King Khan (musician)
Encyclopedia
Arish Ahmad Khan, better known by his stage name King Khan, is a Canadian
musician
. He is best known as the frontman of the rock 'n roll bands King Khan and the Shrines
and The King Khan & BBQ Show
.
to an Indo-Canadian family. Since 2005 he resides in Berlin, Germany with his wife and two daughters.
King Khan was a member of a number of Canadian garage band
s including the Spaceshits, a frantic garage punk
outfit formed in mid-1995. As his circle of fellow trouble-maker musicians grew, he in 1999 he helped create a "death cult" of such musicians, originally known as the "Kukamongas" with identifying tattoos and with plans including "Jonestown, without the killing and Kool-Aid
".http://google.com/search?q=cache:esPV2SKbh6sJ:www.eyeweekly.com/music/features/article/33876+%2B%22death+cult%22%2B%22king+khan%22&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca He used the Blacksnake moniker whilst in the Spaceshits whose two full length albums were released on Sympathy for the Record Industry
. He has spent a considerable amount of time in collaboration with former Spaceshits band-mate Mark Sultan
in the two-man band, The King Khan & BBQ Show
. Since 1999 King Khan has performed as part of King Khan and the Shrines
, a psychedelic soul
nine member band. They signed to Vice Records in 2008. In early 2009 King Khan collaborated with Mark Sultan
and the four members of the Black Lips
to form a gospel
supergroup
called Almighty Defenders
. Their debut album was released on Vice Records on September 22, 2009.
, who was previously the drummer in a band called Powersquat in the Montreal suburb of Chateauguay. Khan had been since the end of 1994 in a Black Flag
and Pavement
-influenced band known as the Maury Povitch 3 http://mongrelzine.wordpress.com/category/mongrel-zine-5/, a band that existed until its demise some time in 1996. In August 1995, following several linup changes, he also became the Spaceshits' bassist and for several months would play shows for both bands. The Spaceshits inherited Powersquat's reputation for violent stage shows. At first, sets lasted no longer than 10 to 15 minutes, during which the band or members of the audience would create disturbances, at times including fireworks
or food fight
s. Eventually the band's raucous live shows would lead them to be effectively blacklisted from many venues in Montreal, an 8 April 1996 set in support of the New Bomb Turks
in particular contributing to that. Another notable incident occurred on 30 April 1999, just before the beginning of a European tour, while the band was promoting a new Sultan Records release. As the first act, the Scat Rag Boosters, was performing, the venue's owners got into an altercation with Khan, injuring his hand and leading to the destruction of a television. http://www.ononswitch.com/bg/articles/interviews/marksultan.html This incident caused the two remaining bands, Lyle Sheraton and the Daylight Lovers, as well as the Spaceshits, to refuse to play, and they encouraged the audience to seek refunds. This event marked the end of the band's booking in Montreal. http://www.ononswitch.com/bg/articles/interviews/marksultan.html
The Spaceshits went on to complete a European tour; one which would prove to be the last for the band. After the European tour had ended, Blacksnake opted to stay behind. Rather than continue on without him, the band members broke up, believing both that the band had run its course, and that Blacksnake had been like a brother to them and so replacing him would have been impossible. http://www.ononswitch.com/bg/articles/interviews/marksultan.html
During his Spaceshits years, Khan became closely involved with a host of bands in the Montreal scene. These included The Irritations, The Infernos, Lyle Sheraton and the Daylight Lovers, the latter two that included Paul Spence
, as well as The Scat Rag Boosters. He starred in short movies such as Enchiladas de Amore and the unfinished Count Crackula and the Cocaine Kid, where he was featured with Spence.http://smashintransistors.homestead.com/khannibalism.html He also wrote for the weekly Montreal Mirror
mainly as a music critic, interviewing musicians and performing such stunts as travelling around Montreal nightspots disguised as a chicken.http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/1999/042999/chicken.html He also wrote articles for Vice magazine.
, Germany, they quickly developed a new act featuring Khan and Sultan as his one-man band BBQ playing together. First, it was known as BBQ and Blacksnake, then as The King Khan and BBQ Show. The King Khan and BBQ Show indefinitely broke up in June 2010, although a reunion of Khan and Sultan under a different name is a possibility.
. On June 17, the full group made its live debut, performing a set in choir robes at the North by Northeast festival, and Vice Records made plans to release the Almighty Defenders' self-titled debut on September 22, 2009.
, also known as The Genius. GZA is a member of the Wu-Tang Clan
known for his laid-back flow and poetic, insightful lyrics. The two musicians have recently performed together in the NXNE festival in Toronto and also at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. Khan will be heavily involved in GZA's next album and will presumably tour with him in support of said album.
. In March 2010, SubPop Records released "The Fiery Tears of St. Laurent" from King Khan and Pat Meteor. Meteor is best known for his work with The Demon's Claws, a Montreal-based band with which Khan has worked, and part of Khan's "death cult".http://www.subpop.com/releases/king_khan_and_pat_meteor/singles/the_fiery_tears_of_st_laurent In October 2010, a Tandoori Knights LP "Curry Up" was released followed by an EP called "Amon Ra Bless America" from a new project called Vomit Squad reuniting him with Spaceshits' drummer "Skid" Marks and others from the Montreal scene from which he came. http://still-single.tumblr.com/post/1576747799/vomit-squad-amon-ra-bless-america-12-ep-psychicIn June 2011 he announced a new country music-inspired project with Jeff Clarke of Demon's Claws called Khanwood Clarke.http://www.rollogrady.com/khanwood-clarke-king-khan-friends-go-country/ In November 2011, during the first Tandoori Knights' North American tour, he announced that new releases were soon to come from both Tandoori Knights and the Black Jaspers. http://thembluemidnights.com/2011/11/21/interview-the-tandoori-knights-king-khanbloodshot-bill/
and at other times he can be seen dressed scantily in tight black underwear and no shirt accompanied by a donkey-teeth necklace and a warrior helmet. When playing with BBQ, King Khan usually cross dresses or wears exotic
attire. Even with widespread notoriety of Khan's on-stage antics in the underground media, he has acknowledged that maturity is beginning to take over. He told Uptown Magazine, "When you're in your 20s, you can get away with urinating on the public. When you're in your 30s and you're a dad (Khan has two daughters, ages 6 and 9), it's just gross. We rely on the audience for the crazy antics now."
Khan gained considerable media coverage after pictures surfaced on TMZ.com
and Vice Magazine of him putting his bare buttocks in the face of actress Lindsay Lohan
after performing as part of the Almighty Defenders
at the Cannes Festival.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is best known as the frontman of the rock 'n roll bands King Khan and the Shrines
King Khan and the Shrines
King Khan and the Shrines, sometimes referred to as King Khan and Sensational Shrines or The Supreme Genius of King Khan and His Sensational Shrines, are a Berlin-based garage rock and psychedelic soul band.-History:...
and The King Khan & BBQ Show
The King Khan & BBQ Show
The King Khan & BBQ Show was a Canadian Garage rock duo from Montreal, Quebec who mixed doo-wop and punk. The band was composed of former Spaceshits bandmates Mark Sultan and Blacksnake, alias King Khan. Mark Sultan, under the pseudonym BBQ, contributed vocals, guitar, tambourine, bass drum, and...
.
Career
Khan was born in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to an Indo-Canadian family. Since 2005 he resides in Berlin, Germany with his wife and two daughters.
King Khan was a member of a number of Canadian garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
s including the Spaceshits, a frantic garage punk
Garage punk
Garage punk is a fusion of garage rock and punk rock. It is fast-paced lo-fi music characterized by a dirty, choppy guitar sound—usually played by bands who are on independent record labels or who are unsigned...
outfit formed in mid-1995. As his circle of fellow trouble-maker musicians grew, he in 1999 he helped create a "death cult" of such musicians, originally known as the "Kukamongas" with identifying tattoos and with plans including "Jonestown, without the killing and Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack...
".http://google.com/search?q=cache:esPV2SKbh6sJ:www.eyeweekly.com/music/features/article/33876+%2B%22death+cult%22%2B%22king+khan%22&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca He used the Blacksnake moniker whilst in the Spaceshits whose two full length albums were released on Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by record industry anti-mogul Long Gone John...
. He has spent a considerable amount of time in collaboration with former Spaceshits band-mate Mark Sultan
Mark Sultan
Mark Sultan is a Canadian musician and entrepreneur from Montreal, Quebec. He was a member of a number of Canadian garage bands including the Spaceshits, Les Sexareenos, and Mind Controls...
in the two-man band, The King Khan & BBQ Show
The King Khan & BBQ Show
The King Khan & BBQ Show was a Canadian Garage rock duo from Montreal, Quebec who mixed doo-wop and punk. The band was composed of former Spaceshits bandmates Mark Sultan and Blacksnake, alias King Khan. Mark Sultan, under the pseudonym BBQ, contributed vocals, guitar, tambourine, bass drum, and...
. Since 1999 King Khan has performed as part of King Khan and the Shrines
King Khan and the Shrines
King Khan and the Shrines, sometimes referred to as King Khan and Sensational Shrines or The Supreme Genius of King Khan and His Sensational Shrines, are a Berlin-based garage rock and psychedelic soul band.-History:...
, a psychedelic soul
Psychedelic soul
Psychedelic soul, sometimes called black rock, is a sub-genre of soul music, which mixes the characteristics of soul with psychedelic rock...
nine member band. They signed to Vice Records in 2008. In early 2009 King Khan collaborated with Mark Sultan
Mark Sultan
Mark Sultan is a Canadian musician and entrepreneur from Montreal, Quebec. He was a member of a number of Canadian garage bands including the Spaceshits, Les Sexareenos, and Mind Controls...
and the four members of the Black Lips
Black Lips
Black Lips are a "Flower Punk" band from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:The band formed in 1999 in Dunwoody, Georgia after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Alexander and Swilley were known for their crude antics both...
to form a gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
called Almighty Defenders
Almighty Defenders
The Almighty Defenders is a supergroup consisting of members from the Black Lips and The King Khan & BBQ Show. The band was formed in February 2009 in Berlin, Germany.-References:...
. Their debut album was released on Vice Records on September 22, 2009.
The Spaceshits
The Spaceshits were established in mid-1995, featuring lead vocalist Mark SultanMark Sultan
Mark Sultan is a Canadian musician and entrepreneur from Montreal, Quebec. He was a member of a number of Canadian garage bands including the Spaceshits, Les Sexareenos, and Mind Controls...
, who was previously the drummer in a band called Powersquat in the Montreal suburb of Chateauguay. Khan had been since the end of 1994 in a Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
and Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
-influenced band known as the Maury Povitch 3 http://mongrelzine.wordpress.com/category/mongrel-zine-5/, a band that existed until its demise some time in 1996. In August 1995, following several linup changes, he also became the Spaceshits' bassist and for several months would play shows for both bands. The Spaceshits inherited Powersquat's reputation for violent stage shows. At first, sets lasted no longer than 10 to 15 minutes, during which the band or members of the audience would create disturbances, at times including fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
or food fight
Food fight
A food fight is a form of chaotic collective behavior, in which food is thrown at others in the manner of projectiles. These projectiles are not made to harm or damage others, but to simply ignite a fight filled with spontaneous food throwing. Food fights may be impromptu examples of rebellion or...
s. Eventually the band's raucous live shows would lead them to be effectively blacklisted from many venues in Montreal, an 8 April 1996 set in support of the New Bomb Turks
New Bomb Turks
The New Bomb Turks are an American punk rock band formed at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. The founding members are Jim Weber, Eric Davidson, Bill Randt, and Matt Reber. Sam Brown replaced Bill Randt on drums in 1999. Early on their inspiration came from the Devil Dogs, Lazy...
in particular contributing to that. Another notable incident occurred on 30 April 1999, just before the beginning of a European tour, while the band was promoting a new Sultan Records release. As the first act, the Scat Rag Boosters, was performing, the venue's owners got into an altercation with Khan, injuring his hand and leading to the destruction of a television. http://www.ononswitch.com/bg/articles/interviews/marksultan.html This incident caused the two remaining bands, Lyle Sheraton and the Daylight Lovers, as well as the Spaceshits, to refuse to play, and they encouraged the audience to seek refunds. This event marked the end of the band's booking in Montreal. http://www.ononswitch.com/bg/articles/interviews/marksultan.html
The Spaceshits went on to complete a European tour; one which would prove to be the last for the band. After the European tour had ended, Blacksnake opted to stay behind. Rather than continue on without him, the band members broke up, believing both that the band had run its course, and that Blacksnake had been like a brother to them and so replacing him would have been impossible. http://www.ononswitch.com/bg/articles/interviews/marksultan.html
During his Spaceshits years, Khan became closely involved with a host of bands in the Montreal scene. These included The Irritations, The Infernos, Lyle Sheraton and the Daylight Lovers, the latter two that included Paul Spence
Paul Spence
Paul Spence is a Canadian actor, author and musician. Born 29 January, 1976 in Calgary, Alberta, Paul is best known for his portrayal of headbanger Dean Murdoch in the 2001 mockumentary hit FUBAR: The Movie, which he co-wrote with friends David Lawrence and Michael Dowse.The characters and...
, as well as The Scat Rag Boosters. He starred in short movies such as Enchiladas de Amore and the unfinished Count Crackula and the Cocaine Kid, where he was featured with Spence.http://smashintransistors.homestead.com/khannibalism.html He also wrote for the weekly Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....
mainly as a music critic, interviewing musicians and performing such stunts as travelling around Montreal nightspots disguised as a chicken.http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/1999/042999/chicken.html He also wrote articles for Vice magazine.
The King Khan & BBQ Show
Mark Sultan had been with Khan in the Spaceshits from 1995-99. Following the Spaceshits' demise, Sultan started another Montreal-based band, Les Sexareenos, before venturing off on his own in 2002 as the one-man band BBQ. Visiting Khan at his home in KasselKassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, Germany, they quickly developed a new act featuring Khan and Sultan as his one-man band BBQ playing together. First, it was known as BBQ and Blacksnake, then as The King Khan and BBQ Show. The King Khan and BBQ Show indefinitely broke up in June 2010, although a reunion of Khan and Sultan under a different name is a possibility.
King Khan and the Shrines
King Khan and the Shrines was established in the latter part of 1999 as Sultan helped start Les Sexareenos. The original lineup of the (Sensational) Shrines consisted of King Khan on vocals and guitars, Mr. Speedfinger on guitar, Boom Boom Jennes on bass, John Boy Adonis on "big beat," Sam Cook on trumpet, percussionist Ron Streeter (who formerly played for Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, and Al Jarreau), Ben Ra on saxophone and Mr. Tom Bone on trombone. Eccentric French organist Fredovitch joined the lineup a week before the group recorded their first album at Toe Rag Studios in London.Almighty Defenders
On the Black Lips' 2009 tour of India, following an incident at a rowdy show in which Cole Alexander kissed fellow bandmember Ian St. Pe and exposed his private parts on-stage, the Lips fled the country while rumors of their arrests circulated the internet. The tour was canceled and the group members fled to the Berlin, Germany residence of King Khan. Over the course of eight days, in a typically booze-sloppy Black Lips fashion, they laid down 11 tracks with Khan and his King Khan & BBQ Show bandmate Mark SultanMark Sultan
Mark Sultan is a Canadian musician and entrepreneur from Montreal, Quebec. He was a member of a number of Canadian garage bands including the Spaceshits, Les Sexareenos, and Mind Controls...
. On June 17, the full group made its live debut, performing a set in choir robes at the North by Northeast festival, and Vice Records made plans to release the Almighty Defenders' self-titled debut on September 22, 2009.
Project with GZA
In early November, King Khan announced an upcoming collaboration with rapper GZAGZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
, also known as The Genius. GZA is a member of the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
known for his laid-back flow and poetic, insightful lyrics. The two musicians have recently performed together in the NXNE festival in Toronto and also at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. Khan will be heavily involved in GZA's next album and will presumably tour with him in support of said album.
Other projects
King Khan has, in his Moon Studios and elsewhere, collaborated and recorded with friends and people he respects; as he told an interviewer, he records only people he loves.http://musicalrooms.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/musical-rooms-part-90-king-khan-the-shrines/ He has collaborated with Bloodshot Bill, releasing in 2009 a record under the name the Tandoori Knights. In 2001, Khan and Jasper Hood of the Moorat Fingers became The Black Jaspers, under which they recorded an album released in 2009 on In The Red RecordsIn the Red Records
In the Red Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, CA formed in 1991 by Larry Hardy. It is known for hosting garage punk related bands on its label....
. In March 2010, SubPop Records released "The Fiery Tears of St. Laurent" from King Khan and Pat Meteor. Meteor is best known for his work with The Demon's Claws, a Montreal-based band with which Khan has worked, and part of Khan's "death cult".http://www.subpop.com/releases/king_khan_and_pat_meteor/singles/the_fiery_tears_of_st_laurent In October 2010, a Tandoori Knights LP "Curry Up" was released followed by an EP called "Amon Ra Bless America" from a new project called Vomit Squad reuniting him with Spaceshits' drummer "Skid" Marks and others from the Montreal scene from which he came. http://still-single.tumblr.com/post/1576747799/vomit-squad-amon-ra-bless-america-12-ep-psychicIn June 2011 he announced a new country music-inspired project with Jeff Clarke of Demon's Claws called Khanwood Clarke.http://www.rollogrady.com/khanwood-clarke-king-khan-friends-go-country/ In November 2011, during the first Tandoori Knights' North American tour, he announced that new releases were soon to come from both Tandoori Knights and the Black Jaspers. http://thembluemidnights.com/2011/11/21/interview-the-tandoori-knights-king-khanbloodshot-bill/
Antics and Appearance
King Khan is noted across garage rock revival circles for his on-stage antics and appearance. His dress varies widely from song to song and performance to performance. At some times he can be seen wearing a flashy suit jacket and slacksSlacks
Slacks is a colloquial term referring to trousers. However, it could also refer to:*Donovan Slacks, leader of a militant fishermen's uprising in 1920s Britain*Slacks Creek, Queensland, a suburb of Logan City , Queensland , Australia ....
and at other times he can be seen dressed scantily in tight black underwear and no shirt accompanied by a donkey-teeth necklace and a warrior helmet. When playing with BBQ, King Khan usually cross dresses or wears exotic
Exotic
Exotic can mean:*In mathematics:**Exotic R4 - differentiable manifold homeomorphic but not diffeomorphic to the Euclidean space R4**Exotic sphere - differentiable manifold homeomorphic but not diffeomorphic to the ordinary sphere*In physics:...
attire. Even with widespread notoriety of Khan's on-stage antics in the underground media, he has acknowledged that maturity is beginning to take over. He told Uptown Magazine, "When you're in your 20s, you can get away with urinating on the public. When you're in your 30s and you're a dad (Khan has two daughters, ages 6 and 9), it's just gross. We rely on the audience for the crazy antics now."
Khan gained considerable media coverage after pictures surfaced on TMZ.com
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
and Vice Magazine of him putting his bare buttocks in the face of actress Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
after performing as part of the Almighty Defenders
Almighty Defenders
The Almighty Defenders is a supergroup consisting of members from the Black Lips and The King Khan & BBQ Show. The band was formed in February 2009 in Berlin, Germany.-References:...
at the Cannes Festival.