The KamikazeTest Pilots

Kamikaze Test Pilots origins are deeply rooted in Africa and their music shows this. Two of their founding members, brothers Ryan and Wes grew up in a little hick mining towns in Zimbabwe (which is not to be confused with its neighbour - South Africa! Zimbabwe is its own sovereign state) that only allowed for two things - boredom and numerous incidents of sunburn owed as much to the boredom as to a youthful phobia of hats.



Unsurprisingly and quite typical for all Zimbabweans, economic hardship resulting from political turmoil affected everyone. Ryan and Wes were no different and like so many they joined the mass exodus out of Zimbabwe becoming the embodiment of Johnny Clegg's "scatterings" and eventually sowing of their seeds in the Zimbabwean "Diaspora" and drawing inspiration from this for their lyrics and music. .



The journey that has been the life of these two brothers has allowed them to cross the path of many rich and colourful characters including Andy Galloway, who plays the guitar and provides backing vocals, and Simon Buckett, the band’s Bassist. Both bring their own flavour to the music making the band an original interpretation of the crossroads where many a musician has either lost or found his or herself.



The bands music draws it's inspiration from many sources, skirting around the fringes of the indie music genre, finding a harder edge that satifies the metal heads who dont mind a bit of groove, and not forgetting the deeply spiritual African music that will always be a part of Kamikaze Test Pilots.



On stage their show is both energetic and animated, all dreadlocks and smiles and good times that by a strange osmosis infuses into the audience. Kamikaze Test Pilots are a group of contradictions that work well when they should not. They are a band that is as versatile as it is diverse just like the people that follow them. It takes a special person to survive being a Kamikaze Test Pilot, and there is not doubt that this foursome are genuinely special. This band rocks! Definitely go see em live!