Mark Sultan, AKA BBQ, has spoken out over his infamous split last year with King Khan after a famously shambolic performance at the Sydney Opera House that saw King Khan get banned from the venue. In an interview with Spinner he says “It was a self-destruction, and it was inevitably going to happen anyway, but especially Internet media pushed it.” Sultan laments, “I remember reading interviews — I didn’t even do some of these interviews — where somebody would make shit about me saying stuff. And this is right after me and King Khan had a really big fight in Asia, and of course he’s going to see that or somebody’s going to see that. There was a lot of bulls— going on and a lot of lies,” he reckons.
“We’re just these two tiny musicians having fun and making our music and doing what we want, and I hope I’m never put there again because it was just so phony to me. I don’t want to be on the same page as a band like Radiohead — that makes no sense to me. I have no business there, I don’t think I belong anywhere near there. I’m happy with that — I don’t want anything to do with any of this s—.”
The garage rocker lost his voice in Melbourne earlier this year, leading to a splendidly shambolic performance at The Tote in which audience members guested on vocals. He says that he has since performed with King Khan again and he reckons that with two new solo albums coming out he really doesn’t give a shit what people think of him. “I never thought I’d see a lot of the things I’ve seen and be included in,” reflects Sultan. “I just think if I never get included in festivals again [that are] big or mainstream, I’m not going to be sad. If I diminish in stature even amongst my peers and play for five people for the rest of my life, I’m still happy. But who am I to say any of this?” he reckons.
“This is the problem: I speak my mind, and a lot of people think I’m a dick, and that’s fine. But I think it’s because I’m honest. Even if what I’m saying is honestly wrong, I prefer to say what’s on my mind and not to hold back.” Sultan’s upcoming releases are entitled Whatever I Want and Whenever I Want. An Australian release date is expected to be announced soon. Read our interview with him earlier this year.
