Sumerian Kyngs
The Sumerian Kyngs are an eight piece British psychedelic, space, groove, jam band. They are best known for their pounding live performances and psychedelic laser light shows.
Sumerian Kyngs | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brighton, England |
| Genres | Psychedelic Space Jam Groove |
| Years active | 2004-present |
| Labels | Unsigned |
| Members | Tony Green (vocals) Steve Cartwright (tenor sax/vocals) Stuart McKay (harmonicas) Cliff Dowding (synthesizers/lights) Monty Oxymoron (keyboards/percussion) Trevor Nobes (guitar) Andy Baynton-Power (bass guitar) Graham Durrant (drums) |
| Past members | Ross Clifford (vocals/guitar) Marc Jenner d. Nov 2011 (drums) Phil Boucherat (alto sax) Simon Myers (drums) The Hobbit (accordion) Eva Thompson (sitar) ""Mickey Wynne"" (guitars) Richard Lanchester (drums/percussion) Dave Berk (drums) |
Formation
The band was founded in Brighton in 2004 by Ross Clifford, Simon Myers, Phil Boucherat, Steve Cartwright and The Damned's Monty Oxymoron. They made their debut at the Marlborough Theatre, Brighton, for The Real Music Club during the middle of 2004. The band have experimented and undergone many line-up changes. Myers left in 2006 and was replaced by Marc Jenner. Shortly after, the band expanded their line-up, recruiting Andy Baynton-Power (bass), Eva Thompson (sitar), Mickey Wynne (guitars) and Stuart McKay (harmonicas) along with occasional appearances from The Hobbit (accordion). Boucherat and Thompson left during 2007. The following year, Cliff Dowding joined on synthesizers, noises and lighting. In 2009, Jenner left the band due to ill health and was replaced by Richard Lanchester. The Hobbit moved away in 2009 while Clifford and Wynne left the band in 2010 to pursue separate creative interests. They were replaced by Tony Green (formerly of the cult band The Unbelievables) on vocals and Trevor Nobes (TNT and others) on guitars. After many artistic differences, Lanchester left the band in 2014 and was replaced by Dave Berk, the founder of Johnny Moped. However due to the recent revival of the Johnny Moped band, Berk was no longer able to commit to the Kyngs and subsequently left in 2015. He was replaced in 2015 by Graham Durrant, who was with Indie band 14 Iced Bears. In 2016, the Kyngs were signed to Brighton label 2Right-Records (2RR) and have released their first studio album 'Post Art Pop Offensive'.
Robert Rankin Connection
In the Robert Rankin novel Necrophenia, the main character, Tyler, fronts a boy-band with the similar name the Sumerian Kynges.[1] The author has admitted that he saw a Sumerian Kyngs poster displayed in a Brighton pub and decided to adapt and use the name. He has since met the Sumerian Kyngs and they played twice at parties he threw, including his 60th birthday party in 2009.
The Real Music Club
The Sumerian Kyngs are still regular performers and contributors to the Real Music Club in Brighton.
Discography
- One Nice Little EP (2009) Limited edition EP, Privately released.
- Ziggurat Battery (2012) Privately released.
- Fiat Tagliero (2013) Privately released.
- Post Art Pop Offensive (2016) 2right-Records
References
- Eric Brown, Kynges and queens, Guardian Books, 7 February 2009