** SOLVED! it was King Kurt ** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Kurt


Years ago a band contacted me with a view to maybe making a messy music video. I think around 2013 or 2014. At the time my mum was ill and I couldn't do it.

I thought of them the other day and wanted to start trying to consider what, if anything I could do for them, if they were still interested (likely I still can't at the mo but just wanted to mark the email as important so I can get to it one day!) but I can't remember their name or find the email.

Anyway, I think they had a messy album or single cover or shoot at some point and possibly had worked or consulted with Bill Shipton. I think it was the lead singer who contacted me and for time placement of the band I think he was approximately in his 50's at the time in 2013, and had been a fair while since the height of the band. I did listen to some of their stuff and think I remember it being quite punk/rock

It was a British band and they were not the biggest thing ever but also not obscure, fairly successful. I think their heyday would be (broadly) somewhere between 1975 and 1989, pretty sure they were pre 90's

Any help appreciated

edited to add a couple more details

BMX Bandits?

They had this album in 1993

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/bmx-bandits/life-goes-on/

nice! but no, not them

I think their heyday would have been mid 70's to mid 80's somewhere

solved! it was King Kurt

I found the email as well but I was sure he'd sent me a pic of the old shoot, but it's not there. I'll have to do some googling!

Edit - not found any pics yet but this is in the wikipedia "it was at Harvey's farewell concert at the 101 Club in Battersea, London that the infamous "food fight" gigs started.[1] The band were known for their stage performances in which eggs and bags of flour were thrown around both on and off stage"

Damn that sounds fun

oh sweet
Destination Zululand is a tune and a half

When I was at secondary school, King Kurt were die to play at the local Under-18s disco we all went to every Saturday. I wanted to go but then the other kids at school started talking about the band throwing dead rabbits into the audience and scared me off - turned out to be just hype but there was no fact checking in 1981, so I believed them and didn't go. Had no idea they were still going!

Their one Top of the Pops appearance ended with them tarring and feathering singer Smeg, so they were banned thenceforth. Not that they were ever likely to score another hit.

Smeg joined in 82 so well before red dwarf existed (88 I believe)

They all had nicknames, Smeg would derive from smegma. Guitarist John Reddington became a hotshot lawyer. Unlikely career path.

Just stumbled upon this YouTube video of King Kurt having some messy fun back in 1984

https://youtu.be/VhFsNJDANtU