The Kingsize Five

The Kingsize Five

The Kingsize Five are a British collective associated with a mix of swing, jazz, 1950s rock and roll, punk and blues. Their line-up includes Michael Brown, Danny Howard, Coach Crowe, Double Dave, Paula Daunt, Sarah Morley, Zoe Alexandria, Paul Silver, The O’Neils and Jamie Wortley, alongside other contributors who join them when available.

Musical style and reputation

The group works with brass-led arrangements, theatrical presentation and an energetic live approach. Their music draws on big band swing, jazzy rhythms, rocky blues and punk-influenced bite, with references in their coverage to Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, Glenn Miller, Jerry Lee Lewis, Madness and Ian Dury. Their songs are described as combining humour, swagger and dance-oriented rhythm.

Recordings and releases

The Kingsize Five release their debut album, White Light Fever, on Little Genius Recordings through Genepool / Universal. The album is produced by Junk Scientist, who is also associated with The Rakes and Larrikin Love. Their first two singles, I Am A Missile and One For My Daddy, reach number 1 in the iTunes Blues charts and remain in the Top 3 selling records in the genre for three weeks. I Am A Missile also appears as a covermount on an issue of The Word magazine.

Background and members’ experience

The project brings together performers with varied previous experience, including ex-stand-up comedians, burlesque dancers, gaolers, media figures, Smash Hits sticker collectors and ice cream men. Members have also played with or alongside acts including The Fratellis, Bad Manners, Boy George, The Cinematic Orchestra, King Kurt, Apollo 440, Jools Holland’s Big Band and Blur. The group is described as having members who have passed through several major record deals between them before coming together in this line-up.

Media support and coverage

The Kingsize Five receive airplay and support from John Kennedy, Steve Lamacq and Shaun Keaveney, and their debut is presented as a genre-crossing mix of swing, jazz, rock and blues. Coverage also notes the band’s mix of wit, brass, and “dirty swing”, and places them alongside contemporary references such as Mark Ronson’s production style.

Other activity

The group is also said to attract the attention of a shady Asian gambling syndicate that invites them to play in a casino in China, and they are described as travelling there with the intention of taking up the offer.