Spotlight On: Kid Confucius
Count ‘em. Eight. What do you get when you squeeze eight musicians into one band, apart from a list of influences listed on Myspace as long as your arm? Catch these guys live (which isn’t hard to do, they’re one of the hardest working live acts in the country) and you’ll see – it’s pure, contagious energy.
Now promoting their third studio album, Let Go and new single, Darling I Need Ya, the band that forced Australia to rethink modern soul is still moving full steam ahead. A slight reshuffle, following the loss of a keyboardist, percussionist and guitarist, and subsequent acquisition of a new guitarist, hasn’t slowed them down. We could try, and usually would try, to describe their sound right about now, but we’re going to take the lazy route and urge you all to listen for yourselves. We guarantee Darling I Need Ya will be blaring from many a jeep en route to the beach this summer (if we were in California, say. Considering we’re in Australia, swap the jeep for a Toyota/Holden – the image still sticks).
They’re still touring, their tour dates for the rest of the year are here, and for those wanting to get extra cosy with Andrew Guirguis’ luxurious afro, Kid Confucius will be joining rising soul star, Andy Bull for the Brighton Boulevard end of year party at The Vanguard. You can buy tickets for Family Ties on their Myspace.
If you haven’t heard of Kid Confucius (and have thus been living under a rock, we hope it wasn’t too long a hibernation … do we need to tell you Barack Obama is the new president elect? That JFK was assassinated?) then we highly recommend you see them live, because that’s how you’ll see what they’re all about. Trombone and all.
Drummer Bart Denaro lent us his precious time to answer a few quick questions.
Kid Confucius are …
Rob Hezkial – lead vocals
Andrew Guirguis – rhythm guitar, BVs
James Manson – lead guitar
Nathan Murray – bass
Bart Denaro – drums
James Blaxland – tenor sax
Mike Lion – alto sax, flute
Benn Chapman – trombone
We’re all the way from … Sydney, Australia
We fill our days with … backbreaking labour and music appreciation
I take my coffee … in strong cappuccino form
And the best place to get it is … Campos in Newtown
The album I could (and have) listen to one million times is … Wilco’s A Ghost Is Born
The first CD I bought was… Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em by Stanley Burrel
The book I could read one million times is … In Cold Blood by Truman Capote but it took me about 2 days to read which means I’d have to do nothing but read this book for about five and a half thousand years, I’m not really up for that.
The song I wish I’d written is … Across The Universe by John Lennon/The Beatles
The story of Kid Confucius goes something like this … four guys went to uni together; didn’t feel too threatened by each other so became friends; decided that because between them they played the four instruments deemed relevant in western culture they should start a band; they needed another guitarist, saxophones, a percussionist and a singer so got them; played some great shows; recorded two albums; lost a keyboardist, percussionist and guitarist; got a new guitarist; recorded another album; were asked to answer these questions.
We’d love to play a gig in … another country
The soundtrack to my/our childhood was … by a massive coincidence, we were all brought up on “Puttin On The Ritz” as covered in 1982 by Taco.
Our album is … The Let Go
Our music sounds like … An amalgamation of a variety of diverse and eclectic layers sparsely constructed yet cohesive… ah… jeez, just listen to it.
I’d love to be on the cover of TIME magazine
Generation Y is going to download the world for free, then blog about how shit it is.
Given the chance (and a big suitcase) I’d steal my own wardrobe, then collect the insurance.
Can’t last the day without… givin’ it 110%
My passport is ready to go, please buy me a ticket to … CATS… in New York
If you’re heading to the bar, can I get a … tequila, dirtier the better.
My favourite item of clothing is my… authentic Australian one day cricket shirt personally couriered to me by Michael Hussey. I’m not even lying! Ask him.
My worst fashion faux pas… I am always the exemplar of high fashion, frankly this question offends me
My favourite on road snack… a massive packet of salt and vinegar chips and a cola, ahh heaven.
If I had twenty dollars left in my wallet, I’d buy… 34,000,000 Zimbabwean dollars
The perfect Sunday… 3rd day of a Test, Australia vs India or South Africa, Hayden and Ponting are at the crease starting to look good, free to air TV won the broadcast rights and I’ve got NOTHING else to do.
The best thing about my job is … getting to travel the country on the company dime and basically hanging out with friends as a necessity of the job.
My parents always told me … my brother was cuter than me. They were totally right.
2009 is going to … be really nice.
