Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
The brainchild of Kevin Starrs, Uncle Acid and the deadbeats have been making extraordinary music since 2009. Always too bold and idiosyncratic to be easily pigeonholed, they emerged from an obscure corner of the labyrinthine British underground as shadowy purveyors of a new and overwhelmingly psychedelic take on the gritty rudiments of hard rock and downer blues. Steeped in both the wayward melodies, vocal harmonies and mischievous arrangements of psychedelic pop and the dissonant thunder and macabre imagery of proto-metal, Starrs’ greatest feat has been to create an entirely fresh sonic world from these most familiar of ingredients.
Uncle Acid and the deadbeats’ reputation was swiftly built on towering, riff-driven milestones like 2011’s breakthrough opus Blood Lust and its warped and wicked follow-up, Mind Control (2013); both released through Rise Above Records and subsequently showered with critical acclaim. The band established themselves as an exciting live act in 2013 with a string of high-profile festival appearances, culminating in a tour as sole support to Black Sabbath. By the time The Night Creeper was released in 2015, their mutation into heavy music’s most unmistakable eccentrics was complete, as they cranked up the melodic weirdness, rendering monstrous ideas into something approaching three-dimensional Technicolor.
Firmly established as cult heroes, Uncle Acid and the deadbeats consolidated The Night Creeper’s triumph by touring the world extensively, including a string of sold out shows in the U.S., U.K., Europe and Australia. The dystopian soaked Wasteland followed, cementing their reputation, before releasing the bizarro “audio film” concept album Nell‘ora Blu, which challenged their audience with its exploration of new sounds.
While most musicians seem content to chase their own (or other people’s tails), Uncle Acid and the deadbeats remain resolute individualists. Masterfully echoing the magical atmospheres of heavy music’s turbulent past while sounding entirely unlike anything else available to human ears. Having set up their own label Killer Candy Records, with new single Don’t Let It Control You and a new album set for 2026, Uncle Acid and the deadbeats continues to be the deadliest show in town.
Uncle Acid and the deadbeats:
Kevin Starrs (Vocals/Lead Guitar)
George Hudson (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals)
Jus Smith (Bass)
Jon Rice (Drums)
Rachel Burnett (Keys/Vocals)
Messa
