Geordie Walker
Encyclopedia
Kevin "Geordie" Walker (born Kevin Walker, 18 December 1958, in Chester-le-Street
, County Durham
, England) is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk
group Killing Joke
.
to Milton Keynes
, 45 miles northwest of London. It was here that he acquired his nickname due to his northeastern "Geordie
" accent.
Walker moved to London to study architecture and became a founding member of Killing Joke in 1979 when he responded to an advertisement placed by the singer Jaz Coleman
. He had never played in a band before. Walker and Coleman have been the only constant members of the group since.
Walker has also been a member of industrial metal
supergroups Murder, Inc.
and The Damage Manual
.
Although most known for playing electric guitar, he has also used acoustic guitars; sparingly on the albums Outside the Gate
(1988) and Pandemonium
(1994), and more liberally on Democracy
(1996).
Like Velvet Revolver
's Slash, Walker is known for smoking cigarettes on stage, even in United States venues where smoking is prohibited.
Walker now lives in Royal Oak, Michigan
, a suburb of Detroit
with his wife and son, Lloyd (Atticus). During his recent work with Killing Joke, Hosannas from the Basements of Hell
(2006), he has been based in Prague
where he has been involved in various other projects too, including overseeing the work of UK girl punk rock act Mary-Jane at Faust Studios.
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England) is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
group Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
.
Life and career
When he was fourteen, Walker's family moved south from NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, 45 miles northwest of London. It was here that he acquired his nickname due to his northeastern "Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
" accent.
Walker moved to London to study architecture and became a founding member of Killing Joke in 1979 when he responded to an advertisement placed by the singer Jaz Coleman
Jaz Coleman
Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
. He had never played in a band before. Walker and Coleman have been the only constant members of the group since.
Walker has also been a member of industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
supergroups Murder, Inc.
Murder, Inc. (band)
Murder, Inc. was a short-lived industrial metal supergroup formed in 1991, featuring members of Killing Joke and vocalist Chris Connelly. Murder, Inc. consisted of Connelly; Killing Joke members Geordie Walker, Paul Raven, and Martin Atkins; former Killing Joke drummer "Big Paul" Ferguson; and...
and The Damage Manual
The Damage Manual
The Damage Manual is an industrial supergroup that originally formed in 2000. It featured Martin Atkins on drums and loops, Chris Connelly on vocals, Geordie Walker on guitar and Jah Wobble on bass.-History:...
.
Although most known for playing electric guitar, he has also used acoustic guitars; sparingly on the albums Outside the Gate
Outside the Gate
Outside the Gate is the seventh album by English post-punk group Killing Joke and is arguably the most controversial release among their fans....
(1988) and Pandemonium
Pandemonium (Killing Joke album)
Pandemonium is the tenth studio album by Killing Joke released in June, 1994, under the Zoo label.This album marked Killing Joke's return after a four year long hiatus, the longest the band has taken since it was initially founded...
(1994), and more liberally on Democracy
Democracy (Killing Joke)
Democracy is the eleventh studio album of English post-punk group Killing Joke. It was released on CD in April 1996, and there was also a cassette version. A remastered CD with a remix of "Democracy" was released on 20 June 2005 by Cooking Vinyl...
(1996).
Like Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
's Slash, Walker is known for smoking cigarettes on stage, even in United States venues where smoking is prohibited.
Walker now lives in Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
, a suburb of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
with his wife and son, Lloyd (Atticus). During his recent work with Killing Joke, Hosannas from the Basements of Hell
Hosannas from the Basements of Hell
Hosannas from the Basements of Hell is the thirteenth studio album by Killing Joke released on April 3, 2006 under Cooking Vinyl Records. The track "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell" was released as a single, and made it to #72 in the UK. Tracks "Invocation" and "Implosion" were also released as...
(2006), he has been based in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
where he has been involved in various other projects too, including overseeing the work of UK girl punk rock act Mary-Jane at Faust Studios.
External links
- [ Geordie] at Allmusic.
- Interview, Music UK (June 1984)