A live performance of "Fanciable Headcase", shown on the influential Snub TV television programme, earned the band national exposure, and helped to push their EPs up the independent chart, "Bombs Away on Harpurhey" reaching No. 8. After switching to Midnight Music, the band issued its debut album proper, Dandelions (1989), to favourable reviews in the British music press. Keigher and Curtis were now joined by a new rhythm section. The following year, King of the Slums signed to Cherry Red Records and issued the Blowzy Weirdos album in 1991, with Keigher's gritty take on British life again finding favour amongst the critics. Later in the year, however, the band broke up without ever achieving a commercial breakthrough to match their critical acclaim. They performed nearly 200 concerts during their career resulting in numerous bootlegs being circulated, all of which the band disowned. In 2009 the reformed King of the Slums released their fourth album called The Orphaned Files, a collection of predominantly brand new songs together with some rare and remixed older songs, through SLR Records. It was followed by Manco Diablo on 8 June 2017, also on SLR. Three months after the release, the band decided to record Artgod Dogs. The album, featuring a new member, Clarissa Trees on violin and viola, came out on 19 May 2018. They performed a one off live concert at Manchester's Night and Day café on 23 June 2018. In February 2019 the band released a 4 track EP entitled Peak Human Experience limited to 300 copies on 12" vinyl. The release coincided with a string of tour dates, although some were cancelled due to the ill health of a band member. The band were set to play the Shiine On festival in Minehead in Nov 2019. Their last album Encrypted Contemporary Narratives (SLR Records) came out on 14 September 2020. Frontman Charley Keigher died on 28 November 2021. Discography Albums Barbarous English Fayre (Play Hard, 1989) (UK Indie #4) Dandelions (Midnight Music, 1989) Blowzy Weirdos (Cherry Red, 1991) The Orphaned Files (SLR Records, 2009) Manco Diablo (SLR Records, 2017) Artgod Dogs (SLR Records, 2018) Encrypted Contemporary Narratives (SLR Records, 2020) Singles and EPs "Spider Psychiatry" (SLR, 1986) "Haemophiliacs on Tacks" (Debris, 1987) – split flexi-disc with Moist England's Finest Hopes EP (Play Hard, 1988) "Bombs Away on Harpurhey" (Play Hard, 1989) (UK Indie #8) Vicious British Boyfriend EP (Play Hard, 1989) "Trouble