King Blues
| The King Blues | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Ska punk, folk punk, punk rock |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | currently: Meatball Records / Speech Development Records (formerly: Transmission Recordings, Island Records, Field Recordings, Household Name Records) |
| Members |
Jonny "Itch" Fox Dean Ashton Ben Bridges Andy Mckenzie Jack Emmings |
| Past members | Jamie Jazz Louis Bennett Jack Usher Dean Ashton Kat Marsh Josie Dobson Robin Guy Chris Goodman George Lindsay Perkie Ade Preston Charlie Wilson Jim Parmley Johnny Rich Al Gunby |
The King Blues are a British punk rock band from London, England, credited for fusing punk and hip hop together with influences from ska and spoken word. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as 'rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of this country. A new generation of musicians are challenging war-monger politicians and their courtiers'. Influences include Public Enemy, The Clash and The Specials. Lead singer Jonny "Itch" Fox describes the band's sound as 'rebel street music.'
The King Blues began as a solo project of Jonny "Itch" Fox on vocals and ukulele, the first The King Blues EP All Fall Down was recorded solo by itch who also played the music on it. The band later expanded to include a 2 acoustic guitarists and bassist, before again expanding to include two full-time percussion members. Their sound was initially described as "soulful ska with raw folk and a punk rock attitude". or "conscious rude boy ska"
In 2004, they self-released a demo EP titled All Fall Down featuring five tracks. The cover and CD body art was a stencil of a fuse bomb and the band's logo; each one was hand sprayed by itch.
On 25 November 2015 The King Blues announced they had reformed on their official Facebook page, with the words "Guess who's back and pissed off again".
In June 2006 their debut album, Under the Fog, was released on Household Name Records, and coincided with increased gigging. Recorded in the band's flat in Hackney in 5 days, the record became an underground phenomenon. In November of the same year, "Mr Music Man" was released as a CD single, also on Household Name. The single was enhanced with a video chronicling the band's attempt to play more gigs in a 24-hour period than Status Quo's record-breaking four gigs in one day. The King Blues managed seven. Their single "Mr Music Man" was voted Best Punk Song of 2006 by BBC Radio 1.
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