Kid Karate Interview & Live Review @ The Macbeth 25.09.13

“You know that feeling on Christmas morning when it’s not quite time to get up? That’s probably the closest thing to how we feel before a show” says drummer Steven Gannon, running a hand across dark gelled hair. “I don’t really get nervous anymore” adds guitarist and frontman Kevin Breen, “I just really wanna get up there”. These boys certainly aren’t all mouth and no trousers. Their set at the intimate Hoxton Macbeth tonight is lustily energetic and their relishing for performance is tangible. Kevin hops from one foot to the other in time to noisy, unapologetic single ‘Two Times’ while a closed-eyed Steven thrashes the drum kit that sits sideways on stage in place of a sizeable MH Fender amp. They really do give a lot. So much so that Kevin snaps a guitar string mid-set. Steven, who admits to playing the drums because [he’s] “painfully shy! I like having the cymbals high and being in my own world”, now has to take centre stage with a drum interlude while Kevin tunes his guitar. Back on track, Kid Karate treat us to two more tracks of howling vocals and military drums before calling it a night.

Comparisons to Death From Above 1979, both vocally and stylistically, pepper almost every one of their reviews and press releases. The boys can only agree, having bonded over a love of the band when they first got together in Dublin. “I love when people say we sound like them” beams Kevin. Some comparisons just don’t correlate for the band though as Steven explains with a perplexed frown “some rockabilly chicks in America were like [affects girly US accent] ‘you guys sound like Danzig!’. It’s a strange one”. The Doors have crept up too but Kevin chalks it up to a bad Jim Morrison impression. There’s a slightly startled pause after they’re presented with a YouTube comment comparing them to legendary rockers The Who. “…Really!? That’s…wow…that’s cool” they remark in a state of frozen flattery. “We like The Who” adds Kevin, pulling on the collar of his vintage shirt. “Some people have said Zeppelin as well and The Who and Zeppelin are very similar especially with the high vocals”. For them, though, it’s LCD Soundsystem who top their list of influences. “It’s how they manage to have a really good blend of powerful good sound but with the raw feel of live performance in the production”. These elements undoubtedly manifest themselves in Kid Karate’s sound. They manage to produce big songs but with an unpolished, human finish to them. The same can be said for their videos. ‘Two Times’ is a real raw, sharp edged example filmed in Darndale, North Dublin.”The locals offered to burn out the car for us before we needed them to which was…nice!” tells Kevin “Crazy kids kept running around and getting into shot so we had to distract them with a secondary camera”. Steven laughs “Or we’d smash a television up to distract them. They liked breaking things”.

You’d never know the duo were halfway through a tour right now. A grounded interview and a fresh, explosive performance tell a different story. Above this, their diaries are full until next year. Without a breath, Steven reels off a list of what’s next for them; a US tour, Culture Collide in LA, CMJ in New York, the Netherlands, dates in Germany, recording new material and the release of an album in February. The short answer is they’re clocking up a lot of air miles so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

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Amy Bryant
Hailing from South East London, Amy has an eye for the weird and the wonderful in music culture. Although her love lies with the '60s, Amy keeps herself planted in the present by two-stepping at the latest gigs and reviewing the newest singles. Forever getting carried away, expect to hear all about these in extreme detail.
Amy Bryant

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