| Keith Kirkum | |
|---|---|
 KeKo live in 2010. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth Name | Michael Joseph Kirkum |
| Alias | KeKo |
| Born | 8 January 1972, Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Genres | Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, Percussion |
| Years active | 1995 - Present |
| Labels | Southern Lord Records, Game Two Records, Berserker Records, Season of Mist |
| Associated acts | Weedeater |
| Website | Weedeater's Official Page |
Keith Kirkum, commonly known as KeKo, is a drummer based out of North Carolina. With a hard-hitting yet catchy style, he is best known as a founding member of the sludge metal band Weedeater. Performing with the band from their founding years up until 2012, he played on four of the band's five studio albums.
Biography[]
- For more details feel free to view the Riffipedia page on Weedeater.
Weedeater formed in 1996 with KeKo as a founding member. It was initially planned to be a side-project of Dave "Dixie" Collins, the band's vocalist and bassist who was occupied with his primary project Buzzov*en. However sometime after forming Weedeater, Buzzov*en disbanded the same year so Collins decided to make the new band his primary project alongside KeKo and Dave Shepherd. The name originates from a time when Dixie's dog ate an entire bag of his weed along with the band's fond interests in edibles.[1] The band's earliest known live performance was in 1996 with fellow North Carolina sludge band Sourvein.[2]
The band released their debut album titled ... And Justice for Y'all in 2001 and released their second album Sixteen Tons in 2002, both albums where released via their first record label Berserker Records with sporadic tour dates following including appearances at festivals like Stoner Hands of Doom and Emissions from the Monolith. Sometime after the release of "Sixteen Tons" the band left Berserker Records and joined Southern Lord Records, eventually releasing their third album God Luck and Good Speed in 2007, produced by Steve Albini. The album itself brought the band to a bigger audience, leading to tours with Black Cobra, Today Is The Day, Sunn O))), Down and Melvins to name a few.
The band intended to record their fourth album at Electrical Audio in Chicago with producer Steve Albini in early January 2010. On January 9, Dave "Dixie" Collins accidentally shot himself in the foot whilst he was cleaning his favourite shotgun and was reported that he is to be bedridden for the next few weeks during his recovery. This ultimately lead to the band postponing their recording session with Steve Albini until after their tour in March and April.
Despite the setback caused by the accident the band announced that their next album will be titled Jason... The Dragon' and was set for a release later that year, they also announced that their March/April tour will now be called the "Nine Toe" tour after Collins lost one of his big toes.The band headlined again in September the same year after it was reported that Keko had torn his meniscus after returning from their previous headlining tour and also that Dave Shepherd had also broken his hand while supporting Black Cobra in Europe in July.[3] As a nod to this their September tour in 2010 was jokingly called "3rd Time's a Charm".[4] Jason... The Dragon was finally released on 15 March 2011 after all the setbacks caused by the bands injuries throughout 2010. Kirkum would remain with the band until 2012, his final tour with the band in the Fall, alongside Sourvein and Saint Vitus.
On 5 October 2012 during the Lillie: F-65 North American Tour Keith Kirkum quit Weedeater following personal conflicts with the band, ultimately leaving on acrimonious terms.[5] This shortened the band's set as Weedeater were forced to use fill-in drummers for the remaining dates, including future drummer Travis "T-Boogie" Owen and Henry Vasquez.[6]
Kirkum would perform occasionally with other bands, notably contributing drums to Sourvein's fourth studio album Aquatic Occult, released in 2016 via Metal Blade Records.
Kirkum was notably arrested in August 2019, allegedly for spiking his wife's rum with methamphetamine. North Carolina's WECT News first reported on the incident, sharing the former drummer's mugshot along with the details of the story. According to the report, she took a sip of a rum drink that had an "odd, bitter taste." She wasn't able to sleep for almost two days afterward, so she went to the emergency room and tested positive for methamphetamine. Kirkum's wife told the deputies that she had just recently told him she hired a lawyer and was looking to file for divorce. When the police had arrived, Kirkum greeted them with a gun before attempting to flee to which he had been arrested.[7][8] With his bail at the time set at $100,000, a Gofundme was set by friends to bail him out.[9]
Bands[]
- Weedeater - Guitar (1996 - 2012)
Discography[]
- Weedeater - ...And Justice For Y'all (2001, Game Two)
- Weedeater - Sixteen Tons (2002, Crucial Blast)
- Weedeater - God Luck and Good Speed (2007, Southern Lord)
- Weedeater - Jason... The Dragon (2011, Southern Lord)
- Sourvein - Aquatic Occult (Drums on "Bermuda Sundown") (2016, Metal Blade)
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Rice and Bread MagazineDixie Dave Collins from Weedeater talks about… surprise, eating weed, accessed February 1, 2016.
- ↑ Sourvein FacebookAccessed 27 April 2017
- ↑ Metal Insider
- ↑ Blabbermouth
- ↑ Facebook Weedeater Facebook Post, 5-21-2013”., accessed 23 February 2021
- ↑ The Obelisk Forum
- ↑ Loudwire
- ↑ Metal Insider
- ↑ The PRP
| V·T·E Weedeater | |
|---|---|
| Current Members | Dave Collins (AKA "Dixie") • Dave Shepherd (AKA "Shep") • Ramzi Ateyeh |
| Past Members | Keith Kirkum (AKA "KeKo") • Travis Owen (AKA "T-Boogie") • Carlos Denogean |
| Studio Albums | ...And Justice For Y'all • Sixteen Tons • God Luck and Good Speed • Jason... The Dragon • Goliathan |
| Splits | Weedeater / Pins of Light |
| Associated Bands and Artists | Buzzov*en • Bongzilla • Sourvein • Zoroaster |