A veritable sausage-fest of their rambunctious Rock'n'roll top tracks!
Without the raucous sounds of primordial, trashy Rock’n’roll as its source, much of Punk rock’s original impact could have been limited to a ragged fashion parade, dominated by incendiary slogans. Luckily for us, those at the forefront of the scene knew that they needed to create an exhilarating sound that was very much found in the 7” singles emerging from those garage bands to match their need for rebellion. The Cramps certainly knew it, as they scoured record shops across the US to find obscure Rock’n’roll records to inspire them.
For twenty years, London-based King Salami and the Cumberland Three, a band originally formed by a Caribbean tennis coach (Jimmy Pantzavolta) with an exotic trio of punks from Japan; (Kamikaze U.T. Vincent on bass duties), France; (Eric Baconstrip on drums) and Spain; (original guitarist Pepe Ronnie) have travelled across the globe, mining those early sounds to create their own playful brand of ‘Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Punk’.
Mixing Screamin’ Jay Hawkins style vocals and the raw rhythmic sounds of Bo Diddley and The Trashmen, together with the irreverent fun of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, King Salami and the Cumberland Three have proven to be one of the most enjoyable bands on the scene, and on their numerous records. Celebrating their achievements over the past two decades, the band are about to release a sixteen-track compilation of their best songs, cunningly titled ‘16 Knockout Hits’ (just in case you didn’t already know!) It’s going to be a wild, occasionally sausage-fixated ride through the band’s hugely enjoyable back catalogue.
We are ‘Goin’ Back to Wurstville’ on the opening track, as a station master’s announcement heralds the bass mimicking a train at the start of its journey, before launching into a fast-paced slice of Rock’n’roll whimsy. Next up, ‘The Pulpo Dance’ has more than an echo of Rocket From The Crypt’s ‘On a Rope’ at its core, making it one of the album’s more danceable numbers.
Voodoo zombies stomp all over ‘Ma Juju Girl’ as Jimmy goes full-blown spellbound high priest of rambunctious Rock’n’roll. ‘Space Spy’, with its morse code intro, has the band mixing nifty fifties space themes with sixties espionage tropes for a largely enjoyable instrumental track. Paul-Ronney Angel (The Urban Voodoo Machine) lends his harmonica to the bluesy ‘Just My Kind’ which becomes increasingly frantic as the song progresses. Great stuff.
‘Oofty Goofty (Wild Man of Borneo)’, bookended by a Cap’n Crunch sample, features another wonderfully frenetic bassline which accentuates the track. ‘The Double Switch’ keeps the pace up with a sub-two-minute blast of garage rock. The predominantly instrumental ‘Itch!’ is more Rock’n’roll indulgence, with screeching saxophone adding to its adrenaline infused romp.
Side B opens with ‘Pineapple Mama’, which keeps the momentum going as the sax and T-Bone Sanchez’s guitar fight it out in a glorious soundscape. There’s no letup, as ‘Howlin For My Woman’ sees Jimmy turn wolfman in another charged slice of dancefloor rumble. ‘Bayou Fever’ is a relentless swamp-soaked stomp through the back waters of New Orleans.
Another cracking bassline underpins the ‘Big Chief’, whilst sax, tribunal drums and rampant guitar add to this instrumental’s urgency. ‘Shake it Wild’ has another storming vocal from Jimmy, as he goes into preacher mode, urging his congregation to get up and dance. It’s all revved up, greasy, hot rod action for ‘Tiger In My Tank’ complete with grrrrs and the occasional meow for added effect. ‘King Ghidorah’ returns to monster themes, where surf guitars merge with oriental motifs to create an epic homage to the three-headed legend.
‘Do the Wurst’ closes the album in suitable fashion, with a call to arms on the dance floor as the band whips the crowd into a frenzy, to dance the night away with wild abandon (and added sausage, of course).
As an introduction to King Salami and the Cumberland Three, this is an excellent selection of the band’s back catalogue, full of prime cuts.
As an introduction to King Salami and the Cumberland Three, this is an excellent selection of the band’s back catalogue, full of prime cuts.
The band will play numerous dates in 2026 including the launch party at The Lexington in London, and a return trip to Rockaway Beach at Islington’s Hope & Anchor in August. It is in the live arena that the band truly belongs, and their shows are exceptional, so go see them if you can!
King Salami and the Cumberland Three’s ’16 Knockout Hits’ is released on Damaged Goods Records on 19th June 2026. Get your copy HERE
King Salami and the Cumberland Three Tour Dates:
Sun 21 June – (afternoon show) Lexington, London (20 years anniversary party + release party) TICKETS
Sun 28 June – The Fleece Bristol
Sat 4 July – Boneyard Weekender, Blackpool
Sat 8 August – Bootleg Social, Blackpool
Fri 21 August – Tredrez-Locqémeau, France
Sat 22 August – Festival Malguenac, France
Sat 28 August – Rockaway Beach, Hope & Anchor, London
Sat 5 September – Daltons, Brighton
Sat 10 October – Shacklewell Arms, London
Sat 28 November – Garageland, Brighton
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: IAN LADLOW
- Goin’ Back to Wurstville
- The Pulpo Dance
- Ma Juju Girl
- Space Spy
- Just My Kind
- Oofty Goofty (Wild Man of Borneo)
- The Double Switch
- Itch!
- Pineapple Mama
- Howlin’ For My Woman
- Bayou Fever
- Big Chief
- Shake it Wild
- Tiger In My Tank
- King Ghidorah
- Do the Wurst
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