King Kong Company boxing clever for city dance show

Dance music mavericks King Kong Company make a welcome return to the Róisín Dubh next Friday, November 20.

The Waterford band use drums, bass, guitar, brass and samples to make dance music that brings to mind acts like New Order and Chemical Brothers.

King Kong Company play youthful, hedonistic party music, so it’s a surprise to hear they’ve been around for a while.

“The band started off 20 years ago,” Tom says. “We were just college friends. Myself and Colin [Hoye] were studying music together in Waterford. We met Mark [Graham] and Alan [Aylward], and they had a band going which was coming to an end. We hooked up with them and hit it off from there.”

King Kong Company have arresting videos to accompany tracks like Damn You Dorothy, Dr Whom and I Pop – but the band members are conspicuously absent from them.

“We’re no One Direction when it comes to looks!” Tom explains with a laugh. “We figure we’ll try and let the music speak for itself, because I don’t think we’re going to get many new fans by showing our faces. We’ve got a really cool dancer onstage, she’s the best-looking of the band, but even she has to wear a box on her head. We’re not going to win any glamour awards!”

Doors for King Kong Company are 9pm, tickets €12.50/€10 online.