The Nekromantix were formed in 1989 in Copenhagen by Kim Nekroman after he left the Danish Navy, in which he had been a submarine radio operator. Deciding to launch a new career in music, he initially played drums in a rockabilly band prior to the foundation of Nekromantix. Learning to play the double bass and to sing, Nekroman set about forming a horror-themed psychobilly band with himself as the frontman. The band lineup is currently rounded out by Franc (guitar) and Lux (drums).
The band played two local shows in Copenhagen before appearing in a large psychobilly festival in Hamburg, Germany only six months after the band's formation. This lead to a record deal for their first album, Hellbound. Nekromantix began touring Europe heavily. At the time, the psychobilly scene was largely dominated by English bands. The band recorded a second album in 1991, Curse of the Coffin which resulted in some MTV play. 1994's Brought Back to Life became the only psychobilly album so far to ever be nominated for a Grammy award.
The band was signed to Hellcat Records in 2001, due to record label owner Tim Armstrong of punk rock band Rancid being a long-time fan of the band. Their fifth album and USA debut, Return of the Loving Dead, was recorded in Los Angeles and released in 2002. A sixth album, Dead Girls Don't Cry, was released for Hellcat in 2004, with Nekroman recording bass and vocals in Los Angeles while the Sandorff brothers recorded their respective parts back in Denmark.
In April 2005, the Sandorff brothers departed from the Nekromantix on good terms, citing their reason for leaving as "it wasn't funny anymore". They were replaced with guitarist Troy and drummer Wasted James, both from California-based psychobilly group Rezurex. Wasted James also plays in Tiger Army, and formerly played as the Nekromantix touring drummer. Andy Demize is now drummer for Nekromantix and features on the new 2007 album 'Life Is A Grave & I Dig It!'
Kim Nekroman is married to Patricia Day, ex-guitarist of Danish band Peanut Pump Gun. They play in rockabilly band called Horrorpops together.
Kim Nekroman's signature coffinbass has gone through many incarnations, the first of which being fashioned out of an actual child's coffin. The child's coffin, however, did not produce an excellent sound, so Nekroman built another himself with better acoustics. Over the years he has made a handfull of the instruments, the most recent update being collapsable for easier transportation.
Voodoo Shop Hop
Nekromantix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wanted to get rid of this foul betraying soul
Someone suggested to try a voodoo doll
But that ain't something you go get a the mall
No, I had to go for the real deal
Something beyond crystal balls and coffee beans
I had to find a person with the right skill
I arrived I shopped around
Ate too much Gumbo till I finally found
This scary little shop, creepy as hell
A voodoo-woman gnarly as fuck
Sold me the spell
She told me to use it on a certain date
I was distracted by her dog lucy biting my jeans
The magic would backfire if I didn't wait
And I was on my way out of New Orleans
Graveyard dirt and a rusty nail
Chicken feet and virgin blood
Take the grease from a snail mix with Transylvanian mud
Now spice it up with Spanish flies
To make sure he suffers
Before he dies
Add curse water by druids at Stonehenge
And I guarantee u sweet revenge
The song "Voodoo Shop Hop" by Nekromantix talks about a person's desire to eliminate a deceitful soul from their life. They are willing to go to great lengths to succeed in their mission, and someone suggests using a voodoo doll. However, the singer decides to go for the real deal, something more powerful than just a voodoo doll that cannot be found in a regular store. Thus, they go to New Orleans and shop around until they find a creepy shop owned by a voodoo-woman who sells them the spell that will help them achieve their goal. She warns them to use the spell on a specific date and to be careful, or the magic will backfire.
The lyrics give off a sense of determination and desperation. The singer is clearly fed up with the person who betrayed them and wants to get rid of them as soon as possible. They are not afraid to dive into voodoo magic, even if it means going to New Orleans, a place known for its association with voodoo. The song paints a picture of the unknown, unseen forces at work behind the scenes, making the atmosphere spooky and thrilling. The singer's willingness to go to great lengths to attain their goal speaks to the song's underlying message that sometimes one has to take matters into their own hands to find closure in difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a mission I had a goal
I was determined to achieve a specific objective
Wanted to get rid of this foul betraying soul
I wanted to be rid of the soul of someone who had badly let me down
Someone suggested to try a voodoo doll
A person suggested that I use a voodoo doll
But that ain't something you go get a the mall
However, such a doll is not something that can be easily obtained
No, I had to go for the real deal
I knew I had to step up and find a more authentic solution
Something beyond crystal balls and coffee beans
I needed something more powerful and effective than mere fortune-telling tools
I had to find a person with the right skill
I needed to locate someone who possessed the necessary expertise
I took the weekend off and went to New Orleans
I took a weekend trip to New Orleans to pursue my goal
I arrived I shopped around
When I arrived, I spent some time looking for the right place to help me
Ate too much Gumbo till I finally found
I ate lots of Gumbo, a famous New Orleans dish, before I eventually found the right place
This scary little shop, creepy as hell
I found a small, frightening shop that seemed really eerie
A voodoo-woman gnarly as fuck
I met a female voodoo-practitioner who was old, tough-looking, and a bit frightening
Sold me the spell
She provided me with the magic formula that I was looking for
She told me to use it on a certain date
She advised me to perform the spell on a specific day
I was distracted by her dog lucy biting my jeans
I got distracted by her dog, Lucy, biting my jeans
The magic would backfire if I didn't wait
I was warned that the magic might not work if I didn't wait for the right time
And I was on my way out of New Orleans
Once I had the spell, I left New Orleans to return home
Graveyard dirt and a rusty nail
The ingredients for the spell included dirt from a cemetery and an old, rusty nail
Chicken feet and virgin blood
The spell required pieces of chicken feet and blood from a virgin
Take the grease from a snail mix with Transylvanian mud
I was instructed to mix snail grease with mud from Transylvania
Now spice it up with Spanish flies
The mixture required an ingredient called 'Spanish flies' to add flavor
To make sure he suffers
I wanted to ensure that the person I was targeting would experience significant pain and discomfort
Before he dies
I wanted to cause him significant suffering before he died
Add curse water by druids at Stonehenge
I needed to add water that had been cursed by druids at Stonehenge
And I guarantee u sweet revenge
The spell was designed to provide me with the satisfaction of getting revenge on the person I despised
Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.