Interview by TransBlender
I had only heard about the greatness of King Khan. I was familiar with The King Khan and BBQ show, but never caught them live, even though they came by my area on occasions when I could have easily gotten off my ass and done something about it. It wasn’t until 2009 when I got to see King Khan and The Shrines at SXSW, in the back of Bird’s Barbershop. Luckily for me, they were serving unlimited free alcohol at little vendors stations. “Isn’t this your tenth cup?” Is what the volunteer bartender should have said to me by my tenth cup of vodka, but no. It was a hard lesson learned, but extreme temperature and shitty vodka was not a good combination. By the time King Khan went on, I was at that perfect equilibrium of drunk but not over the top drunk, yet. It was a pure spectacle in my inebriated eyes, almost so beautiful I wanted to cry for some reason. Khan and his band commanded the crowd through songs from “The Supreme Genius of King Khan and The Shrines”, and the party mood didn’t let up for a minute. Khan is a performer that is a rarity these days, one that can own the songs he plays, and make the crowd love it that much more at the same time. After about 45 minutes, his set concluded, and I continued to get schwasted. A few hours later, I ended up face down in an air mattress, waking up dehydrated with the worst migraine. My first thought when I woke up (besides “Wha’ happen?”) was “I wish I bought a King Khan record.”
Khan and his band came by to Dallas in February, hosted by parade of flesh. Luckily, I was completely sober this time, for the fact that I wanted to enjoy the show with memories to take home after. Here is some questions with the man himself.
TransBlender: Where are you currently located in the world?
King Khan: Berlin, Germany.
TB: Do you ever stop making music for longer than a week? Somehow I like to imagine you going from place to place and starting new bands, recording an album then moving on. Why don’t you do that?
KK: I have laying low for the past year, but i have been recording a bunch…. new Shrines record, new Black Jaspers record, new Tandoori Knights single, and I finally released The King Khan Experience which took almost ten years to finish….
TB: Is there a “label”for your music you don’t consider accurate?
KK: Gothic Reggae….
TB: What happened to bands putting out a party vibe? I’m tired of being bored as shit at shows. Is it because of the economy?
KK: The ritual gets lost when everything is considered ironic. It seems harder for people to get lost in the moment if every waking moment is attached to a talking device. Laziness is at an all time high. We need more Orgones. There is a serious orgone deficiency going on. Time for a new Reich… Wilhelm i mean.
TB: Where is khan’s final resting place?
KK: Save all the Undertaker bills and let the mermaids flirt with me….
TB:Would you ever consider turning your music into a theatrical production? Why not?
KK: Sure… I would like it to be called “Dream Dogs”and it should be like Super Jail or Xavier Renegade Angel on ICE!!!!!!
TB: Is there an introspective and dark album inside of you, waiting to be purged?
KK: There are a few “dark” songs on the next shrines record…. and i have an electro project coming up that is totally ridiculous and DARK….
TB: What is a terrible nickname for yourself you’ve heard?
KK: Eyeballs, Paris, carrot, Chocolate Thunder… there are many.
TB: Do you have any words of advice for people down on their luck in the music biz?
KK: my best advice comes from big daddy kane….
Dramatic, Asiatic, not like many
I’m different, so don’t compare me to another
Cause they can’t hang, word to the mother
At least not with the principal in this pedigree
So when I roll on you rappers, you better be
Ready to die because you’re petty
You’re just a butter knife, I’m a machete
That’s made by Ginzu, wait until when you
Try to front, so I can chop into
Your body, just because you try to be basing
Friday the 13th, I’mma play Jason