Press Kit
"the true history of the Bing Turkby ensemble"
Gidday. My name is Bing Turkby. I was born in Turakina during the Great Unwashing
of '73.
I stayed there until I learned myself how to shuck a guitar. I could shuck ten guitars
an hour, but there was no demand at that time in Turakina. So I moved to the big
city.
After a few years in Palmy I took up with some unsavoury characters who could trumpet
a saxophone and bugle a drum trap. They were so unsavoury you could use them in
a dessert. That's Tyrone T. Blowhard and Nemo Spork I'm referring to.
Us 3 played gigs since about the time of the Hokowhitu Clearances back in '97 or
so. I bought myself a fancy electric recording machine and wrote and played my own
songs. By the time you read this, I've produced way too many CDs and some beautiful
King Records vinyl.
Some moons ago, steeling ourselves for the inevitable cries of "sellout!" we took
the plunge and got ourselves a bass player. Now we rock like fierce magma that's
cooled and solidified. The current bunch of critters in the band is me, Tyrone,
Slapskins McBOOOM on drumbelinas and MacDeth on bassic vibrations. Slapskins is
a trap basher par excellence, and MacDeth rumbles with the doom of the Scottish
(bass) play(ing).
Previous rogues who have shipped with the SS Turkby include Snatchlock Cutpenny,
king of the land-based pirate-drummers; the Hungarian Thunder, a man-machine hybrid
with the soul of a Vic20; and Mustachio, a 16th-century engraver who's been in
trouble with the law for forgery. The last time, he was caught forging the Liberty
Bell.
The Ensemble can be spotted at these other locations on the ephemeral-web:
CDBaby, Amplifier,
YouTube and
MySpace.
Our music has been likened to "Darcy Clay meets Deja Voodoo" (says Jeremy from York
St Studios), and "slightly hinged sonic inspiration" (says Chris Knox, Real Groove,
Nov 1998).
Thank you for listening. I hope you and your family is well.
[Photos from Swampfest '07, thanks to photographer Jemma Cheer. Journalists,
download hi-res photos (15.5MB)]