King Kurt, a British rock-n-roll band formed in 1981 in the United Kingdom, initially started as Rockin' Kurt and his Sauer Krauts. The original lineup included Jef Harvey on vocals, John Reddington on guitar, Bert Boustead on bass guitar, Alan "Maggot" Power on saxamaphone, and Rory Lyons on drums. Paul "Thwack" Laventhol joined on guitar in July 1981, after which the band shortened its name to King Kurt. King Kurt's breakthrough came with their hit single "Destination Zululand" in October 1983, which reached number 36 in the UK Singles Chart. The band had previously signed with Stiff Records and released their debut album Ooh Wallah Wallah in January 1983, produced by Dave Edmunds. Notable songs from this period include "Zulu Beat" and a cover of Weill and Brecht's "Mack the Knife". In 1986, they released their second album Big Cock, produced by Phil Wainman and issued on Polydor Records. The band became known for their energetic stage performances, which often included audience participation such as food fights and themed concerts. King Kurt disbanded in 1988 but reunited sporadically, playing a reunion concert at the Psychobilly Meeting in Spain in 2024. Notable reunions include a show in March 2010 and appearances at the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool in 2012.
