Kid Congo Powers - S Or D

Couldn't find another thread. I love The Gun Club and The Cramps - for some reason never really followed Kid Congo's solo stuff..... listening to Haunted Head - sounds excellent. Thoughts, recommendations etc.... Although I am not so keen on Nick Cave - he has been involved in some remarkable music plus he wears a moustache almost as well as John Waters.

I remember the first EP by Congo Norvell being OK in a Tav Falco-goes-[more]-noir sort of way.

I was scanning club listings last week out of boredom, entertained by all the names on there I would never have guessed were still out and about, and I noticed that KGP is playing Toronto in the fall (and that he was far and away the cheapest from the names I recognized: $13.50). He autographed my 12-inch of the Cramps' "The Crusher" ages ago.

"KCP"

I was in the Pink Monkey Birds from 2003 to 2006 or so. We made one album - "Philosophy And Underwear" - that you may dig, Hinklepicker. The latest version of the band is way fun and Kid is a dear friend!

Yeah, very nice guy. It was great to reconnect with him the last couple of times, unfortunately couldn't get to the show this year. But the ones in 2011 were great.Very good garage band.
Time before that was the Kid & Khan show back at the beginning of the milennium. THey were great to & that No Comprendo lp is worth a listen. Got some great stuff on it.
think he's been pretty great with pretty much every band he's played with. Not listened to Fur Bible in ages though, so not 100% sure about them.
He's done a lot for a guitarist with limited technique, seems to have invented his own way of playing to make up for it and may have developed technique over the years. Think he is somebody who has developed a great working relationship with the instrument for what it is, electric.

I've yet to hear if there are any recordings of the Creeping Ritual/very early gun Club ith the original rhythm seectionof Brad Dunning and Don Snowden. Would love to hear them if there is any.
Las Vegas Story and Kalinda Danse boom are worth hearing, as is The Birth The Death The Ghost from when he was originally with the band, but with the Ritter/Graham rhythm section.
Then Mother Juno, Pastoral Hide and Seek/ Divinity and Ahmed's Wild Dream/Live In Europe are all great. As is the live set from the Viper Room in 1995 about a year before JLP's death, rocks pretty hard. There are also a stack of other live boot stuff from his tenures in the band. Think that makes up most of the Gun Club material he's on.
Then Psychedelic jungle and Smell of Female with the Cramps
Trying to think what BAd Seeds records he's on. Is he on Your Funeral, my Trial? I see him listed as lasting from '86 to 90 which also covers Tender Prey and The Good Son which I'm a bit more sure he's on.
& Congo Norvell's Abnormals Anonymous is pretty great too.

Theres a new Pink Monkey Birds al um I'm gonna try ti check out

*album

CLASSIC!!

My ilx search for "kid congo" brought up this earlier thread:

* PLUG* My Fellow ILM'ers - Get Thy Kid Congo On!

kid killed it tonight! highly recommend the live show.

He and the band play well and Kid has charisma

Yeah, saw him last week - was really fun. He has such a clearer understanding of what garage rock is all about than headliners The Rezillos who made me cringe so much.

That's too bad re the Rezillos. Loved a bunch of their tunes way back when

Oh me too - one of my favourite bands ever. Last time I saw either of these acts was back in 1985 (well, it was the Gun Club and the Revillos). Both played at the student union during my first week of University. So a lot has changed for everyone...To be specific, Faye Fife was still great. Her voice, energy, look and so on are pretty much identical to back in the day. Eugene Reynolds was a tubby old grump who can't sing anymore, was a total wet blanket and unprofessional (not in a good way). Major problem was the band who didn't actually sound like the Rezillos at all. Neither the drums, guitar or bass were set up to sound like punk, rock'n'roll or garage rock (or whatever). It was three session musicians who sounded like they worked at a guitar shop and had everything set to "rawck". So disappointing.

Kid Congo, on the other hand has a slick little primal garage rock band that could have stepped straight out of 1968-via-1984.

yeah i left one song in, the rezillos were deeply wack

also, the local opener, the shady francos, are well worth checking out if you're into thee oh sees styled garage

Saw Kid and Pink Monkey Birds again last night. Love their guitar sound (but not always crazy about Kid's vocals)

Also, this is of interest

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/how-punk-legend-kid-congo-powers-found-some-chicano-magic-in-d-c/

The special film is called “I AM RAY: Fair Warning Motion Picture #1 (A Horse Head Short Film).” In the film, Horse Head (a body/gender-fluid, super-intelligent, extra-dimensional alien-super-being) is captured and imprisoned by Ray, a super-being with personal space issues. Ray puts Horse Head inside of a stuffed Elf as a form of torture. After a decade of torment, Ray gives Horse Head a mental breather by allowing for the creation of a simulation of charismatic rock star Kid Congo Powers.

The film serves as a quick introduction into the world of Horse Head, as well as a relaxing filmic visit with one of the true greats of punk rock. The middle portion of the film consists of a chat with Kid about the following topics: his first guitar, his favorite household chores, his creative process, the impact of Glam Rock on him as a young teen, and when he knew he was gay. So, the film is half Lynchian nightmare and half sit-down with Ellen Degeneres, if she were trapped inside of a stuffed Elf.

nsfw https://vimeo.com/396014316

Crossed paths with him once in the audience at a Belle & Sebastian (HI DERE!) show once. He was really nice, wish I could say the same for the scenester he was with.

When he was living in DC, I met him at a party once. Nice guy.

It was his birthday yesterday.
Hoping he gets his memoir out soon.
Been looking forward to seeing it for years. Sounded like it was going to happen this year and now this year has been this year. So hope that isn't going to cause delay.

Kid's an old friend. He is indeed one of the nicest human beings. And funny!

i met him in vegas last year and he was really fun to hang with

He is indeed one of the nicest human beings. And funny!

This!

i sometimes forgoet that it is via Kid that you and I got to know each other.

don't love Damien as an interviewer but this episode is really interesting

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/turned-out-a-punk/e/63306945

xpost Yes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkYnZReQgqQ

Oooh that is cool

https://found.ee/SomeNewKindofKick?fbclid=IwAR1xrgS563OJi8fQCGeN2yLmJZ6T1-dItrNOaCgv-j0K84uyVLAs1hENAEk

at last!

well, 6 months still, but at least it is coming, finally.

Saw a review of book and a podcast mention

It's You're Booked day! Get ready for antics galore with music legend @KidCongoPowers! You'll hear @nickcave book picks, scandalous rock memoirs and much Patti Smith love. Kid's @OmnibusPress memoir Some New Kind of Kick is sensational and a must read. https://t.co/4S8GWRgkeI pic.twitter.com/JkxWIfibpK

— You're Booked (@YBooked) October 31, 2022

Good book, finished it this morning.
KInd of want more. He cuts off at a significant point for himself which is actually about 1/2 way though his career . & I think he is saying he doesn't want to write more memoir so hope he finds something else to write about. He was working doing reviews in fanzines etc way back, not sure about more recently.
I was intere4sted in seeing a memoir cos he had told me he was keeping a journal when I talked to him in the early mid 80s. Apparently a load of stuff got hnicked from the band van at the same time terry Graham's camera stuff did. & amongst that wasa current set of journals so not sure how long that covered. Drag, would have loved to see that film stuff anyway.
Great, covers him from when he was discovering music in the early 70s onwards. Loads on punk in LA and his 3 most recognised bands etc.
Very worth getting.

THe interview he did with Barry Adamson on a podcast hosted by Pete Astor was also pretty good.

I saw Kid tonight for i don't know, maybe the 10th time. It was as good as ever, maybe even better. The last few times he rolled through here I was embarrassed for my city as the turn out was so low but tonight it was packed out. Maybe it's the book, maybe it's the Wednesday effect or maybe people just finally realised how great he is but it was joyous to see so many people there. Kid forever!

Great to read !

Missed you in the band.

Gosh that was so long ago. Great times.

Missed his last DC gig but did see him do a book talk . Focused mainly on how he got into music , did Ramones zine, made his own glam clothing, met Jeffrey Lee Pierce in line to see Pere Ubu.