UK punk legend prepares for 1st Korea tour
Punk certainly no longer seems the music of rebellious youth. The first generation of 1970s-era punks are pushing retirement age and the youth opt for well-manicured, obedient boy bands.
Duncan Reid, formerly known as Kid Reid, bassist and singer of 1976-formed punk band The Boys, has lived a lot and established quite a legacy. But he didn’t let it go to his head, having parted ways with his band and going out on his own with his new band Duncan Reid and the Big Heads, “the world’s best-looking heavy melody power-pop punk band.”
“I always used to be called Kid because I looked so young,” he told The Korea Times. “When I got older I was a bit uncomfortable with it as it felt silly at my age!”
Reid, now 61, got his start in the London scene surrounded by music greats such as Joe Strummer, Billy Idol and John Cale. The Boys were cited as legendary New York punk band Ramones’ favorite band, and Reid clearly returns the feelings.
Reid has been associated with power pop, a spinoff subgenre of pop rock typically associated with The Who. Power pop is characterized as more melodic and happier when compared to adjacent genres, and over the decades it picked up elements from other music trends, including new wave, punk and glam. What comes out is a sound more approachable than punk but still embedded firmly in the punk ethos.
With the Big Heads, Reid continues playing this style.
“We are like a cross between there’s a lot of boys influence in there, a lot of Ramones, but at the same time influences go back to the sort of David Bowie glam rock era and then further back to the Beach Boys and the Beatles,” Reid said of the Big Heads.
The Boys faded away around 1981, and Reid joined the Hollywood Killers.
“Here in Japan the DJs have been playing their record every night,” Reid said while on tour. “I didn’t even know it was released there.”
The Boys reunited in 1999 for a chance to tour Japan, after the Japanese
band Thee Michelle Gun Elephant revived interest in the band, covering a couple Boys songs which led to a hugely successful re-release of their albums there.
“Two of us who didn’t want to get back together thought it would be nice to go to Japan, so we got back together and went to Japan and carried on,” Reid said.
He stuck it out another 12 years, touring the world with the Boys.
“Bands are strange things,” he said. “They are dysfunctional families. They are made up of people with big egos. A lot of bands have really really stupid fights and there’s blame on all sides, so we got to a point where I had to leave.”
“I was sad to leave the Boys, but the Big Heads have been such a great experience to me it’s one of the best things I ever did. What we find is that if people like the Boys then they’ll love the Big Heads,” he said.
“I’m very proud that I was in the Boys … But I’m more interested in the next album and the next gig.”
He’s coming to Korea this weekend. Russ Mainwaring, founder of the Bristol band Stingrays now residing in Japan, suggested they stop by Korea after the Japan tour.
This Friday, the Big Heads and the Stingrays are playing at Club Steel Face, along with hybrid punk band the Patients and psychedelic rockers Galaxy Express who will be playing an acoustic set. On Saturday they’re at Strange Fruit, where local bands Moon & Bouncers and Gureung Train will be playing.
Visit fb.com/duncanreidandthebigheads or duncanreidandthebigheads.com for more information or duncanreidandthebigheads.bandcamp.com to hear the band’s music.