FRESH MEAT
London’s sartorially suspect surrealists head for Kebabylon
Who or what are Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters? Plus Amarok and Blacklab bring more new noise.
“We ran with ‘Bad Kush’ for a while, particularly as the guy at the rehearsal studio always quoted it back to us as ‘Bad Piss’. But we wanted something more wholesome, so we added some longer words to sound more impressive and measured.”
Such is drummer Mark Buckwell’s deadpan explanation for that hilariously bizarre name, flagging up Python-esque levels of absurdity brought to bear on the trio’s raucous blend of good-time stoner rawk and bad-time aggrosludge. This ostentatious eccentricity is further confirmed by the sleeve of their debut LP (and its appetising title, Come & Chutney), depicting the bandmates in chunky jumpers and tights against the pastoral backdrop of the Devil’s Dyke, near Brighton.
“We wanted somewhere Cretaceously chalky that offered a good dogging spot overlooking beautiful rolling hills,” Mark explains. “It was damned cold during the shoot, but it was crucial for us to capture that raw emotion of folk enjoying their native countryside in tights, so the weather really helped! That’s what we try to achieve with our musical pieces, so there was no better place than the Dyke in winter.”
Clearly the band have a knack for pushing sartorial boundaries, attested by their queasy combination of tie-dye and corpsepaint. “It seemed like a good way of bringing people together, by showing them that it’s OK to enjoy burning churches while wearing a pair of hemp trousers,” explains Mark.
CTBKM formed when Mark met bassist Will at “a little biker festival at a pub in Ware”. Having advertised for a guitarist, they found Owen, ex-frontman of south coast sludge-stoners Dopefight. “When we got together it sounded suitably crusty, so we stuck with it,” Mark affirms. “We all like music and kebabs, so I guess it was bound to happen.”
Passion for kebabs is a crucial unifying theme, alongside a hatred of Donald Trump; somehow these urges fused together in their uproarious protest song Döner Trump. “We’re all strong liberal socialist atheists and take the view that, to quote Viv [Savage, Spinal Tap], people should have a good time, all the time. Unfortunately, some people’s idea of a good time makes a real bad time for other people,” says Mark, delineating the band’s semi-serious standpoint. “We like kebabs and lots of our mates like kebabs, too, so we try to have a good time together. It really contrasts with some of the big figures in the world who, as far as I’ve seen, don’t ever seem to chow doner wraps but do keep making things worse for whole swathes of folk. Everyone is equal, no matter how much of a cunt they are.”
Asked to define the band’s lyrical outlook, Mark replies: “Ancient Celtic demons, totalitarian governments, inequality, bad drug experiences and eating doner with fellow humans… That pretty much sums up our message.” As to the future? “We’re hoping to open a kebab chain and use the proceeds to keep on chubbing wherever people will have us. We’ve had a lot of pleasure eating Rusholme kebabs, so a tour of Afghanistan would really be something…”
“Everyone is equal, no matter how much of a cunt they are”
MARK BUCKWELL