The King Khan & BBQ Show

The King Khan & BBQ Show

The King Khan & BBQ Show are a Montréal, Canada-based group formed in 2002. The duo consists of King Khan and Mark Sultan, who also records as BBQ. Their sound is described as garage rock and, in the verified facts, as doo-wop and punk.

Formation and members

Before this project, Khan and Sultan play together in the Montréal band The Spaceshits. Sultan later starts Les Sexareenos and then performs solo as a one-man band under the BBQ name. Khan, then using the alias Blacksnake, plays with King Khan & The Shrines in Germany before the pair begin writing songs together again in Germany. They perform early material at occasional shows in Germany and Spain before recording under the King Khan & BBQ Show name.

Sultan handles vocals, guitar, tambourine, bass drum and snare drum. Khan provides lead guitar and vocals. For a short run of dates on the 2009 Invisible Girl US tour, the group also includes live drummer and organist Leo Chips.

Recordings and releases

The band records its first album in Hamburg with DM Bob. The King Khan & BBQ Show appears on Goner Records in the United States and Hazelwood Records in Europe in 2004. Their second LP, What’s for Dinner?, follows in 2006 on In the Red Records. Invisible Girl is released in 2009.

Performances and later activity

The band tours internationally in support of its early releases, with shows in Europe, the United States and South America. After a period of inactivity following a disputed show at the Sydney Opera House in 2010, the duo reunites for a sold-out performance at Lee’s Palace in Toronto in 2012 and continues to be active.

Recognition and notable incidents

King Khan is named best performer of 2008 by Impose Magazine. The group’s 2009 touring period also includes the arrest of Khan and tour manager Kristin Klein in Kentucky on drug possession charges, which leads to missed shows on the tour.