Like a planet of rock god’s reincarnated from the glory days of the rock scene, spawned the almighty Kempes. I’m Louis, and this is a really, really good review.
This 4-piece band of rough looking, beer drinking musicians used to play in my local pub (Lily Sugars on Hayling Island). I grew up to this fascinating blend of boozey lyrics whilst crawling around on the pub floor, covering my ears as the guitar riffs bled deep into my young fragile mind. To a 4 year old, all music sounds the same, you can never really defy the difference in quality between a Hendrix voodoo-ised masterpiece or your favourite tune plucked straight out of ’Aladdin’.
12 years on, and im proudly writing about a band that i feel priviliged to have witnessed.
Kempes in the early days were remenisent of bands that were created during the britpop era, the care-free bands that lived by the 90’s code "choose rock ’n’ roll, as long as we’re still on the dole....sod life". However, nature soon has it’s own way and men must become men- proper men that is, with "actual jobs" and "real life" wives with young squabbling punk kids.....and due to this "coming of age", kempes evolved into a more mellow, sunday morning band relying on intelligent lyrics about "actual everyday scenarios" rather than relying on the feel good atmosphere of a smokey, dingey pub/hostel of the drunk and dissordely to not bother questionning the issues raised in the lyrics of there earlier work.
Thirteen eventfull years now passed has seen the return of super groups ’Spice Girls’ and ’Take That’, so i think it’s about time i woke from the long sleep i have enjoyed and raise awareness to the original supergroup, to whom, on a scale of Hayling Island being equivalent to the entire world, were bigger than the beatles!
Kempes released the E.P, ’Water from Sand’ in 1997. The E.P consisted of four geniusly wrote and expertly performed songs; ’Chemical Breeze’, ’New Boy’, ’Rocket Woman’ and ’Water from Sand’. The follow up to the E.P ’Ghost Strokes’ in 1999, proved to match the cliche of difficult second albums. Although ’Ghost Strokes’ had some catchy and emotive songs including ’Melanie Munchkinhead’, ’Baby With a Gun’ and ’Across the Water’, the previous E.P was just too difficult to improve on.
Kempes continued to perform after ’Ghost Strokes’, touring around France and playing some big support slots at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms, but the undying truth was that band members became unsettled and were unhappy with the way things were heading with kempes, the joy had gone. The band turned from a powerful 4 man rock unit to an eagerly awaited 3 piece band.
The three muscateers of rock lead the way for kempes and released the cracking third album ’Time Spectre’. This album filled in the cracks that were left from ’Ghost Strokes’ and re-invented kempes as a modern day rock band with sounds similar to Coldplay, Joy Division and U2. ’Bugsy Star Pink’ proved that Kempes could still bash out a crowd starting rock song along with the unique ’Walking Valencia’. It seemed that the song ’Time Spectre’ was inspired by Pink Floyd, Queen or even Meatloaf as the mammoth 10 minute song seemed to tell a story over three parts similar to Queen’s classic Bohemian Rhapsody.
Things again slowed down for Kempes, as the aging warriors of rock began to chase other dreams. Kempes eventually split, and the "what was four" band members concentrated on there future. One band member moved abroad, whilst the others continued to play music with a new project ’Jonny Stardust’ which later changed to ’Pavillion Experience’.
The once again 3 piece band decided to record some new material for Kempes, the untitled Kempes 05/06 project. This rare and unknown album has been dubbed as the best work that Kempes have produced, but as always, i have the last say on what’s good and what isn’t.
Kempes 05/06 for me is definitely a step in the right direction for Kempes. The album is original, and it recaptures the magic that was created by ’Water from Sand’. Originally written and perfectly executed songs make this album a success. The album starts off with a peaceful, melodic rock tune ’Crux of the Night’ which sets the standard for the rest of the album. ’New town Fog’ is a much darker, underground rock sound which just flows through the ears and satisfies the brain with amazing rythm and bass. ’Taking a beer with God’ is an imaginitivley written song that tickles the brain with its versatile choice of subject. Other timeless kempes classics on this one messiah of an album include ’The Vaso Express to Nicksville’, ’Too Late for Summer’, ’25 Years’, ’My Old Buddy’, ’Walking the Dog’ and ’Elliott Smith’ but in fairness, to name those songs in an understatement to the songs not mentioned as they are all equally as good in there own right.
My final message is on behalf of Kempes, and rock bands all over the globe.
ROCK ON!!!!
div
