Kings of the Sun

Band Members

• Current Line-Up
  • Clifford Hoad (drums)
  • Jeffrey Hoad (vocals, guitar)
  • Dean Turner (bass)

• Former Members
  • Phil Soussan (bass) (1993)
  • Brad Spur (bass) (1993)
  • Glen Morris (bass) (1985 - 1993)
  • Anthony Ragg (guitar) (1984 - 1993)
  • Ron Thiessen (guitar) (1984 - 1986)

Formed

Sydney, NSW, 1984

Band Information

Kings of the Sun was an LA-style leather and hair heavy rock band which through no fault of its own failed to succeed despite early promise, although they released several excellent albums and toured worldwide several times. Ron Thiessen (ex-Uncanny X-Men) was part of the original line-up with Cliff and Jeff Hoad and Anthony Ragg. The band moved to Sydney from Melbourne in 1986 and 'Bottom Of My Heart' met with fleeting chart success. Thiessen left the band before the debut album, which was recorded as a three-piece.

A chance to impress Australian audiences was dashed when the band was kicked off stage at the Sydney Entertainment Centre midway through its performance supporting Guns N' Roses in 1988 after Jeff Hoad dropped his pants and made disparaging remarks about the headline act. By this time however the band had worked overseas extensively, supporting KISS in Europe and Joe Satriani throughout the US, building a following which, due to the lack of local commitment, it was never quite able to solidify. After the release of Full Frontal Attack, Kings of the Sun returned to the US where they supported Lita Ford. After this Morris and Ragg left the band.

Resurrection features Bradley Spur on bass and is an excellent but sadly overlooked piece of quality Australian rock, an album which defined their mix of southern-fried boogie and solid heavy rock almost perfectly. The tour they undertook in support of the album utilised the talents of one-time Ozzy Osbourne band member Phil Soussan in the bass role.

Kings Of The Sun all but disappeared from the scene but reappeared now and then as a three piece entity during the 90s, including a supporting slot on Sammy Hagar’s 1998 tour. Although the band has long ago finished as a full-time concern, Kings of the Sun opened for KISS on the Gold Coast in 2001.

In 2003, the Hoads formed a new band called The Rich and Famous.

Discography

Albums:

	1988	Kings of the Sun	Mushroom
	1990	Full Frontal Attack	Mushroom
	1992	Resurrection	Mushroom

Singles:

	1986	Bottom of My Heart	Mushroom
	1988	Serpentine	Mushroom
	1988	Black Leather	Mushroom
	1990	Drop the Gun	Mushroom
	1990	Full Frontal Attack	Mushroom
	1990	I Get Lonely	Mushroom
	1992	Trapped Inside Your Heart	Mushroom
	1992	Road to Nowhere	Mushroom
	1995	Bombs Away	Mushroom