Fearless Vampire Killers
Fearless Vampire Killers are a five-piece English theatrical alternative rock band formed in London in 2008 composed of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Laurence Beveridge, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kier Kemp, bassist Drew Woolnough, their groupie Wet Panda, lead guitarist Cyrus Barrone (real name Shane Sumner) and drummer Luke Illingworth (known as Pillnahn). The name of the band originates from the 1967 Roman Polanski comedy horror film The Fearless Vampire Killers.
Their debut studio album Militia of the Lost was set for release on 7 May 2012 through Goremount Records, but the physical release was pushed back to 14 May 2012. The digital release went ahead as planned. A deluxe version of the CD, containing more exclusive artwork, was released at the same time.
Biography:
The band's first incarnation was under the name of Remember When back in 2007, consisting of current members: Laurence Beveridge, Kier Kemp and Cyrus Barrone as well as their previous drummer Luke Fairhead. All of the members of Remember When knew each other from growing up in Waveney Valley in Suffolk. Soon after moving to London, Remember When broke up and its former members then came together as Fearless Vampire Killers in 2008. A short time later they recruited Drew Woolnough, who had previously played with Laurence in a band called Self-Titled, to play bass, and after going through a series of drummers the current line-up was completed in 2011 when Luke Illingworth joined as their current drummer.
The band are known for being very hands-on with their work, with Cyrus Barrone producing all of their artwork and merchandise designs. Additionally, Laurence Beveridge wrote a 334-page novel called Ruple & Evelyn to go along with their EP, In Grandomina..., although the events in the story happen roughly 600 years before the events in the songs.
Parts of their look, especially Cyrus Barrone's stage outfit, are influenced by steampunk as well as "turn-of-the-century France, late-1800s bohemian ideas, short waistcoats and a bit of the old eyeliner" according to vocalist Kier Kemp.
Their debut album, Militia of the Lost, was described as a concept record by vocalist Laurence Beveridge; it features themes of "love, loss and addiction" as well as being "an album about the struggle to find a place in society." The songs in the album are about "the events in the lead up to, and subsequently the repercussions, of the city's royal palace being set on fire" and "five men that cross paths and get dragged into this world of monsters and crazed revolutionaries." They recorded their second album in the summer of 2013 with William Control as the producer.
Fearless Vampire Killers are currently managed by Three Six Zero Group.
Sound and influences:
They cite influences such as David Bowie, Queen, Green Day,Weezer, Danny Elfman, Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica and The Kinks.
A review by Rock Sound of their first EP, In Grandomina, described the tracks as "gothically inclined pop-rock songs" that "boast some decent hooks, with a new romantic sensibility spliced into the mix in a weirdly effective fashion." Reaction to their second EP, ... The Blood Never Dries, was mixed, with most reviewers offering a score of 3/5 or similar. They have been suggested as for fans of American rock bands My Chemical Romance,Black Veil Brides,Aiden and English rock band Muse and Bizarre Magazine has said "if My Chemical Romance and Panic At The Disco mated, their offspring might look like Fearless Vampire Killers" and that they are an "incredibly promising prospect." The band has also described their sounds in various interviews as Danny Elfman Diarrhoea and Halloween in a roast dinner.
Press:
They were named as one of Kerrang!'s '10 Best Unsigned Bands in Britain' in September 2011. They were also featured as Guardian Newspaper's Band of the Day (#1226) and Rocksound.tv selected them as their Band of the Week on 5 March 2012. Altsounds featured them before the release of the album with an "In Pictures" taken at their acoustic gig at St Luke's Church.
They have appeared in print in many publications, such as Big Cheese,Rocksound (calling them "an instant antidote to everything predictable and mundane"),Artrocker and Kerrang!. In early 2012, they were featured in Kerrang!'s Shots of 2011 - The New Breed, which contained photos of new and upcoming bands, and their release show for their EP '... The Blood Never Dries' was rated four Ks out of five by Kerrang!, who did a full-page spread on it: in the review, they labelled them as "potential stars of the future." Kerrang! also later called them "the new band of their dreams" in an introducing page.
They received their first major award nomination in May 2012 when they were nominated for "Best British Newcomer" at the 2012 Kerrang! Awards. Kier Kemp, co-frontman for the band, was chosen by Kerrang! for #20 in their list of the '50 Greatest Rockstars in the World Today'.
Guitarist and vocalist Kier Kemp appeared on Channel Four news in a brief segment on 4 April 2013 about attacks against members of "alternative sub-cultures" being classed as hate crimes.
The band were again nominated for "Best British Newcomer" in May 2013 for the 2013 Kerrang! Awards.
Tours and appearances:
Fearless Vampire Killers have played regularly in small venues all around England. In December 2010, they supported rock band Aiden on several of their UK tour dates. They also played at Rebellion Festival, the world's biggest punk festival, in August 2011 and at O2 Academy Islington in October 2011. In June 2011, they embarked on a Scottish tour, Rockstar Energy Drink's The Harder They Fall Tour, for the very first time with Hopeless Heroic, Drive By Audio, Stanley Odd and Excellent Cadaver.
In April 2012, they were announced as a support act for William Control, lead singer of Aiden Wil Francis' side-project, on the UK leg of his UK/Euro 2012 tour The New Faith. They were announced on the lineup of Download Festival 2012, a three day English rock music festival held annually at Donington Park and played on two days.
They embarked on a UK co-headline tour with fellow Kerrang! Award's Best British Newcomer nominated band The Dead Lay Waiting in October 2012, called "The Killing Is Dead Tour". The two bands headlined the Exeter Zombie Walk and Ball. The tour climaxed with them supporting Wednesday 13 on Halloween in London.
They were a support act for Black Veil Brides on the 11-date Kerrang! Tour 2013. The other support bands on the tour were Tonight Alive and Chiodos. In April 2013, the band toured around England (with one date in Glasgow) with Fort Hope, on the "Diamonds and Disgrace" tour. They went on to headline the Red Bull stage at Download Festival 2013 after an appearance there in 2012. They are also a support act on Madina Lake's September farewell tour of the UK.
In August, it was announced they are set to join William Control on the North American "Revel Without A Cause Tour" in 2013.
Their debut studio album Militia of the Lost was set for release on 7 May 2012 through Goremount Records, but the physical release was pushed back to 14 May 2012. The digital release went ahead as planned. A deluxe version of the CD, containing more exclusive artwork, was released at the same time.
Biography:
The band's first incarnation was under the name of Remember When back in 2007, consisting of current members: Laurence Beveridge, Kier Kemp and Cyrus Barrone as well as their previous drummer Luke Fairhead. All of the members of Remember When knew each other from growing up in Waveney Valley in Suffolk. Soon after moving to London, Remember When broke up and its former members then came together as Fearless Vampire Killers in 2008. A short time later they recruited Drew Woolnough, who had previously played with Laurence in a band called Self-Titled, to play bass, and after going through a series of drummers the current line-up was completed in 2011 when Luke Illingworth joined as their current drummer.
The band are known for being very hands-on with their work, with Cyrus Barrone producing all of their artwork and merchandise designs. Additionally, Laurence Beveridge wrote a 334-page novel called Ruple & Evelyn to go along with their EP, In Grandomina..., although the events in the story happen roughly 600 years before the events in the songs.
Parts of their look, especially Cyrus Barrone's stage outfit, are influenced by steampunk as well as "turn-of-the-century France, late-1800s bohemian ideas, short waistcoats and a bit of the old eyeliner" according to vocalist Kier Kemp.
Their debut album, Militia of the Lost, was described as a concept record by vocalist Laurence Beveridge; it features themes of "love, loss and addiction" as well as being "an album about the struggle to find a place in society." The songs in the album are about "the events in the lead up to, and subsequently the repercussions, of the city's royal palace being set on fire" and "five men that cross paths and get dragged into this world of monsters and crazed revolutionaries." They recorded their second album in the summer of 2013 with William Control as the producer.
Fearless Vampire Killers are currently managed by Three Six Zero Group.
Sound and influences:
They cite influences such as David Bowie, Queen, Green Day,Weezer, Danny Elfman, Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica and The Kinks.
A review by Rock Sound of their first EP, In Grandomina, described the tracks as "gothically inclined pop-rock songs" that "boast some decent hooks, with a new romantic sensibility spliced into the mix in a weirdly effective fashion." Reaction to their second EP, ... The Blood Never Dries, was mixed, with most reviewers offering a score of 3/5 or similar. They have been suggested as for fans of American rock bands My Chemical Romance,Black Veil Brides,Aiden and English rock band Muse and Bizarre Magazine has said "if My Chemical Romance and Panic At The Disco mated, their offspring might look like Fearless Vampire Killers" and that they are an "incredibly promising prospect." The band has also described their sounds in various interviews as Danny Elfman Diarrhoea and Halloween in a roast dinner.
Press:
They were named as one of Kerrang!'s '10 Best Unsigned Bands in Britain' in September 2011. They were also featured as Guardian Newspaper's Band of the Day (#1226) and Rocksound.tv selected them as their Band of the Week on 5 March 2012. Altsounds featured them before the release of the album with an "In Pictures" taken at their acoustic gig at St Luke's Church.
They have appeared in print in many publications, such as Big Cheese,Rocksound (calling them "an instant antidote to everything predictable and mundane"),Artrocker and Kerrang!. In early 2012, they were featured in Kerrang!'s Shots of 2011 - The New Breed, which contained photos of new and upcoming bands, and their release show for their EP '... The Blood Never Dries' was rated four Ks out of five by Kerrang!, who did a full-page spread on it: in the review, they labelled them as "potential stars of the future." Kerrang! also later called them "the new band of their dreams" in an introducing page.
They received their first major award nomination in May 2012 when they were nominated for "Best British Newcomer" at the 2012 Kerrang! Awards. Kier Kemp, co-frontman for the band, was chosen by Kerrang! for #20 in their list of the '50 Greatest Rockstars in the World Today'.
Guitarist and vocalist Kier Kemp appeared on Channel Four news in a brief segment on 4 April 2013 about attacks against members of "alternative sub-cultures" being classed as hate crimes.
The band were again nominated for "Best British Newcomer" in May 2013 for the 2013 Kerrang! Awards.
Tours and appearances:
Fearless Vampire Killers have played regularly in small venues all around England. In December 2010, they supported rock band Aiden on several of their UK tour dates. They also played at Rebellion Festival, the world's biggest punk festival, in August 2011 and at O2 Academy Islington in October 2011. In June 2011, they embarked on a Scottish tour, Rockstar Energy Drink's The Harder They Fall Tour, for the very first time with Hopeless Heroic, Drive By Audio, Stanley Odd and Excellent Cadaver.
In April 2012, they were announced as a support act for William Control, lead singer of Aiden Wil Francis' side-project, on the UK leg of his UK/Euro 2012 tour The New Faith. They were announced on the lineup of Download Festival 2012, a three day English rock music festival held annually at Donington Park and played on two days.
They embarked on a UK co-headline tour with fellow Kerrang! Award's Best British Newcomer nominated band The Dead Lay Waiting in October 2012, called "The Killing Is Dead Tour". The two bands headlined the Exeter Zombie Walk and Ball. The tour climaxed with them supporting Wednesday 13 on Halloween in London.
They were a support act for Black Veil Brides on the 11-date Kerrang! Tour 2013. The other support bands on the tour were Tonight Alive and Chiodos. In April 2013, the band toured around England (with one date in Glasgow) with Fort Hope, on the "Diamonds and Disgrace" tour. They went on to headline the Red Bull stage at Download Festival 2013 after an appearance there in 2012. They are also a support act on Madina Lake's September farewell tour of the UK.
In August, it was announced they are set to join William Control on the North American "Revel Without A Cause Tour" in 2013.
