Tag Archives: Kingsley Chapman

KINGSLEY CHAPMAN AND THE MURDER- The Old Blue Last. 21st September 2015.

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Sometimes a band can fully justify all you feel, and when you see said band on stage it is like all you’ve built up inside has finally come to life although said feelings may be better off away from you. But these are the things that make us who we are, regardless of what others may think.

Kingsley Chapman And The Murder are made up of some of the most talented musicians this country has to offer. The way they play as if their lives depend on it makes you fully believe in every word and every note. You feel each song was created just for you and in a whirlwind of emotions, you can’t believe that such talent is playing a tiny venue for free in London.
Over time we have witnessed great frontmen in bands. From Moz to Joey Ramone, if they’ve got something that grips you instantly, then you just become a fan for life. As I watch in awe of the band and Kingsley’s brilliant ability to scare the crowd shitless with his deathly stare and astounding delivery of lyrics, I can’t help but think I am truly watching one of the greatest bands I’ve ever seen. I’m not just saying this because Kingsley’s a pal, but because friendship aside, this band are what I look for in music. They are dark, romantic in the way that isn’t typical, they make you feel like you’ve been adopted by the devil and you don’t feel like some weird fucker who doesn’t know what the hell is going on. Sure they’ve had the Nick Cave comparison thrown about, and their last song of the set Kill That Man is on a par with Stagger Lee. If you were there, you will hopefully know exactly what I mean. It was like the devil came out to play and we all joined a cult. It was bloody brilliant.
The song they played before Ghosts,Second Best Man was powerful. Did I cry a little? There was something in my eye, shut up. With a lot of the singers I love, it is the way you can hear their accent in their vocals that grip me. The way you can pick up the way certain words are pronounced make you click with the music more. Of course, as this band are from the North makes me love them even more. They don’t make music like this in London. Last night felt like home you know. I was seeing a band I adore in my favourite London venue, it just felt right. As I was watching the band I really had a hard time working out why they aren’t signed, but I guess in a way that’s what makes you treasure them even more.
I’ve been to some memorable shows in my time and a few have left a lasting impression on me. Some have made me get my shit together and others have made real life make some sense. What have I taken from the show last night? A wealth of things. Some that I really don’t want to share, but the main point is I was just really really proud of my friend. When I first saw Kingsley he was in a band called The Chapman Family. Their shows consisted of him wrapping the mic chord a little too tight around his neck. Last night, he did the same but the grip was a little less tight. The urgency in the songs could make the most dubious a believer.
The crowd was nothing short of gorgeous. Apart from the few behind me who felt the need to talk throughout (surely you’d go somewhere quiet to talk?) This was their first headline show in London, and I sincerely hope next time the venue is again packed with sweaty bodies screaming along as if their lives depend on it. Last night I could have gone to see my hero Morrissey, but I opted for the same level of genius but in a smaller setting. It was the kind of show that made you see everything a little different, maybe more clearer. This is a band who work hard to sound as great as they do, but to be honest it probably just comes natural to them. I couldn’t get tired of watching them live or listening to their music. Lost souls can be found to Kingsley Chapman And The Murder.
If all Monday nights consisted of seeing bands like this, the world would probably be a better place. Whatever music drags out of you, please make sure you cling onto it. I’m not entirely sure how to write this in a non biased way, but I can honestly say that this is one of the best gigs I have ever been to. I felt like I was watching a bunch of mental sailors lost at sea singing songs of love, lust, loss and desperation in one last plea to be heard before the sea takes them. It was dramatic and full of this built up passion that comes around very rarely from a band that are just as rare as the talent they posses. It was just absolutely brilliant, and I’m going to struggle to see a better show than this.
If you’re lucky to live in the North, you can catch Kingsley and his men support the equally wonderful Nadine Shah on the 30th of this month. If I had the funds, I would be there. It’s an ideal line up and I sincerely hope these shows drum up a wealth of interest who will make the world aware of Kingsley Chapman And The Murder. They’re the kind of band that make me wish I had my own label so I could put out music like this for everyone to hear. Some bands are just destined to be heard, and these guys are one of them.
If you are against conventional and tradition, then invest yourself in this band. The humour on stage and in the lyrics are glorious, and obviously Kinglsey’s comments about our pig face-fucking Prime Minister were welcomed with cheers. With the bore and doom of living in Tory country, it’s good to have bands like this who ease the wounds and make you feel human.

KINGSLEY CHAPMAN AND THE MURDER-Guillotine.

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In my honest yet biased opinion, Guillotine by Kingsley and pals is one of the best songs you will hear all year. It is the b-side to Lovers. Although Lover is an excellent song and only a fool would change anything about it, Guillotine has something menacing about it that makes it stand out. This underlying menacing feel in the song is what lures you back in, to hit repeat constantly. That, and the lyrics are bloody fantastic.

The video is brilliant. If you don’t enjoy a cross-dressing Britney in a Working Man’s Club then there’s probably something wrong with you upstairs. The video features Elvis, Slash and a busty Freddie Mercury. The video is nothing to do with this song, but why should it be? Not everything in life must be obvious and not everyone wants to spend a stupid amount of money wasted on special effects and “famous friends” poncing around with fake machine guns.

Only a complete buffoon would fail to acknowledge how amazing this band is and how their songs are enough to make anything “typical” shudder and shit itself. The beautiful venom in Kingsley’s voice makes you completely take in everything he is saying. For me, he’s got the humour of Moz and the romanticism of Nick Cave. Put them together and you have this creation that cannot be stopped. The brutality and the hidden romantic messages in the music is enough to make you cast aside all you listen to, because you know it won’t hit you like this does. I mean, the way he sings “You only kick me when I’m down” is just filled with this passion that you wish you could unleash. Find a way.

Guillotine is a wonderful taste of what is to come from these handsome swines. For me, it surpasses Lovers and I love that song. The fury in the piano adds something quite sinister to the song, and I think that’s why it is so easy to fall into the whirl of constantly playing the song over and over. I could keep praising this song and I could take apart the lyrics and point out the beauty in them, but you should probably just watch the video and buy the music. That’s what counts.

KINGSLEY CHAPMAN AND THE MURDER-Lovers.

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Back with a bloody vengeance, heroes of the North East, Kingsley Chapman And The Murder have yet another unconventional and untypically passionate love song for troubled and untroubled lovers. Or in this case, not really lovers. Lovers that need egging on so they actually become lovers. Or, become lovers once more.

The fury in the piano mixed with urgency in Kingsley’s voice just makes this one of the finest declarations of love you’ll hear in a long time. Probably all year.

The truly wonderful thing about the band is that they sound like they’ve been together for decades. Lovers oozes the eeriness and desire that’s found in Murder Ballads (if you don’t own a copy, then your record collection is naked and incomplete.) The lyrics in Lovers is that of someone who has truly watched in awe the person they lust after. We’ve all done it. Sometimes it ends in the worst way, and sometimes it works out.

I’ll admit, I’m not one for fawning over a brass section and pianos, but Kingsley and his band have proper nailed it. They’ve made it accessible and they’ve made it dark. It’s like Poe meets Cave in a sordid bar whilst munching on a parmo. It’s nothing short of brilliant. You cling onto every word that falls beautifully from his mouth, the brass section is composed brilliantly. This goes beyond being “just music.” It’s the song that can make destined lovers collide at 2am when the world is falling asleep. It’s just a pure and unfiltered dedication of love. It could melt the coldest of hearts and tame the wild ones.

I have a handful of bands/singers that when I listen to them, all I want to do is write about them constantly. I don’t care if it means repeating myself or sounding boring. The whole point of writing about music should be because you adore it and simply cannot live without it. That’s what you get from Lovers. You instantly get the urgency and unconditional admiration within it. “Your city won’t love you like I do” it’s on a par with something Morrissey would write. I bet Moz would hear this, chuckle to himself and think “This guy knows.” He bloody does know.

Love songs can be sickly. They are the “no added sugar” 39p can of pop from your local shop. Lovers is the opposite of that. Lovers is a bold and vulnerable masterpiece. Play it loud. Serenade the one you want, serenade your pet or just sing it loudly whilst alone. Drink a can of 39p pop if you want and let the sugar substitute send a rush to your head and Lovers act as a push to the body.

You can buy Lovers on 7″ at the end of next month which is out via Too Pure. Only 150 copies will be available. You know what to do.

KINGSLEY CHAPMAN AND THE MURDER- Olympians.

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kc

 

 

Things take time. For great things, you sure have to wait. It’s okay to wait because you know you’ll end up being exposed to something wonderful.

Kingsley used to be in a band called The Chapman Family, a band that were astounding in their time. If you ever saw them live, you would have seen just how captivating and terrifying they were. There is something quite disturbing about being in awe of a person tying a mic cord around their neck and belting out such glorious songs. You cling onto the words more.

The Chapman Family were loud in a brutal way, in a way that could probably divide a room with bottles flying and blood everywhere. The music he is now making is still loud, but in a way that demands you to listen and you cannot walk away from it. It’s every part Nick Cave, Scott Walker with the sentiment of Morrissey. There is so much heart and power in their debut song, Olympian. For those idiots who claim nothing moves them anymore or that new music isn’t too great- turn off commercial radio, seek and you shall find. You don’t need an overpaid twat to tell you if something is good or shit.

http://soundcloud.com/kingsleychapman/olympians

Olympian is a 5 minute ballad. A murderous ballad with so much going on, in the most gorgeous way. The sax adds something really euphoric to the song. The keys on the piano are hit in a “you better fucking love me and listen” kind of way. If you want conventional, step away. This is a beautiful and unconventional love song. Those are the best kind. Kingsley’s voice on this song is enough to make any sane person regard him as one of the best vocalists around, and he’s a fantastic lyricist. He’s studied the greats and in returned has created nothing short of a masterpiece. Kingsley is the only person to sing a Morrissey song just as well as Morrissey (TCF covered Everyday Is Like Sunday.)

Blood, sweat and tears ooze out of this 5 minute euphoric delight. It isn’t typical and it isn’t a song you play once, and carry on with the rest of your day. I’ve been listening to it for the past 20 minutes or so, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to listen to anything else now. Olympian is a song of comfort for those who aren’t attracted to feelings that seem “normal” but still seek the security of things that seem “normal” to others.

He’s done it. He’s made something bloody fantastic and I’m proud of him. If you’re getting married (be careful) then have this as your first dance. Or just play it in the company of nobody else, hold yourself and sway. You’ve got options.

You can find more information about the band here: https://www.facebook.com/kingsleychapman1 and here: http://www.kingsleychapman.com/