King Kurt are a British psychobilly group from London, formed in 1981. The line-up includes Jef Harvey, Bert Boustead, Dick Crippen, Rory Lyons, John Reddington, Maggot, Smeg, Thwack and Phil Wells.

History

The band first performs under the name Rockin' Kurt & The Sour Krauts before changing to King Kurt. Early members include Jef Harvey on vocals, later replaced by The Smeg after the “Zulu Beat” single and before the Stiff Records contract, Paul “Thwack” Laventhol and John Reddington on guitars, Rory Lyons on drums, Bert Boustead on bass guitar, and schoolboy Alan “Maggot” Power on saxophone.

King Kurt appear in the UK Singles Chart and UK Indie Chart with a number of minor hits, including “Zulu Beat”, “Mack The Knife” and “Banana Banana”. Their highest-charting single is “Destination Zululand”, which reaches the UK Top Forty.

The band effectively splits in 1988, although a live version featuring three original members performs between 1992 and 1996. King Kurt remain active.

Live performances

In the early 1980s, the group becomes known for theatrical live shows involving eggs, bags of flour and buckets of wallpaper paste thrown into the audience.

Related note

John Reddington later works as a solicitor in the London office of Jones Day.