Poised on the edge of Very Big Things, King Cannons make a welcome return to NZ following their sell-out shows in March. Their ferocious energy and lyrical integrity has led to comparisons with The Clash, The Specials, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Weller. But the band are much more than just the sum of their (admittedly very fine) influences.
Fronted by Kiwi Luke Yeoward, this Melbourne-based rock band play their own version of soul - passionate, from the heart songs that speak to everyone who is fighting for 'a better life'.
Yeoward has cleared his own path towards that 'better life' - he busked the streets of Rotaru as a young teenager to raise money for his first electric guitar and amp. A stint in a timber mill at 16, 'breathing that dust five days a week' ('Too Young') made him realise that music was possibly his only salvation, so he moved to Auckland and joined a punk rock band. However, the Auckland punk scene eventually seemed just as much of a cul-de-sac as his mill job and in 2007 he moved to Northland to work in a timber mill - 'the only places that employ a guy covered in tattoos'.
A chance meeting with Rob Ting (guitar) and Jonno Smith (bass) at a Joe Strummer documentary changed his focus and reinvigorated his passion for music. They formed the nucleus of King Cannons and decided to move to London. However this didn't quite go to plan and they settled on Melbourne for their base, where they lived and worked together honing their sound and becoming more and more of a tightly knit gang than a just a mere 'band'.
Their first single 'Take The Rock' was hailed as 'nothing less than a call to arms - a starting gun signalling the beginning of a new movement', and received widespread radio play both here and in Australia. High profile tours followed with the likes of The Living End and Big Day Out, and Shihad's Tom Larkin became the eventual producer of their latest debut album 'The Brightest Light'.
Infused with the singular passion and intensity of their live shows, the album embraces rock-steady, fiery punk, stadium-ready anthems and there's even a count-in of 'tahi, rua, toru, wha' on the song 'The Cool Change'.
If you aren't convinced by now that King Cannons are the real deal, see for yourself when they play three New Zealand dates in August. Supporting are Rangiora's finest The Transistors, fresh off an American tour with legendary Japanese garage punk band Guitar Wolf.
The Transistors join King Cannons on tour. The band is comprised of drummer/singer Olly Crawford-Ellis, guitarist/singer James Harding and bassist Colin Roxburgh. They play short catchy songs with an emphasis on super high energy that is powered by insanely fast drumming and loud guitars. The band’s sound blends 60s garage, 70s power pop and punk and 80s hardcore and alternative rock.
