Interview: King Pleasure

3:16pm Friday 15th August 2008

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One of Britain’s best party bands are heading back to Colne next weekend and, as band leader King Pleasure told us, it’s going to be quite an occasion.

THEY are one of the hardest working bands in the country and yet a date at the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival will remain one of the highlights of their year.

King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys make a welcome return to the festival next Sunday afternoon to get the International Stage at the Muni off to a flying start.

“It is always fantastic to come to Colne,” said King Pleasure. “In terms of gigs we play this is definitely one of the good ones. The fans have been waiting all year for the festival and they intend to have a good time from the start.

“This is great for us because it creates such a good atmosphere. We’ve got a lot of friends up there — I even had a girlfriend who I met at the festival.

“I may be 21 stone and my liver might be half dead but I wouldn’t do anything else.”

With their mixture of jump-jive tunes and energetic stage performance, King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys are always seen as one of the highlights at any festival.

“I just love it,” said King Pleasure. “I never change. I get paid to travel the world, have fun and show off. What more could you want?”

When the band first started out they were carrying on the tradition of artists such as Georgie Fame and Alan Price. Now the band is seen as one of the main jump jive outfits, inspiring a whole new generation of bands to come along.

“It is really great when we meet other musicians who say they were inspired by us,” said King Pleasure. “There is such a good scene out there now.”

The atmosphere on Sunday afternoon could take newcomers to Colne by surprise.

“From the outset we always set out to be in your face and offer good-time stuff and we find that people enjoy the fact that we are clearly enjoying ourselves up on stage.”

After Colne the boys will be off to Norway to play a major festival in a town called Hell.

“The first time we went we all send postcards back from Hell and got photographed by the railway station sign,” said King Pleasure. “You just have to really.”

Early next year the band will go into the studio to record their 10th album — their first in the doo-wop style.

“Next time we come up to Colne we’ll be trying that out live, but not at this year’s festival,” he said.

l King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys play the Muni on Sunday, August 24 as part of the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival. Details from box office 01282 661234.