Eighties - Killing Joke - Lost in 2023

[ODH]

Geordie Walker - guitarist and cofounder of Killing Joke - was lost to us near the end of 2023.

KJ were a big thing for me growing up.

I found out that Geordie used fat strings and tuned his guitar down two steps and coincidentally that's how my HB Les Paul is configured (after my Chop Suey cover). For crimbo I had a tiny plastic practice Amp which turns out packs a mighty wallop. The guitar track here is played on that with the phone mic next to it (and a dash of chorus to taste)

[Zoltan]

Your reverence towards the band truly shows here as it's among your best, if not the very best cover you've done so far!

Superb!

[Pete C]

This is a great cover Nick, I love the guitar tone from that little amp. Top vocals too ! Good start to the Fest !

Pete

[StephenM]

the guitar sounds wicked good.... interesting way to record it too... sure thing those small amps up close to the speaker kick major butt...

interesting introduction to the band... sure thing it rocks... love your guitar work and vocals on this... it is clear and clever and the bass sounds great too.

[Farrell Jackson]

I'm not familiar with Geordie Walker or his band Killing Joke but I recognized that opening guitar riff immediately. I thought it was the same or very similar to Nirvana's opening riff on "Come as You Are". So I did some research and found there was a threat of a lawsuit by KJ for plagiarism. I guess it never happened but I have to agree with KJ that they were ripped off and should have been compensated for it!

On to the song, after listening to the original, Nick you've done an excellent cover of this song!!!!!! The small plastic practice amp rocks big time!

[Mike_S]

Brilliant Nick... some great playing in there. I saw Killing Joke about 10 years ago or maybe a bit more. They were excellent. They really had their own sound. This is a killer version. Vocals sound brilliant too.

Mike

[cuthbert]

Great cover, Nick. Guitars and vocals capture the vibe well.

I was a big Killing Joke fan back in the early Eighties, but I haven't heard this song since at least that decade. Listening now, it is striking how close the main riff was to the one in the much later 'Come As You Are', as Farrell mentioned.

[StephenM]

better now than the other day, and I loved it then.

[Ted]

That riff grabbed me. It's not often that the first 3 seconds of song can correctly predict that I'm going to love it! Great cover, performed with love and energy.

[kenny mac]

Cool riffage
Loved killing joke.
This takes me right back.
Guitar sounds awesome.
Nice bass line in there as well.
Excellent cover.