A Sheffield band that started as an acoustic act at venues in and around Broomhill has gone through to the regional final of the national Live and Unsigned competition.
King Wong has been through rounds of auditions and a semi final live show to reach the regional final of the talent contest.
Now they are one performance away from making it to the grand national final, taking place in London, in a bid to be crowned the UK's best 'Live and Unsigned' band of 2008.
The band was formed in September 2007 as the re-birth of the band formerly known as Superhands, with a slight change in line-up. The story of King Wong began in 2004. In September that year, current band members Steve (lead guitar) & Laura (lead singer) started performing as an acoustic act in and around Broomhill, Sheffield.
It was at one of these acoustic sessions that Pete (drummer) and Will (rhythm guitar) came into the picture at an impromptu jam session at the end of the night. The four of them decided that they would meet up again soon after for a 'sober' jam session. The four friends soon realised that behind the enjoyment of simply jamming together, there was an underlying current of creativity waiting to burst out. The hunt for a bassist began.
In 2005 the band found bassist James Law and the band Superhands was formed. It was this line-up that competed in, and won the Sheffield University Band Competition in 2006.
In 2007 James relocated to Leicestershire and was unable to continue in the band. Laura spent a year working for a charity in Togo, West Africa and did not return to the UK until May 2007. Later that year after a long time away from playing, Lee Whitcher (of Icarus Falls fame) joined the band as the replacement bassist and backing vocalist. It was this line-up that would now call themselves King Wong.
The band will be competing amongst other talented hopefuls at the regional final show held at Montgomery theatre, on April 12, for a place in the National Grand final.
The final will be at the Fairfield Hallsin London on June 28. The overall adult winner of the competition wins a Recording and management contract with Future Music with an investment of up to £20,000 to release their single with Future Music.
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