King of the Slums were a British alternative rock band. Formed in Greater Manchester in the mid-1980s, the band specialised in a kind of electric violin and guitar-driven rock music, and released their debut single in 1986. Whilst the band earned some critical acclaim from the UK music press, commercial success eluded them and the group disbanded in the early 1990s following the release of their second studio album, Blowzy Weirdos (1991). An album of new material plus some older songs appeared in 2009 credited to both King of the Slums and Slum Cathedral User, which was the original name of the group. Three more albums followed, Manco Diablo (2017), Artgod Dogs (2018) and Encrypted Contemporary Narratives (2020) before the death of frontman Charley Keigher in 2021. History King of the Slums formed in Manchester, England, by writer Charley Keigher aka Charlie Keighera (vocals, guitar) and Sarah Curtis (electric violin), initially as Slum Cathedral User. Sarah Curtis had studied violin at the Royal Northern College of Music, but dropped out before finishing her studies. Joined by bassist John Eccles in early 1985, they recorded a demo tape at Crimson Studios in Urmston, Manchester with the help of a drummer who left the band soon after. The band took up its image of Kings of the slums incorporating a plastic dustbin and a tambourine replacing the drums which added to their 'Slums' authenticity when playing live. They won Muze magazine's Band of the Year competition winning a recording session at a studio in Gorton. Manchester, producing a second demo tape. Their third demo tape came soon after at a recording studio in Uppermill high up in the Saddleworth Moor. During the second and third demo tape recordings the group made its vinyl debut with the "Spider Psychiatry" single in 1986 on their own label, SLR Records. During this time they gigged at various Manchester venues as a three piece with their now trademark dustbin drum and homemade stage. The single, reviewed by Melody Maker, never achieved any significant sales. In mid 1987 Eccles left the band. Further releases followed in 1988 and 1989 on the Play Hard label, now with bassist Jon Chandler and drummer Ged O'Brien (who replaced a succession of drummers), most of which were collected on the Barbarous English Fayre compilation album (1989). The band also recorded a session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1988.