Kaiserkillers evolution of their indie sound

The KaiserKillers seem to have been around for ever! Their prehistoric evolution is illustrated in comic strip form at the foot of the page jump there, while below you can see a more recent detailing of their musical path and associations. Kaiserkillers evolution of their indie sound.

Band	Personnel	Significant Songs	Guilt by Association	Rubbed Shoulders With	Period
The Extraction aka The Extractors	Vocals: Cyril Guitar: Iggy Bass: Jack Drums: Johnny	Amos Hovis Butties I’ll Get Your Paper, Dad Too Many Coppers		Urban Filth/Necro XS Xpozez	79-80
Chaos Bros	Vocals: Johnny Zero Guitar: Toby Bricheno Bass: Tim Bricheno Drums: Captain Miff	We Are The Chaos Bros Religion Stinks Saints Preserve Us Love Conquers All	Tim Bricheno (Aemotii Crii/All About Eve/Sisters of Mercy) Toby Bricheno (Composer)	Xpozez Aemotii Crii Anne Gwirter	81-82
Dancing Bees	Vocals/Bass: Johnny Zero Guitars: Toby Bricheno	Going Out (In the Pouring Rain)	Toby Bricheno (Composer)		82
MC4s	Vocals: Johnny Zero Guitar: Mick Guitar Bass: Charlie Brook Drums: Mick Sticks	We All Live in the Bedroom Mexico Beat the Drum Speeding Car White Walls Beat the Bottle It’s My Camera	Charlie Brook (Eat Organic)		83-84
Harold Wilson’s Lawnmower	Vocals: Johnny Zero Guitar/Organ: Mick Guitar	Sierra Sierra Zoom The Hindu Project			85
Revenge Rockers	Vocals: Johnny Zero Guitar: Fintan McConnell Bass: Dave Smith Drums: Max Bontempi	Kiss Me Deadly 100 Punks Valley of the Dolls	Fintan McConnell (The Filters/Fintan McConnell’s Irish Folk Band)	The Clash Kosmo Vinyl Mickey Foote 20 Flight Rockers (feat. Mark Laff/Generation X) Mickey Finn (T Rex) Huw Lloyd-Langton (Hawkwind/Lloyd Langton Group)	85-86
The Isolationists	Vocals/Guitar: Johnny Zero Guitar/Bass: Andy deForest Drums: Ian Brown	Isolation Burning Baby Sea of Red, Sea of Green Requiem for a Cat	Mick Stead (+Paul Stead/Beautiful South) (The Luddites)	Icebox Julian Evil Roman The Dashed Unfair Bob & John’s Novelty Box	87
Martin’s Dad	Vocals/Guitar: Johnny Zero Guitar: Andy deForest Bass: Mick Stead Drums: Martin ‘Syko’ Sykes	Heavenly in Black Forever Falling Martin’s Dad			88
Krankhaus previously the Receders	Vocals/Guitar: Johnny Zero Guitar/Vocals: Flash Harry Bass: Eddie Gee Drums: Barry Bang (prev. Mark Brighouse/Aye Aye John)	Lifesaver 101 What About Us Wishing You a Most Unpleasant Demise Wankel on the Warpath			2014 – 2021
KaiserKillers aka The Hamburg Set, The Hip Kiddies	Vocals/Guitar/Bass: Johnny Zero Guitar/Bass/Organ: Andy deForest Drums: Barry Bang Lead Guitar: Flash Harry Bass: Pietro Futura	Saints Preserve Us Love Conquers All Honey (One Day in Atlantic City) Don’t be a Stranger (Than You Already Are) Gun Crazy			2020 on

Kaiserkillers evolution of their indie sound. In the early days, Johnny was asked by childhood friend Jack if he would like to join a band. This is how the conversation went, “I’ll be the singer”, “No, Cyril’s the singer”. “OK, I’ll play guitar”, “Iggy’s the guitarist”. “Bass?” “I’m the bassist”. “I’ll play Drums, then” was Johnny’s final gambit. “Yay, welcome aboard!” Like many young punk bands of the period, ability and equipment were at a premium, but some useful driving punk anthems emerged from this period.

Later, the Chaos Bros beckoned, with Toby on guitar, brother Tim (then of the Aemotii Crii, later of All About Eve and Sisters of Mercy) guesting on bass and Captain Miff Smiff on percussion. Captain Miff would later leave the band to pursue a career as a full time professional cat burglar. The CBs morphed into the DBs and the Dancing Bees were briefly thrust into the world.

The MC4s were a departure for Johnny, featuring a blend of the funky sound of the period, cut with 70s style rock. Mick Guitar’s output of original material in this period was phenomenal. Mick Sticks the drummer then was taken seriously ill and several guest drummers were utilised during this period, including Almondbury Pete, who stored his drums at the priest’s house, adjacent to the band’s practice room. For all we know, they remain there to this very day covered in a sheen of holy dust and cobwebs! After a period of inactivity, the MC4s morphed into the writing and recording outfit Harold Wilson’s Lawnmower, sometimes with organ and often with several guest contributors.

The bright lights of the capital beckoned and Johnny (Johnny X as was) – joined up with Jimmy (Fintan) McConnell, Dave Smith and Max Bontempi to form Generation X acolytes, Revenge Rockers. During this star-studded period, the RRs were regularly brushing shoulders with the Clash (post Mick), Kosmo Vinyl and Mickey Foote (producer of the 1st Clash album), as well as other luminaries crossing their paths, such as former T Rex Percussionist Mickey Finn, 20 flight Rockers (with ex Gen X drummer Mark Laff) and former Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton.

Returning to his native North, Johnny teamed up for the first time with Andy deForest, who would become a long time collaborator; initially in the Isolationists. A new direction and a new band took shape in 1988 as Martin’s Dad hit the streets, featuring Johnny, Andy, drummer Syko and ex Luddites’ Mick Stead (brother of fellow Luddite and later of the Beautiful South, Paul Stead) on bass. Martin’s Dad’s standout track was Heavenly in Black, but the once seen – never forgotten – live rendition of the eponymous track ‘Martin’s Dad’, with Syko of vocals, Andy on drums and Johnny on lead guitar will live long in the memory! Martin ‘Syko’ Sykes would later leave music behind to concentrate on his career as a highly sought after international hit man.

A long period of musical inactivity followed, with Johnny mainly concentrating on colouring in with felt pens and Andy in mortal combat with the heinous Tooth God. Krankhaus brought Johnny out of unofficial retirement and later the KaiserKillers would emerge with an onslaught of the driving, powerhouse PowerPopPunk numbers that bring you here today. The addition of Flash Harry, Barry Bang and Pietro Futura completes the line up

The past is the past and only the future matters. To paraphrase a famous musical outfit you may have heard of: “Where are we going Johnny? To the toppermost of the poppermost!”

Jim Verdana , San Bernadino CA, April 2021

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