I Killed the Prom Queen is an Australian metalcore band from Adelaide, South Australia. Formed in 2000, the band featured prominently on the Australian live music scene and toured the USA, Japan and parts of Europe several times. The band split up in April 2007 when guitarist Jona Weinhofen joined American band Bleeding Through but played a farewell tour in mid 2008. In March 2011, the band declared on facebook that they will be returning for the "Destroy Music Tour".
History[]
Formation and Choose to Live, Love Or Die (2000–2002)[]
Formed in late 2000, the original line-up of I Killed the Prom Queen consisted of Weinhofen, drummer JJ Peters, vocalist Lee Stacy, bass guitarist Ben Engel and guitarist Simon O'Gorman. The following year, Michael Crafter joined to share the vocal duties and Leaton Rose replaced Engel soon afterward. The band took influence from late 90's hardcore bands Poison the Well, Converge, Hatebreed and Earth Crisis and Swedish melodic death metal groups like At the Gates, Soilwork and In Flames. The band then recorded a four track demo titled "Choose to Live, Love or Die". The EP was originally slated to contain 5 songs, but a computer glitch caused the 5th to be erased. This was later re-released as an EP by Final Prayer Records. Following this, O' Gorman left to join Day Of Contempt and Kevin Cameron joined late in the year. I Killed The Prom Queen's first release, Choose To Live, Love Or Die, was the only one with Lee Stacey vocals and the high-pitched Crafter vocals. The tracks were the old versions of those re-recorded for Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You.
Split CD with Parkway Drive and When Goodbye Means Forever (2003–2005)[]
After the release of Choose To Live, Love Or Die, with O'Gorman replaced by Kevin Cameron and Stacy left the band. Leaton Rose departed (to later join The Hot Lies) and Sean Kennedy took his place. In May 2003, the band recored for a Split EP featuring two songs by I Killed the Prom Queen ("Homicide Documentaries" and "Death Certificate for a Beauty Queen") and two by the then new Parkway Drive titled "I Killed the Prom Queen / Parkway Drive: Split CD". The line-up of Crafter, Weinhofen, Peters, Kennedy and Cameron was in place and in Mid 2003, I Killed The Prom Queen began recording the album When Goodbye Means Forever... for Sydney hardcore label Resist Records, to be released that December. Following this, they toured the year in Australia with Evergreen Terrace, Give Up The Ghost, Boysetsfire and many more. The album was subsequently released in the US by Eulogy Recordings on 30 March 2004, leading to extensive touring there with bands that included Caliban, Evergreen Terrace, It Dies Today, Lamb Of God, Silverstein, Bleeding Through, The Red Chord, Fear Before the March of Flames, Until the End, The Warriors, Between the Buried and Me, On Broken Wings and countless others over a almost 4 month period.
The group's next release was the EP "Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You" on 7 March 2005. The recording included reworked older songs and a track by The Fall Of Troy (not to be confused with the US band, this band only played 2 shows then broke up) called "To Be Sleeping While Still Standing".
Music for the Recently Deceased (2005–2007)[]
In Aug 2005, the band flew to Sweden to record their follow up album. By late 2005, I Killed The Prom Queen had completed recording a second album but in January 2006 Crafter was fired. Instead of releasing the album as it was, the band decided to hire a new vocalist and replace Crafter's tracks. Ed Butcher, from British band The Hunt For Ida Wave was recruited and with new lyrics by Cameron and Butcher, and some lyrics the whole band had contributed during the Crafter sessions. The tracks which had remained the same are lyrically credited to Kevin Cameron. Music For The Recently Deceased was produced by Fredrik Nordström, whose other credits included Dimmu Borgir, Darkest Hour, At the Gates and In Flames.
The album was released on 31 July 2006 by Stomp Entertainment and became a minor hit. The release tour for this album was one of the biggest run in Australian history, with the band playing a near 60 consecutive date tour of Australia over the course of two and a half months, reaching pretty much every town from north WA all the way round to Cairns. Following this, a sold out tour with America's Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God, with the Sydney show exceeding 3,500 payers at Luna Park, where they also played for the annual ComeTogether Festival. Shortly afterward Metal Blade released the album in the USA, co-inciding with I Killed The Prom Queen's appearance at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. Returning to Australia after their 3rd tour of USA in as many years, the band toured with The Haunted and Exodus and in December featured as the headlining act at the Metal for the Brain festival. With the band gaining momentum, the albums sales hit around 23,000 in Australia, a great achievement for a non-commercial act without the aid of media publicity, more word of mouth.
Break-up and Say Goodbye Tour (2007-2008)[]
On 31 January 2007, Ed Butcher flew back to his home town in the UK. In a statement released later by the band it was announced that he had departed due to homesickness and that he was no longer a part of the group. Butcher later joined UK band Eternal Lord.
Tyrone Ross from Mourning Tide temporarily filled the vocalist position during Japanese tour dates, and Colin Jeffs (of Bendigo band Heavens Lost) filled in on the European tour with Bleeding Through, All Shall Perish, Caliban. However, on 7 April 2007, I Killed The Prom Queen announced their break up, citing both an inability to find a new vocalist and following Jona Weinhofen's departure for Orange County Metalcore band - Bleeding Through. Shortly after the band ended, rumours began of a final Australian tour with the possibility of Michael Crafter returning for the shows.
On 19 May 2008, Stomp re-issued Music For The Recently Deceased in a limited edition of 5,000 hand-numbered copies. The new release included a cardboard slipcase, two live tracks and four tracks with Crafter's vocals taken from the original album recording.
I Killed The Prom Queen's "Say Goodbye" tour took place in May and June 2008, with almost all of the 18 shows selling out almost immediately. The supporting acts for the tour were Bring Me The Horizon, The Red Shore, The Ghost Inside (band) and a local act from each city played at. Crafter returned to front the band on the tour, and a live DVD was filmed for later release. I Killed The Prom Queen played their final show in Brisbane on 8 June 2008. The DVD, now available, is nearing Gold Records status in Australia.
Hiatus (2008–2011)[]
After the Say Goodbye tour, each member of the band went their separate ways to explore music in their new projects. Vocalist Michael Crafter fronts Melbourne Hardcore band Confession while also managing his own clothing label Mistake Clothing. Guitarist Jona Weinhofen is currently a guitarist for the band, Bring Me the Horizon. Guitarist Kevin Cameron formed the progressive metalcore band In Trenches with lauded hardcore frontman Ben Coyte. He also has 3 new bands in the "writing stage" as well as being a touring musician for a number of other groups.
Drummer JJ Peters is vocalist for his own Hardcore project Deez Nuts and also one half of the Hip-Hop duo Grips & Tonic (The other half being New Zealand Hip-Hop artist Louie Knuxx). Bassist Sean Kennedy has mostly stopped playing music and settled into a normal lifestyle with his fiance. But he has played Bass for Deez Nuts on Australian and International tours every now and then, the most recent on the "This one's for you" tour in 2010. He is also currently listed as the guitarist for the band Voices, although they are not known to be active.
Although the band stated they broke up, Jona Weinhofen announced in an interview with Blunt Magazine that they have just taken a break to "Do their own thing and grow as musicians". He also said the band would not tour until they had a new release, because people would think they are just touring for the money, and he hopes to record a new I Killed The Prom Queen album in the future.
Reformation (2011–present)[]
On March 9, 2011, the band announced an Australian reunion tour with The Amity Affliction, Deez Nuts, and Of Mice & Men as part of the Destroy Music Tour in May 2011. It was confirmed that Butcher and Crafter will not return as vocalists.
On March 10, 2011, it was confirmed that Jamie Hope (ex-The Red Shore) will be taking over lead vocals for the tour. It was confirmed via the bands official facebook page this re-formation and line-up is permanent, and not just for one tour. Guitarist Jona Weinhofen has confirmed the same day that he is not planning to leave his other band Bring Me the Horizon and that he will remain in both bands.
Discography[]
Studio Albums[]
- When Goodbye Means Forever... (2003)
- Music for the Recently Deceased (2006)
- Beloved (2014)
Live Albums[]
- Sleepless Nights and City Lights (2008)
Extended Plays[]
- Choose to Love, Live or Die (2002)
- Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You (2005)
Splits[]
- I Killed the Prom Queen/Parkway Drive: Split CD (2003)
Band members[]
Current members[]
- Jona Weinhofen – lead guitar, vocals, keyboards (2000–2007, 2008, 2011–present)
- Kevin Cameron – rhythm guitar (2002–2007, 2008, 2011–present)
- Jamie Hope – lead vocals (2011–present)
- Shane O'Brien – drums (2013–present)
- Benjamin Coyte – bass guitar, backing vocals (2013–present)
Former members[]
- Lee Stacy – lead vocals (2000–2002)
- Simon O'Gorman – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2000–2002)
- Ben Engel – bass (2000–2002)
- JJ Peters – drums (2000–2007, 2008, 2011–2013)
- Michael Crafter – lead vocals (2001–2006, 2008)
- Leaton Rose – bass (2002–2003)
- Sean Kennedy – bass (2003–2007, 2008, 2011–2013)
- Ed Butcher – lead vocals (2006–2007)