Kid Congo Powers
| Kid Congo Powers | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Brian Tristan |
| Born |
March 27, 1959 La Puente, California, United States |
| Genres | Post-punk, alternative rock, garage rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Mute |
| Associated acts | The Gun Club, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Cramps, the Divine Horsemen, Congo Norvell, Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds |
| Website | Official website |
| Notable instruments | |
| Squier guitar | |
Kid Congo Powers is the stage name of Brian Tristan (born March 27, 1959), an American rock guitarist and singer, best known as a member of The Gun Club, the Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He has also played with the Divine Horsemen, the Angels of Light and Die Haut.
As of January 2015, Powers' primary musical project is the band The Pink Monkey Birds.
Born in La Puente, California, Powers is a second generation Mexican American. His earliest childhood influences were the Southern California Chicano rock band Thee Midniters. In 1976, he was president of The Ramones fan club, then ran a fanzine for The Screamers.
After traveling to London and New York City he returned to L.A. and in 1979 met Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Pierce taught him to play guitar using open tuning, and they formed The Creeping Ritual, which became The Gun Club. Powers left that group before their recording debut, instead joining New York-based band The Cramps in December 1980.
Powers rejoined the Gun Club briefly in 1983, touring with Pierce's band in Australia the following year, and then again between 1985 and 1988.
Powers joined Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in Berlin, Germany, around 1988 for several albums and corresponding tours. Powers recorded the Tender Prey and The Good Son albums with Cave and his band, and he said in early 2015 that he "loved" the "primaeval element of rock'n'roll" that they had a firm grasp of.
For his next project, The Pink Monkey Birds, Powers initially collaborated with New York City guitarist Jack Martin, who he has also collaborated with for the Congo Norvell and Knoxville Girls projects. Then, in 2009, Powers recruited Kiki Solis on bass, Ron Miller on drums, and Jesse Roberts on guitar and keyboards. The band moved to In The Red Records and released the much acclaimed debut studio album, Dracula Boots, which was called a "return to form."
...
Wikipedia