Fearless Vampire Killers

Fearless Vampire Killers were a band from Beccles, England that formed in 2008, and broke up in 2016.

It consisted of co-vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kier Kemp, co-vocalist, rhythm guitarist and writer of the band’s novels Laurence Beveridge, guitarist, backing vocalist, album artist, merchandise artist, and creator of their fan site The Obsidian Bond Cyrus Barrone/Shane Sumner, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Drew Woolnough, and drummer, percussionist and occasional keyboardist Luke Illingworth. All except Luke Illingworth were original members, he joined the band in 2011.

It was announced on July 4th, 2016 that they were breaking up, after Kier Kemp’s decision to leave.
On Facebook they wrote that they had “come to the conclusion that it would be wrong to continue this band without Kier by our side”, how they would all continue to create music (although “the specifics are uncertain”), and that their fansite will remain active as a place to maintain the community it had created.

The band first formed in 2007 under the name Remember When, with Kier Kemp, Laurence Beveridge, Cyrus Barrone, and Luke Fairhead. All of the members of Remember When knew each other from growing up in Beccles. Soon after moving to London, Remember When broke up and its former members then came together to form Fearless Vampire Killers in 2008. A short time later they recruited Drew Woolnough, who had previously played with Laurence in a band called Self-Titled, and after going through a series of drummers the current line-up was completed when Luke Illingworth joined.

They were inspired by bands and artists such as My Chemical Romance, Muse, Fall Out Boy, David Bowie, Avenged Sevenfold, Green Day, The Killers, The Used, Panic! At The Disco, Queen, Danny Elfman, Iron Maiden, Metallica, The Kinks, Aiden and The Beatles.

They were known for being very hands-on with their work. Examples include Cyrus Barrone producing all of their artwork and merchandise designs, and Laurence Beveridge writing a 334-page novel called “Ruple & Evelyn” to go along with their EP, “In Grandomina…” (although the events in the story happen roughly 600 years before the events in the songs).

Bizarre Magazine once said

if My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco mated, their offspring might look like Fearless Vampire Killers. [They were an] incredibly promising prospect.