Many of you will know or at least have heard of Weab, former vocals with Dirt Box Disco. A singer of great talent, with a huge presence on stage. A lyricist with a unique style and outlook on life. Cleverly written songs, by all band members, with his own perspective on society, perfectly stitched together with the most excellent instrumentalists of the band we love, Kid Klumsy. I have known Weab for a number of years, along with Alistair on bass, 2 of the most down to earth people you will meet on the punk circuit. Both Weab and Ali, complimented perfectly by the amazing Fatwig on drums and Greg and Carl on guitars, make this a band to be taken notice of.
Kid Klumsy, now very clearly and prominently out of the shadow of DBD, have forged ahead headlining their own mini fests, gigs and support for some major bands in a very short space of time, a tribute to the hard work they all put in, and also to their passion and love of music. Touring all over the UK and of course Europe. I must also state, that Weab also organises and puts on shows alongside the band, as well as playing, a true stalwart of our great scene.
And on we go to their 4th EP, due out in September 2021, Fair Dooz is a 5-track disc, with an intro and outro thrown in for good measure. 5 great tracks to get ya foot tapping and singing along to, each one a belter of a song, strong lyrics, powerful vocals and instruments to match.
Coconut: My favourite track on the EP, slightly ska guitar intro with superb ascending and descending chord work, fast rhythmic drum sections and think some keyboards thrown in. the lads welcome us to their crazy world, the slightly off-centre mindset of the musician, asking us to get in the mix and lose yaself in the parody of life that is the circus of musical minds. Fantastic guitar work, with almost manic harmonies mixed in. Love it.
Revolution: Major turnaround on the intro here, heavy, fast and dark. Slowing down to medium tempo when vocals kick in. An angry song about the state of society, giving credence and thought to our amazing NHS, the homeless, poverty, hungry kids etc. Lyrically sad yet perhaps giving hope to those less fortunate that ourselves, whereby we need to stand up now to stop society’s rot, to help others and offer support to all aspects of our communities. This one hits home being ex forces where we hear the plight of the ex-soldiers cast aside by a heartless government, those who fought for others, strangers, yet end up on the streets. Loads more going on here, I’ll let you to work out the rest.
SFW: Instrumentally a very busy track, a mixture of different styles, speeded up jazz funk, twangy ska creeping out, top bass line throughout with banging drum work nice high-end guitar at the end. The joys of writing a song, how it makes ya feel, the way the words fill ya whole being, sticking in your head til its down on paper and ultimately played to the roaring crowd. Fast and joyous, one of those tunes we can easily pick up and sing along to. Yup
Media: Another track that hits home having 3 daughters. The well-known effect the mass media has on society, especially where the modelling world is concerned. Young women and girls almost forced to believe that there is a perfect body that they all must have. To become sommat they are not and please everybody else. Mental health plays a huge part here, how the media influences people’s perception of the so called “perfect image”. Time to call the shots on these organisations. Just be who you are, please yaself and not others. They’re not worth it.
Rise: One of the darker aspects of modern life outlined perfectly. I recall as a kid playing footy in the street or park, coats for goalposts, coming home covered in dirt, bruised, cut and bloodied after doing what kids do. No more, yet again, the likes of social media, video games, taking away what it is to be a kid and taking away natural innocence. Backing vocals from the superb Rachel Reeves, singer from Murderers Row. A deeply passionate track opened with circus like guitar intro with a sliding bass line, lambasting all that is wrong about the “new age of the internet and television”. Time for a bit of reversion methinks.
The one big message I get from this very good EP is the need to stop and take stock of life, how fast we are moving at, the changes that have taken place in recent years, the endless advertisements to better ourselves with needless products, the self-isolation caused by media, internet and tv. Let kids be kids, let adults take responsibility for their own instead of blaming others for their own shortfalls and start being happy again. Only 5 tracks here, but what a message it sends out in 5 great songs. This is a winner. Go on, get it, ya know ya want to.
Words and Photos: Johnny
Bandcamp: https://kidklumsyofficial.bandcamp.com/