Brian Tristan (born March 27, 1959), better known by his
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Kid Congo Powers,
[Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 25, 41, 359] is an American
rock guitarist, singer, and actor best known as a member of
The Gun Club
The Gun Club were an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, which existed from 1979 to 1996. It was formed and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce.
History Early days (1979–1980)
The Gun Club w ...
,
the Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...
and
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock music, rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its care ...
. He has also played with the
Divine Horsemen
The Divine Horsemen were an American punk/roots band founded in 1983 by Chris D. (Desjardins), formerly of L.A. punk rock band the Flesh Eaters.Angels of Light
Angels of Light were an American folk band that was formed circa 1998 by singer-songwriter and musician Michael Gira after he disbanded Swans, the group he had founded in 1982. The band has marked a distinctly different style for Gira since he ...
,
Die Haut
Die Haut (German for ''the skin'') were an experimental German post-punk and post-rock band in Berlin during the 1980s and 1990s, with such records as the Nick Cave collaboration '' Burnin' the Ice''. The only constant member was Christoph Dreh ...
, and
Knoxville Girls.
As of January 2015, Powers' primary musical project is the band The Pink Monkey Birds.
[Marszalek, Julian (2009)]
Kid Congo Powers Pays Tribute to Mentors
, ''Spinner'', 30 November 2009, retrieved 2010-01-30
Early life
Born in
La Puente
La Puente (Spanish for "The Bridge") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city had a population of 39,816 at the 2010 census and is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles.
History
The original inhabitants of the ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, Powers is a second generation
Mexican American
Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...
. His earliest childhood influences were the Southern California Chicano rock band
Thee Midniters
Thee Midniters were an American rock group, among the first Chicano rock bands to have a major hit in the United States. They were one of the best known acts to come out of East Los Angeles in the 1960s, with a cover of " Land of a Thousand Dan ...
. In 1976, he was president of
The Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
fan club, then ran a
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
for
The Screamers
The Screamers were an American electropunk group founded in 1975. They were among the first wave of the L.A. punk rock scene. The Los Angeles Times applied the label "techno-punk" to the band in 1978. In the documentary '' Punk: Attitude'' ( ...
.
[Remezcla.](_blank)
''Punk Was Always Gay: Kid Congo Powers on the Genre's Queer Beginnings.'' June 30, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
Music
1979–1987: The Gun Club and The Cramps
After traveling to London and New York City he returned to L.A. and in 1979 met
Jeffrey Lee Pierce
Jeffrey Lee Pierce (June 27, 1958 – March 31, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and author. He was one of the founding members of the band The Gun Club, and released material as a solo artist.
Biography Early life
Pierce ...
. Pierce taught him to play guitar using
open tuning, and they formed The Creeping Ritual, which became The Gun Club.
Powers left that group before their recording debut, instead joining New York-based band The Cramps in December 1980.
Powers rejoined the Gun Club briefly in 1983, touring with Pierce's band in Australia the following year,
and then again between 1985 and 1988.
1986–1996: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, and The Gun Club
Powers joined Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, Germany, September 1986 for several albums and corresponding tours.
Powers recorded the ''Tender Prey'' and ''The Good Son'' albums with Cave and his band, and he said in early 2015 that he "loved" the "primaeval element of rock'n'roll" that they had a firm grasp of.
During April 1990, it was amicably decided with Nick Cave that he leave The Bad Seeds and concentrate on The Gun Club, which he had reconvened with Jeffery Lee Pierce during downtime in 1989.
1997–2009: The Pink Monkey Birds and ''Dracula Boots''
For his next project, The Pink Monkey Birds, Powers initially collaborated with New York City guitarist Jack Martin,
who he has also collaborated with for the
Congo Norvell Congo Norvell was a band led by Kid Congo Powers (Cramps, Gun Club, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds) and Sally Norvell (Prohibition & the Norvells). Congo Norvell formed in 1990 after Powers and Norvell met at th ...
and
Knoxville Girls projects. Then, in 2009, Powers recruited Kiki Solis on bass, Ron Miller on drums, and Jesse Roberts on guitar and keyboards. The band moved to In The Red Records and released the much acclaimed debut studio album, ''Dracula Boots'', which was called a "return to form."
''Dracula Boots'' was coproduced by Jason Ward and recorded in a former high school gymnasium in Harveyville, Kansas, which is now an artists' retreat called "The Harveyville Project." ''Dracula Boots'' consists of numerous genres, including southern soul, 60s Chicano rock, and psychedelic imagery. British magazine ''N.M.E.'' wrote: "In short, on ''Dracula Boots'' Kid Congo Powers has once again found the juicy jugular of soul-fired, funked-up rock'n'roll. You'd be foolish not to take a bite."
2010–present: ''Gorilla Rose''
In 2011, Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds released their second album, ''Gorilla Rose'', which was also on the In The Red Records label.
Eamon Carr of ''
The Dublin Evening Herald'' said of ''Gorilla Rose'', "Having a working band is paying off. ''Gorilla Rose'' elevates seedy go-go weirdness to the level of high art."
Powers returned to Australia for the first time in 25 years—when he toured with Cave's Bad Seeds project—at the end of January 2015. The band played at
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
's "Summersalt Festival" and the
Sydney Festival.
In a promotional interview for the Australian shows, Powers spoke in regard to his new band:
I think the Pink Monkey Birds conjures up all the best aspects of primal rock'n'roll ... Lyrically, I'm speaking in images, and from a very skewed viewpoint, whatever the subject may be. I still have the passion and the incentive to make music that's different, but still within the confines of a punk rock language people will know and understand.
The Pink Monkey Birds, whose name Kid credits to inspiration from
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, has been an evolving unit since their earliest albums, and as of 2016 the touring members are bassist Kiki Solis, drummer Ron Miller, and guitarist Mark Cisneros.
Kid Congo Powers was profiled by
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
in late April 2016 while promoting their fourth album, where he was noted for his iconic sense of punk style. In his Vogue interview he mentions the aesthetic importance of tying the look of the band to match the music.
For me, the whole art of being a band—and I do think it's an art—is to create a whole world, a whole language, that is every aspect. The Gun Club
The Gun Club were an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, which existed from 1979 to 1996. It was formed and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce.
History Early days (1979–1980)
The Gun Club w ...
, we kind of made it up as we went along, but what I learned from The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...
and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and pres ...
is that they created a whole uncompromising world, and it's all kind of sprung out of that. You want to communicate with people, and I think through all aesthetics—artwork, the look, and music—you get to keep your world, and you get to let people enter your world and live in your world with you.
Personal life
Kid Congo Powers is openly gay and is married.
During the 1980s, he was involved with the
ACT UP
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) is an international, grassroots political group working to end the AIDS pandemic. The group works to improve the lives of people with AIDS through direct action, medical research, treatment and advocacy, ...
advocacy group.
Selected discography
*1981
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...
– ''
Psychedelic Jungle
''Psychedelic Jungle'' is the second album by the American rock music, rock band the Cramps. It was released in May 1981 on I.R.S. Records. It was engineered by Paul McKenna and recorded in January 1981 at A&M Studios. It was self-produced by the ...
''
*1983 The Cramps – ''
Smell of Female''
*1984
The Gun Club
The Gun Club were an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, which existed from 1979 to 1996. It was formed and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce.
History Early days (1979–1980)
The Gun Club w ...
– ''
The Las Vegas Story''
*1987 The Gun Club – ''
Mother Juno
''Mother Juno'' is an album by the Gun Club, released in 1987. It was produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins.
"Yellow Eyes" was originally entitled "Funky Junkie"; "Nobody's City" was originally "Sleepy Times Blues." The original record ...
''
*1990 The Gun Club – ''Pastoral Hide and Seek''
*1991 The Gun Club – ''Divinity'' EP
*1985 The Fur Bible EP
*1988
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock music, rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its care ...
– ''
Tender Prey
''Tender Prey'' is the fifth studio album by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 19 September 1988 on Mute Records. Produced by Flood (producer), Flood, the album was recorded during several sessions over the course of ...
''
*1990 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ''
The Good Son''
*1988
Barry Adamson
Barry Adamson (born 11 June 1958)
Discography Studio Albums
Compilation Albums
EPs
Singles
Soundtracks
References
External links
*
Adamson's art-house
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adamson, Barry
1958 births
Living people
People from ...
– ''
Moss Side Story
''Moss Side Story'' is the debut album of British musician Barry Adamson released in 1989. The album is a concept album, a soundtrack album to a non-existent crime film.
The music is almost completely instrumental except for occasional screams, ...
''
*1994
Congo Norvell Congo Norvell was a band led by Kid Congo Powers (Cramps, Gun Club, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds) and Sally Norvell (Prohibition & the Norvells). Congo Norvell formed in 1990 after Powers and Norvell met at th ...
– ''
Music to Remember Him By
''Music to Remember Him By'' is an album by the American alternative rock band Congo Norvell. It was released in 1994. The band was led by Sally Norvell and Kid Congo Powers; the pair met via their involvement in Wim Wenders projects.
Production
...
''
*1998
Mark Eitzel
Mark Eitzel (born January 30, 1959) is an American musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band American Music Club.
Biography
Eitzel spent his formative years in a military family living in Okinawa, Taiwan, Ohi ...
– ''
''
*2005 Kid Congo Powers – ''Solo Cholo''
*2006 Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds – ''Philosophy and Underwear''
*2006 Madrugada – ''Live at Oslo Spektrum''
VD*2009 Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds – ''Dracula Boots''
*2011 Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds – ''Gorilla Rose''
*2013 Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds – ''Haunted Head''
*2016 Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds – ''La Araña Es La Vida''
*2021 Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds – ''Swing From The Sean DeLear''
Selected filmography
*1987 ''
Wings of Desire
''Wings of Desire'' (, ; ) is a 1987 romantic fantasy film written by Wim Wenders, Peter Handke and Richard Reitinger, and directed by Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of its ...
''
*1999 ''Modern Young Man'' (film short)
*2000 ''Once and Future Queen''
*2000 ''Hair Burners''
*2017 ''
Scumbag''
*2022 ''
The Resort'' (TV Series)
References
External links
Official website2013 ''Rocker Magazine'' interview – video and print
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powers, Kid Congo
American indie rock musicians
American blues guitarists
American male guitarists
American rock guitarists
Punk blues musicians
The Cramps members
1961 births
Living people
American musicians of Mexican descent
American LGBT musicians
LGBT people from California
LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people
Musicians from Los Angeles County, California
People from La Puente, California
20th-century American musicians
21st-century American musicians
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds members
Guitarists from California
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
Hispanic and Latino American musicians
In the Red artists
Mute Records artists
The Gun Club members