After some amazing tours from the likes of Guitar Wolf and Fadeaways, the recent onslaught of glorious mayhem coming out of Japan continues with the mighty King Brothers! A boon to lovers of everything raw Rock ‘n’ Roll has to offer, King Brothers deliver up the danger.
Bad Batch caught up with the one and only, Keizo Matsuo, to talk mentors, muses and a melodious Mad Max…
You toured Australia in 2016. Why has it taken so long to get back?
Has it really been 8 years since the 2016 tour? So much has happened during that time. We had to cancel some overseas tours due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but even so, King Brothers kept rocking all along. We’re incredibly happy to be back in Australia this time.
Favourite memories from the first tour?
It was a long time ago, but the Australian tour was chaotic right from the start. Touring with Mint Chicks from New Zealand is also a great memory. After the tour ended, I stayed behind and went surfing before heading home, which was another fond memory.
What can one learn in the “Devil’s Violent Classroom”?
(Laughs) Was this the title of one of our previous Australian tours? Of course, you can learn the manners of crazy Rock 'n' Roll. And this upcoming tour will be no different!
What’s the Rock ‘n’ Roll scene like in Japan? Are there many places to play?
The Rock 'n' Roll scene in Japan is bleak, filled with uncool bands. Good bands only exist deep within the underground. Despite this, King Brothers continue to make efforts to find and elevate cool bands from various places, just as Guitar Wolf once discovered and lifted us up.
The situation with live houses in Japan is unique; in most cases, bands have to pay the venue to perform. I believe this contributes to lowering the overall level of the music scene in Japan. However, we make it a point to find quality venues across the country and bring in overseas bands, taking them on tour with us.
What's the weirdest gig you've played?
Weirdest gig... what could it be... When we couldn't perform live due to the spread of COVID-19, we did a live show from the back of a moving van and streamed it online.
What do you think Jon Spencer learnt from his time with you? Do you think it made him a better person?
Absolutely not—on the contrary, my life changed after I discovered his band, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, which led me to start King Brothers. It was an incredible honor to have him produce some of our work and even support some of his shows in Japan. He has been a constant influence on me, just like Guitar Wolf. Jon Spencer's attitude towards Rock 'n' Roll will forever be our model to follow.
How do you split the Kingly duties between you?
When we play King Brothers' music, everyone becomes a king and a brother.
Does the King Brothers’ Graceland have a jungle room?
We don’t live in a mansion like Elvis, but we do have equipment that allows us to record anywhere. So, we can choose a relaxing place to record. For our new Australian release, ‘HELL OH! OZ’, we recorded both the vocals and instruments simultaneously to complete the album. This time, we deliberately used a simple field recorder and a minimal number of microphones for the recording.
Favourite Australian Bands?
I'm very interested in C.W. Stoneking, whom a friend recommended to me. I plan to buy a lot of his music during this Australian tour. It would be amazing if I had the chance to catch one of his shows by chance. If anyone has any information about that, I’d love to hear it.
What can audiences expect from the band this time around?
Expect 120% pure, super crazy Rock 'n' Roll! And chaos. As you dodge our guitarist Māya, who will be diving right at you, shout the keyword 'Nishinomiya,' just like the rallying cry 'V8' from Mad Max. Let's become one with Rock 'n' Roll together. And don't forget to take home the 12-inch limited edition ‘HELL OH! OZ’ that we'll be selling at the venue so you can Rock 'n' Roll with King Brothers 365 days a year. See you at the show!
Their wild live show has seen them banned from more venues then you’ve had hot dinners. Get along, find out why and nab yourself a copy of their ‘HELL OH! OZ’ tour LP while you still can. And Cee Dub, if you’re reading this, be sure and drop us a line…
King Brothers Australian Tour 2024
WED 4 SEP Melbourne @ The Old Bar, Fitzroy w/ Rocket Science, Grinding Eyes
THUR 5 SEP Geelong @ Barwon Club, South Geelong w/ The Meanies,
Grinding Eyes
FRI 6 SEP Brisbane @ The Bearded Lady, West Endw/ Dick Move (NZ),
The Dangermen, Free Entry
SAT 7 SEP Sydney @ Marrickville Bowlo, Marrickvillle w/ Griding Eyes,
The Loose Lips
SUN 8 SEP Melbourne @ Shotkickers, Thornbury w/ Mesa Cosa, The Wraylettes
Tickets available through www.toshimaeda.com.au
HELL OH!
Pre-order now via Bandcamp