Kris Needs: Movies & Box Office

Kris Needs (born 3 July 1954) is a prolific British journalist, author, DJ and musician whose career has spanned over five decades, tracing the evolution of rock, punk and electronic music from the early 1970s to the present day. He first entered the world of publishing on the Thame Gazette in Oxfordshire, later moving to The Bucks Advertiser before seizing the editorship of the seminal UK music magazine ZigZag in August 1977 at the age of 23, a role that positioned him at the heart of the proto‑punk and early punk explosion. During his tenure at ZigZag he cultivated relationships with emerging icons, chronicling the raw energy of the era while simultaneously nurturing his own musical ambitions, founding the short‑lived yet influential band The Vice Creems and later fronting Secret Knowledge, whose 1992 club hit “Sugar Daddy” became a staple on Andrew Weatherall’s Sabres of Paradise label. His collaborative spirit saw him record with Mick Jones and Topper Headon of The Clash, enlist Billy Idol for percussion and backing vocals, and later join forces with Wonder Schneider and Leftfield as Delta Lady, demonstrating a seamless blend of journalistic insight and creative performance. Beyond the printed word, Needs has been a fixture on the dance floors, beginning DJ work at college in 1970 and evolving through 1970s punk rock events, the infamous Batcave in the 1980s, and high‑profile gigs for Primal Scream and The Prodigy in the 1990s, even spinning at Ibiza’s legendary Manumission club. His literary contributions include authoritative biographies of Primal Scream, Joe Strummer, Keith Richards, and George Clinton, the latter released in 2014 as George Clinton: The Cosmic Odyssey of Dr Funkenstein, as well as the 2015 authorised biography of Suicide, “Dream Baby Dream: Suicide; A New York Story”. As of 2022 he continues to write for major UK music publications such as MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig!, and in 2017 co‑launched the cultural essay platform No More Big Wheels with Helen Donlon, cementing his status as a versatile chronicler of contemporary music culture.