Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Watkins, Grady Welch, Matt Hunter, and Jason Kaye.
Evan, Grady, Matt, and Jason, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Hell Kross is a comedy/metal band that has performed around LA since 2016. We put up a play at The Three Clubs for the 2018 Fringe Festival that ended up selling out almost every performance, and now we have a run of shows at Three Clubs, our next performance being Dec 5th at 9 pm, with more in the future TBA.
The play is called “The People V. Hell Kross,” and it centers around a 1989 trial where the band is accused of causing teenagers to commit a murder/suicide. This is based on the very real case against Judas Priest from 1990. In the show, the band takes the stand, and the stage, as they play their songs as evidence. They are joined by a judge, a prosecuting attorney, and a defense attorney. The audience acts as the jury and even determines the ending; guilty or not guilty.
Has it been a smooth road?
The band workshopped the show originally at the Pack Theater back in 2016, but it was a tough run because the stage was a little small for what we were trying to accomplish and since we are a loud metal band, we would get complaints from the neighboring theaters.
We’ve also been through about three bass players in our time and are looking for another one! Can’t ever seem to keep that position filled. If you know of anyone, contact us. Bassists get 1% of our gig revenue or one drink ticket.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I think what sets us apart from other comedy music acts is that we are all trained comedy performers AND very good musicians. We’re playing a very specific type of heavy metal.
It’s rooted in the late 70s early 80s British sound made famous by Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, and it’s fun to spoof. People seem to really enjoy it as well, and luckily, since it’s an older style of metal, people can hear and understand the lyrics.
Hell Kross also injects a very irreverent and absurd sense of humor into the songs. While on the surface they are all deliberately evil and controversial, it turns out the band wrote them with innocent intent, and it’s the rest of the world that is misinterpreting them. A song like “Nothing is Cooler than Suicide’ is about global warming brought on by air conditioners. “Shoot Up The School” is about getting vaccinated in schools, not gun violence.
Our first album is on Spotify, it’s a concept album called Trumpocalypse. It centers around the Four Horsemen losing their jobs because America is doing a good enough job ending the world. It can be found here https://open.spotify.com/artist/6GeBsQcdJSeucvBPk71ftY
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Like: Los Angeles has something for everyone. And that allows us to find an audience and specific and weird as we are. And of course, excellent taco trucks. Even the B rated ones are good.
Dislike: It’s too sunny — not very metal at all.
Contact Info:
- Website: hellkross.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellkrossband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellkrossband/
- Twitter: @hellkrossband
Image Credit:
Brandon Zachary. Saxon Brice
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