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Cinemetal

IT’S A KING’S X KIND OF DAY

 Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 1:00pm by

Kip and I went to see Porcupine Tree in New York last Thursday. Personal preferences not withstanding, I think the winner of the night was definitely opening act King’s X — after the show, many people mentioned being way more impressed by King’s X than Porcupine Tree and were left having wished they’d caught the band’s whole set. Not me; I insisted on being there for the whole thing, despite Mr. Wingerschmidt’s preference of blazing pre-show.

How this band has remained so fresh and vital for so long is beyond me. Doug Pinnick is 59 fucking years old and still has the pipes of a choir boy (like 6 or 7 octaves worth!) and the optimism and good will of someone in his 20s. While the band jammed behind him Pinnick gave one of the most inspirational speeches I’ve ever heard about how so many people are unhappy with their lives because they aren’t doing what they’re meant to do, how if music is your calling don’t let anyone discourage you, be true to yourself, work hard even if your music never leaves your bedroom, just be yourself and be happy. Imagine 2 minutes of this spoken by a guy who basically sounds like a reverend. It was beautiful.

Also beautiful was the band’s performance of “Lost In Germany,” which I’d never heard them play live before, from their self-titled 1992 record. Here they are playing it back in 1998 when Doug was a fresh 47 years old. That Ty Tabor riff! A classic.

-VN

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  • vman

    Indeed, this band f’in rules

  • Cam

    Been listening to Faith, Hope, Love a ton lately. Such a good album. This band does not get the recognition they deserve.

  • http://www.myspace.com/joelbailey Joel Bailey

    thanks for posting on one of Texas’ own! I freaking love this band and as a bass player, Doug Pinnick is definitely one of my idols. If anyone wants to see some pro filmed live footage from these guys.. google or youtube their Woodstock performance..

  • Shinaain

    All of the above, +1000.

    King’s X is proof positive that merit doesn’t always equal popularity in the music business. I love that they’re still out there, KILLING IT, after all this time.

    “It’s love that holds it all together…”

    • Metallibrarian

      You’re so right, Shinaain. Popularity & merit don’t often live on the same street in music… King’s X is one of those bands that professional musicians, including many of the popular (and sometimes meritorious) ones, profess to admiring. I’ve heard many members of more commercially successful bands talk about how much they love King’s X and how they should have been huge over & over in the last 20 years.

      • Shinaain

        Absolutely. I perceive that they’re very much like Mr. Bungle and Vovoid in that way.

        For a moment, nevermind the fact that we usually agree and let me just say that I love your handle so much, I throw you horns every time I see it. Actually, I just did. So there you go.

        \m/

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-Campagna/40702766 Tom Campagna

          i’m a huge Mr. Bungle fan anf i love Voivod. I have heard Voivod mentioned in reference to Mastodon at times as well as another criminally underrated rock band Thin Lizzy. Mr. Bungle gets mentioned sometimes with nu-metal which is really sad. i mean do you really think any of those nu-metal losers could grasp the complexity of Disco Volante while listening to Slipknot or Korn?

          • Shinaain

            I don’t feel that I’m entirely qualified to answer your question, but I will say that the correlation I drew between King’s X, Voivod, and Mr. Bungle was to emphasize, in particular, the similarity in their creative outputs and influence on their fellow musicians in stark contrast to their relative obscurity. (I suppose what I’m really saying is that they’re all awesome and their peers seem to appreciate that more than the typical consumer does.) However, I will say this: Anyone who lumps in Mr. Bungle with so-called “nu-”metal is either confusing that band with Mike Patton’s involvement in Faith No More (in which case I will say again it’s no more fair to blame FNM for all the shitty bands who popped up in response to the awesome they were throwing down than it is to blame Van Halen, Pantera, and whatever other titans had their respective legacies sullied by sub-standard knock-offs and imitators, but then that’s a point I’ve ridden to death in response to other blogs), OR they’re simply delusional (in which case we should either gently correct them or simply pat them on the head and then gently exclude them from further conversation with grown-ups).

            And now, for good measure, I will restate my original point, which was this: King’s X is perpetually under-appreciated.

          • Shinaain

            And I just realized that you probably meant that as a rhetorical question. Oops. Sorry!

  • http://www.myspace.com/joelbailey Joel Bailey

    hell.. here’s them doing a Hendrix tune.. there’s a bunch of other great ones on YouTube to find as well..

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOUhpMjxJDk

  • CARTER

    WHAT are you fucking kidding me? I just saw that show in Boston last night and porcupine tree was the best performance I’ve ever seen live. ever. kings x is fucking garbage, you guys are fuck tarded.

    • Paul

      And here I thought Porcupine Tree fans were supposed to be smart.

      Apparently it didn’t occur to you that perhaps PT were a little off their game in NY and maybe played better in Boston. Or maybe you read Vince giving Kings X a slight edge over PT and your little brain just couldn’t handle the affront to your heroes, so you decided to come on here and post something asinine like “kings x is fucking garbage.”

      Nice.
      Talk about fuck tarded…

  • Bill

    I saw em Friday in Baltimore. I was only familiar with a few of their songs, but King’s X managed to make me a fan. I still think Porcupine Tree was the winner of the night, but if King’s X ever swings around Pittsburgh, I’ll be sure to be there.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Devon-Czekaj/550092101 Devon Czekaj

    King’s X sucked. I couldn’t wait for Porcupine Tree to get on stage.

    • sYgnal

      +1

      Yea…Vince must have sparked up sooner than all the other pot heads because Kings X sucked. They sucked in the 80′s and they were absolutely horrible at the show I went to. Maybe, you were doing some other type of drugs,Vince??I don’t even know how they got the opening slot. Mr. Wilson was definitely doing them a favor.

      Granted, I wish PT played more of FOABP and In Absentia but they still blew Kings X off the stage!

      • Paul

        I like both bands, honestly.

        But I don’t think there’s any doubt people will still be listening to King’s X after Porcupine Tree is long forgotten.

        • sYgnal

          Are you kidding? Most people forgot about Kings X after the late 80s. I could never understand, back then, how they made it on Headbangers Ball.

          You probably should have seen the diversity of people in attendance for the show and that the crowd grew in size once PT came on. I seriously doubt anyone there thought Kings X put on a better show than PT.

  • Masonic Youth

    I got to see King’s X back in the late 1990s at the Station in Rhode Island. (That was the nightclub that eventually burned during a Great White show, killing tons of people.)
    It was an awesome show and the crowd was so fucking cool. I went by myself, not knowing anyone there — but that didn’t matter to this audience. Everyone was cool as hell and I had a blast.

  • You Don’t Know Me

    After watching that video, I forgot how underrated Ty Tabor is as a guitar player. He might not be able to shred like Rusty Cooley but the man’s written some of the most fucking sweet riffs ever. “Little Bit of Soul” has to be up there in terms of all time best King’s X songs.

  • KH

    You can’t be serious. King’s X is a nice trio, but…you can’t be serious.

  • http://www.benapatoff.blogspot.com Ben

    Insanely underrated band playing one of my favorite songs. Wish I could’ve been there.

  • Sammy

    I fall somewhere in the middle of the love and hate regarding King’s X. I think they’re kind of like Queeensryche in that they have Desert Island 5 material as well as “Huh?” albums, with everything in between. I’d call them great musicians with uneven songwriting.

  • TMM

    King’s X has always been one of my favorites. Takes me back to college in the late 80′s when Living Colour AND King’s X played an outdoor show together on campus…for FREE! :)

    • David

      Yeah, I saw KingsX and Living Color at UC Davis on that tour, back when LC had the original bass player. Both bands absolutely smoked, but I’d give KingsX the edge in overall songs, musicianship and tightness. Living Color had a habit of going into this jazzy-noize-shred atmosphere that sometimes derailed. They were definitely experimenting more like jazz-heads or Hendrix-o-philes. KingsX just slayed. Gretchen Goes to Nebraska shoulda been their breakout.

  • http://uponwingsofblack.blogspot.com/ \m/Eluveitie\m/

    I won some free King’s X tickets from the prog band Tiles, who were supporting them. Couldn’t make it to the show though.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom-Campagna/40702766 Tom Campagna

    doug pinnick is actually 49 sir

    • Marcel

      He was born in 1950 (at least, that’s what every google hit on ‘Doug Pinnick bio’ told me), so that would make him 59.

      KX was born to be loved. And I fucking love this band.

  • KG

    First-time poster on here. I’d just like to say that, with a few notable exceptions, the level of discourse on this comments section far surpasses that of some other metal sites (*cough*blabbermouth*cough*). I’ve never heard Porcupine Tree, but I’ll give them a shot. I am, however, a huge King’s X fan, so it’s nice to see people recognizing the level of musicianship these guys possess.

    A fantastic band that ALWAYS brings it live…ALWAYS. There are very few bands I’ll always make a point of going to see. After awhile, it becomes a “been there, done that.” I’ve never felt that way about King’s X, and will always support them with my ticket and merch purchases. These guys deserve to be multi-platinum.

    To those who say “King’s X is garbage,” I don’t even know how to reply. I’d say you’re ignorant, but that isn’t a strong enough word to describe your myopic viewpoint. You can’t fix stupid.

    • sYgnal

      “I’ve never heard Porcupine Tree, but I’ll give them a shot.”

      Yet, you’re calling some of the people on this sight myopic that have not only listened to Kings X and PT but who actually saw them on tour together and have come to the realization that Kings X was forgotten in the 90s for a reason. AND, on that night Porcupine Tree decimated them.

      PTs music and visuals were fantastic! No matter how much you compare them to Pink Floyd, they are one of the few bands out there that are consistantly releasing top notch progressive rock.

      • KG

        Yeah, I haven’t listened to PT, just as I haven’t heard 100′s of bands out there. The guy didn’t say “PT kicked King’s X’s ass,” he said “King’s X is garbage.” BIG difference.

        If he can’t recognize the talent and musicianship in King’s X, then I feel he’s an idiot (or a “fuck tard,” as he so eloquently stated). If that’s who you care to align yourself with, so be it.

        One more small point…notice the great majority of comments are complimentary of King’s X.

        Come back and see me in 20 years. If PT can stand the test of time as King’s X has (still headlining the majority of the time and releasing great music), I’ll give your opinion much more weight.

        • sYgnal

          Well, for a new commenter you seem to be very misinformed…as usual.

          (* – Yes this was taken from Wikipedia as I don’t have the time to type this shit out)

          * Porcupine Tree has been releasing albums since 1991. Almost 20 years.

          * Steve Wilson produced and contributed backing vocals, guitar and keyboards for Opeth on the albums Blackwater Park, Deliverance, and Damnation. He also has several side projects and released a pretty successful solo album entitled “Insurgentes”

          * Has also worked with OSI, Marillion, JBK, Paatos, Theo Travis, Yoko Ono, Fish, Cipher and Anja Garbarek.

          * He is featured on the latest Fovea Hex EP “Allure” (Part 3 of the “Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent” trilogy of EP’s) on bass guitar. The EP was released in April 2007 through Die-Stadt Musik.

          * He made a guest appearance on Dream Theater’s 2007 album, Systematic Chaos on the song “Repentance”, as one of several musical guests recorded apologizing to important people in their lives for wrongdoings in the past.

          So, as far as I can see, Kings X was lucky to be billed with them and if you don’t keep hearing from Mr. Wilson & Co. for the next 20 years I would shocked as hell.

          Finally, FYI, I don’t align myself with anyone. I align myself with my own opinions and can realize when someone makes a valid point. To be honest, I don’t see where I agreed with anyone that uses the word Fucktard or any other adaptation.

          SO, maybe you should get your facts together before you spew forth this ignorant nonsense

          • KG

            Because Steve Wilson’s worked with Opeth and Yoko Ono and collaborated with a bunch of musicians, the great majority of which have sold dozens of records, you think King’s X was lucky to be billed with them? If you don’t keep hearing from them, you’d be shocked as hell? I’m an avid music consumer and I never heard of them in their first 20 years. If I DO keep hearing from them in 20 years, I’ll be shocked as hell.

            Here’s what I know. King’s X is more well known than Porcupine Tree for a reason.

            I just listened to a number of samples on Wikipedia and the only one I enjoyed was “Blackest Eyes.” The others sound like a poor man’s Pink Floyd.

            Finally, the true measure of a band, IN MY OPINION, is someone who can entertain a crowd while standing beneath a single 60-watt light bulb. “The visuals were fantastic.” Yeah? Well, so is “Laser Floyd” at your local planetarium. King’s X doesn’t need any of that.

            Three incredibly talented musicians with amazing vocal harmonies on a stage. That’s ALL they need.

          • sYgnal

            Hmmm…Opeth,FIsh,Marillion & OSI have only sold a dozen records? But, you say your an avid music consumer? I guess most people that love Lenny Kravitz would say the same thing. Buying a ton of CDs doesn’t mean you know squat about good music or music in general for that matter.
            AND, it is very apparent just from your statements about Kings X.

            Finally, the true measure of a band, IN MY OPINION, is a group who can masterfully perform well written material in a live setting – The fact of the matter is that Porcupine Tree blew Kings X off the stage when I saw them and I probably could bet the house that they did the same thing on the rest of the tour.

            You might as well keep that shitty trio under that dim light bulb because that’s as far as they will ever get without bands like Porcupine Tree.

    • Shinaain

      Welcome, KG. Be warned that the BlabberBrats do occasionally wander over here and start posting without realizing they’re in the wrong place. Overall, we try to keep things interesting around here; however, failing at interesting, we endeavor to achieve relevance at the very least.

  • blah

    so fucking underrated. if i had went to this tour it would have been for king’s x. maybe would have ever left before porcupine tree.

  • Gossamer Axe

    Gretchen goes to Nebraska should have won an award for the best album for that year. (Emmy?) Kings X is a fantastic band that never got the press it should have. Amazing talents

  • 35yearsseeinglivebands

    I was at this show and King’s X was amazing as usual. I have never heard of Porcupine Tree and was completely bored with them. I left a half an hour into their set. If this is the new wave of prog, I’m out. Yes, King Crimson, Geneisis with Peter Gabriel, The first U.K. album with Bruford and Holdsworth that’s prog. So I’ll proclaim Porcupine Tree is garbage, because they are.