Dr. Phibes and the House of Wax Equations
Peel Sessions 1991/1993
Remastered FM.
The 2nd session has the better sound quality.
An interesting trio:
Lawrence Howard King Jr. (guitar/vocals)
Lee Patrick Belsham (bass)
Keith York (drums)
Around 1991 the band I was in opened a show for Dr. Phibes.
I don't remember speaking to Keith much but Howard was cool
and I really liked Lee because he was a fellow bassist
and he gave me a generous chunk of his "combustible material".
Their album was number one in the indie chart.
They went on to play some big festivals including Glastonbury.
They had a decent rider too. There was ample beer and about 30 chillies.
More than they and their small crew could possibly consume
and we were all invited to help ourselves!
Howard had a massive state-of-the-art ghetto blaster.
He was nervous about leaving it unattended during their set
so we promised to keep an eye on it.
Eventually, it was time for us to play.
The gig went well and when I returned to the green room.
Howard said to me "follow that!" which was a nice compliment.
Then, things got a little strange.
The Phibes boys began pacing the room.
Like that DVD logo which used to bounce around on your TV screen.
I was amused by how well choreographed they were.
Crossing each other's paths but never quite colliding.
They also refused any more drink or smoke at this point.
I put it down to a mixture of 'preparation routine' and stage nerves.
As I had backstage privilege/access, I watched them from a private balcony.
They were really good.
Dr. Phibes' final live performance was in Manchester in 1995.
Shortly afterwards the group folded.
On February 16th 1997, Lawrence Howard King Jr. was charged by North Wales Police
with the murder of his mother, Avril Fiona King, two days earlier at their shared home
in Connah's Quay in north east Wales.
King, who stabbed and beat his mother, was jailed for life at Caernarfon Crown Court.
Someone told me he had been depressed since the band broke up.
Although I found him easy to get on with and a laid-back stoner-rocker
he was a quite big, stocky guy which came to mind when I heard of his violent act.
I imagined his mother having little chance of defending herself.
In May 2017, it was announced via the band's Facebook fan page
that bassist Lee Belsham had died of cancer at the age of 49.
In October 2024, drummer Keith York announced the death of Howard King Jr.
via the band's Facebook group.
The post did not mention a cause of death
nor any details of King's life post-incarceration, but stated:
"I've now shed tears for both my former band mates.
We lived our lives in each others pockets to create that music
which thankfully still lives on".
BTW the lyrics to Bearhug are chilling in retrospect.
regards
Titus
John Peel Show BBC Radio 1
April 8th 1991
broadcast: May 11th 1991
01 Burning Cross
02 Dreaming/Insomnia
03 LA Woman
May 16th 1993
broadcast: June 18th 1993
04 Wait for the Gripper
05 Bearhug
06 Transparent Hang Up
