That's It

THE KEN ARDLEY PLAYBOYS formed in November 1993 as the bastard son of Victor Mount's 'The Ding Dong Twist Club' A night out at the 'DDT Club'will be spent glugging Thunderbird cocktails and eating Pork Pies whilst listening to Pinky and Perky records. For American readers,Pinky and Perky are a puppet/pig duo who hosted a children's TV varietyshow in the early sixties. 'Pork Products' feature high on the menu but so does salad cream, super lager and all manner of post war British 'We may be poor but we can still have fun' crap.

The Ding Dong ethos informs the band's philosophy but there are other influences as well.When Bob joined the band he brought his northern accent and his admiration for The Fall, which turned the band's sound into a bloody minded noisy din. Adam Dant, 'the musician' of the group, has a fondness for 'Bang Banga Boom Euro Pop', whilst both Graham Revell and Adam McEwen enjoy the music of Schoenberg.

But what of the lad himself 'Mr Ken Ardley'. Although Ken is the leader of the band, liking to steal the show with his rendition of 'Windmills of My Mind' he is a recluse. Between a busy recording schedule and making live appearances at his day job (Ken is a schools inspector in the London borough of Southwark) he leads a solitary life and hang glides over his home city of Newcastle whenever he can.

The lead singer is now better known as the artist Bob and Roberta Smith.