The day their third album (Revelations) came out, I happened to be in a record shop and bought it. I hated it. I called everyone and told them how much I hated it saving them the trouble of calling me and telling me to buy it.
A few years later, a friend I've known for 30 Years (Troy Gregory), joined Killing Joke and he, and everyone repeatedly still badgered me to listen to them again.
Fast-forward a decade. My family was in the corner beer store and my son said to me, "That kid over there goes to my school!". So I did the polite thing and introduced myself to the parents. I noticed they had a couple Belgium beers in their cart I hadn't tried. So the dad invites us over for some beer and dinner. We get to their place and the kids are off to the bedroom doing the kids thing. The wives go in the kitchen and do the wife thing.
I head into the living room and see one of the funniest sights ever; a guitar bigger than the practice amp! I asked if I could pick it up. Right away I notice a turntable with "Live At Leeds" on it. I mentioned that "Live At Leeds" was one of my favorite records of all time. He said the same and that he plays it as often as possible. I then started playing "Substitute" and he stopped me, saying I was the only person he's heard play it right (Most guitarists play the riff as two or three chords, when it's actually four.).
I continued playing a few licks of some new songs I'd been working on. He asked if I was in a band. I answered yes, and he admitted, "I have one of your records and don't care for it, but I love your playing!". I then handed the guitar off to him and (this is my reason for posting) it was among the most gut-wrenching, awe-inspiring, goosebump-rendering, original "cool" guitar playing I'd heard. I once was invited to Earl Klugh's house where he was demoing a few ideas among five of us in his living room, which is still my favorite solo performance. This was a close second.
I asked him what band he was in as his playing was obviously spectacular. He said Killing Joke. I uttered, "I have one of your records and don't care for it, but I love your playing". I then told him I was an old friend of Troy's, and we started putting the puzzle pieces together and realized we had quite a few mutual aquaintences. The riffs he played for me were supposed to be on the next Killing Joke record which I promised to buy.
If the new record sounds one-hundredth as good as the riffs I heard in Geordies' living room, buy it.
Ron The Mon
Ron The Mon
Location: Detroit
Tony L said:
You can "see" me? (as I paranoidly delete my cache of porn sites)
It's hard to dislike honest musicians, even if you dislike their music. About the same time I met Geordie, I took my youngest son and his friend who spent the night, miniature golfing early one Sunday morning. There was only one other group golfing who we quickly caught up to. My son asks the dad, "Are you Kid Rock?". The guy answers yes, and my kid says, "I think your music sucks!". Kid Rock walks up to my son, gives him the "bro" handshake and says, "Dude, would you care to bet $100 who's the better golfer?"
It made my son feel about one inch tall and was a valuable lesson. I didn't like Kid Rock's music and thought Pam Anderson a slut. But the way that they treated us and their kids was so honest it humbled me. As we golfed the next 15 holes, we talked about how good a Get & Go breakfast pizza sounded. How can you hate a guy who loves Get & Go breakfast pizza?!?
Geordie is the same way. His music is brutally honest. So much so that he tries NOT to rip anyone off or sound derivative. He tries to be original, which is hard. He goes on stage and in the studio with the attitude, "This is my music, I hope you like it." Most musicians, and especially music companies, try to first figure out what people want, then give it to them.
I have an aquaintance who won an academy award and for several years I never knew. She wanted people to like her work for the work, not who she was.
Call it honesty, integrity, or principle. Geordie (and Killing Joke) have it. I may not care for their particular presentation, but I like the message they send and wish more people in the arts had it.
Ron The Mon
Ron The Mon
Location: Detroit
Nigel,
Not much to tell. About 1987, This girl who worked at the corner deli was sort of dating my boss. A friend of hers wanted to go to Earl's house for a party and I became her date. Just a few of us there. I was excited to go as Soda Fountain Shuffle was one of my favorite records at the time.
Earl is the nicest guy you can imagine. Super, super nice. He just sits on his couch and starts playing guitar while we're drinking wine and eating hors d'ouvres. He looked so happy and made his playing look effortless but when he finished, he was sweating like you wouldn't believe.
I got a job delivering mail a few years after that and Earl's publshing company was on my route and I'd see him occasionally. He would always be smiling; one of those cute chubbie smiles.
I've only recently been playing classical guitar and it is really hard trying to get the right vibrato. On steel strings, you bend side to side. You basically stop bending when you hit the right sound. With nylon strings, you slide up and down and have to get it right initially, not noodle around for it.
Shaking Earl's hands and watching him play, I couldn't get over how fat his fingers are and yet he plays so exact and with finesse. I have trouble with my thin fingers and can't get over how he does it.
Ron The Mon
Not much to tell. About 1987, This girl who worked at the corner deli was sort of dating my boss. A friend of hers wanted to go to Earl's house for a party and I became her date. Just a few of us there. I was excited to go as Soda Fountain Shuffle was one of my favorite records at the time.
Earl is the nicest guy you can imagine. Super, super nice. He just sits on his couch and starts playing guitar while we're drinking wine and eating hors d'ouvres. He looked so happy and made his playing look effortless but when he finished, he was sweating like you wouldn't believe.
I got a job delivering mail a few years after that and Earl's publshing company was on my route and I'd see him occasionally. He would always be smiling; one of those cute chubbie smiles.
I've only recently been playing classical guitar and it is really hard trying to get the right vibrato. On steel strings, you bend side to side. You basically stop bending when you hit the right sound. With nylon strings, you slide up and down and have to get it right initially, not noodle around for it.
Shaking Earl's hands and watching him play, I couldn't get over how fat his fingers are and yet he plays so exact and with finesse. I have trouble with my thin fingers and can't get over how he does it.
Ron The Mon
