There are more than one band with this name:

1) The kids are a punk … Read Full Bio ↴There are more than one band with this name:

1) The kids are a punk rock band based in Antwerp, Belgium. They were one of the first groups in Belgium to really tap into the power of the international punk scene which was erupting in 1976-77.

Formed by three angry dock(work)ers, the group evolves from pure energy on the first album to more varied and adult songs. Ludo Mariman (in "Wit-lof from Belgium") on the changes the band went trough : "Look, punk may be dead and over. But that doesn't mean we have to go away. We are almost a normal rock band now. We even have a slow song. We play better. We don't spit on the public anymore, now we try to amuse them".

In 1986, after 10 years THE KIDS decided to stop playing and LUDO MARIMAN started his solocareer. But in 1996, 20 years after the first gig THE KIDS held a reunion-tour. The first two albums were reproduced on one CD and a double album. THE KIDS will continue playing as long as ....... 'THE KIDS ARE UNITED'.

In 2001 THE KIDS were 25 YEARS young and in december of that same year the Live CD FLABBERGASTED! was released. In 2005 they release a new single "Freedom, Liberty, Democracy". In 2006 the KIDS are 30!

2007 saw the release of THE KIDS ANTHOLOGY, a box including all albums between 1978 and 1985, completed with a DVD of a live concert recorded in 1982.

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Because i made a bio for a kids page and i now found out there is also a The Kids page on lastfm i copy paste this over here.

One of the first groups in Belgium to really tap into the power of the international punk scene which was erupting in 1976-77 were The Kids. In retrospect, it is a bit foolish to call the Kids a "punk"-group, since they were much too R&B for that, but they certainly communicated the "punk"-feeling.

Front-man Ludo Mariman in "Wit-lof from Belgium": "In 1976 we were together in a band called "Crash". None of us could really play. We just hammered away, hard and fast, sounding like a really bad Velvet Underground. When the first news of the punk explosion in Britain started to come through, I went to London. I wanted to know what was going on over there, and if these guys had the seem feelings of anger I had. I remember the shivers down my spine seeing Eddie & The Hot Rods. I also saw the Ramones and then I knew we had that same music within us. Technically we could handle it, because you don't have to master the instruments to play punk music".

"Bloody Belgium", "Fascist cops", "No Monarchy" and "Rock over Belgium" were the songs which got them started.

They played support acts for Iggy Pop and Patti Smith in 1977.

Formed by three angry dock(work)ers, the group evolves from pure energy on the first album to more varied and adult songs. Ludo Mariman (again in "Wit-lof from Belgium") on the changes the band went trough : "Look, punk may be dead and over. But that doesn't mean we have to go away. We are almost a normal rock band now. We even have a slow song. We play better. We don't spit on the public anymore, now we try to amuse them".

Strangely enough, their two first albums were produced by Leo Caerts, the man who had been a band-leader for the likes of Will Tura etc. and the author of the world hit "Eviva España" (see Samantha).

In 1979 they release a single together with Jo Lemaire & Flouze : Jo sings "Tintarella di Luna", the Kids do a cover of "Louie Louie".

The album "Living in the 20th century" becomes a classic. They even hit the hitparades with "Dancing".
Their moment of fame however is the brilliant song "There will be no next time" (or as Humo put it : "the world hit which never was one").

After the split of the group in 1985, the front-singer of the band Ludo Mariman, a former professional soccer-player for Antwerp, keeps trying to make it in the music business. He sings "Angie" for the LSP-band and returns to the public eye four years later with "You never know what's yours" and has kept on recording ever since. Although his records are always of reasonable quality, he never really manages to produce the excitement which was a trademark for The Kids.

That Mariman is a well-respected artist can be deduced from this expert for the 1994 album "They say" in Humo : "Mariman is, just as when he invented the punk movement for the low countries 18 years ago, still angry and that is a quality of this man. ... Most of the twelve songs on this album were written and sung from the viewpoint of something that somebody who has a much smoother tongue than me has described as the "wet dog syndrome". ... Authenticity. You cannot buy it in your local shopping mall. Ludo Mariman has had tons of it for years, and now he has even produced a very good cd with it."

1996 sees a surprise comeback for the Kids. They decide to reform the band and tour the summerfestivals. In 1998 they are featured on the soundtrack of the Belgian movie "Dief". They also reappear on national television (on "Nieuwe Maandag"). Ludo Mariman says the group now has a status where it can decide to play together once in while. They will also continue to tour in the summer of 1998.

This tour lasted well into 1999. During this they found out that they are doing to their own amazement - well eh - amazingly well in Eastern Germany. "There is a lot of demand for punks of the first generation over there. The sadder the surroundings, the better punkrock thrives", said singer Ludo Mariman in "Het Nieuwsblad".
The group has undergone some changes in personnel : ex-Scabs Frankie Saenen now hits the drums, and young Pieter Van Buyten (see also Flip Kowlier, Chitlin' Fooks) handles the bass. Ludo Mariman and guitar-player Luk Van De Poel remain on their post. On March 13th 2001, a live-concert in the Ancienne Belgique was recorded, and the goal still is to release a CD with this material.

Members:
- Ludo Mariman (vocals, guitar) -- Ludo Mariman (zang, gitaar)
- Danny De Haes - Pieter Van Buyten (bass) -- Danny De Haes - Pieter Van Buyten (bas)
- Luk Van De Poel (guitar) -- Luk Van De Poel (gitaar)
- Eddy De Haes - Cesar Janssen - Frankie Saenen(drums) -- Eddy De Haes - Cesar Janssen - Frankie Saenen (drums)

Albums (The Kids):

- The Kids (Fontana - 1978)
- Naughty kids (Fontana - 1978)
- Living in the 20th century (Mercury - 1979)
- Black out (Mercury - 1981)
- If the kids ... (Mercury - 1982)
- Gotcha! (Konexion - 1985)

Compilations :

- The Kids (Release on CD of the first two albums + bonus-tracks) (Polygram - 1996)

- The Kids Anthology (3 cd's, one live cd + 2 bonus cd's and a dvd) (Universal 2007)

Albums (Ludo Mariman) :

- You never know what's yours (Kafka - 1989)
- They say (Donor - 1994)

http://www.thekidspunk.eu

source: http://houbi.com/belpop/groepen/kids.htm

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2) The Kids is also a Norwegian rock band from Trondheim. With Dag Ingebrigtsen as lead singer and Torstein Flakne (now Stage Dolls) on lead guitar. Dag Ingebrigtsen has been taking part in almost every song made for Rosenborg footballclub, and has been influential in what to be known as "trønder-rock". In 1979 their hit "Hun er forelska i lærer'n" where at the top of Norways hitchart.

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3) Early Connecticut punk rock band

4) The Kids was finnish child group. They have released album "The Kids" in 2000. Members were Ida ja Joanna Kupiainen and Anniina Merisalo.

City Is Dead
The Kids Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dead city ripper
Cruising down your street
Dead city ripper
Don't drag your feet

He's got a heat
A burning in his brain
You're gonna run

Straight down a gutter drain

Ripping

Dead city ripper
Putting metal in your meat
Dead city ripper
This fun can't be beat

Well there's a line
Between pleasure and pain
Smear it with blood
It all looks the same

Blood on the blade
Reflection in red
Of this life
That you've lead

Dead city ripper
Can't wait to see
Dead city ripper
How much you bleed

He's gonna paint
The city blood red
Ain't gonna stop
Until you're all dead

Ripping

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "City Is Dead" by The Kids portray a character known as the "Dead City Ripper" who cruises down the streets, filled with a burning desire. The Ripper is portrayed as someone who doesn't waste any time, urging others not to drag their feet. There is a sense of urgency and a dark energy that surrounds him.

The lyrics suggest that the Ripper takes pleasure in causing chaos and destruction. He puts "metal in your meat," indicating a willingness to inflict harm on others. The line "There's a line between pleasure and pain, smear it with blood, it all looks the same" alludes to the idea that the Ripper finds enjoyment in blurring the line between pleasure and pain, possibly exhibiting sadistic tendencies.

The song also suggests a fascination with violence, with references to bloodshed and the intention to paint the city "blood red." The chorus "Dead city ripper, can't wait to see, Dead city ripper, how much you bleed" emphasizes the Ripper's anticipation for the suffering of others.

Overall, "City Is Dead" portrays a character who thrives on chaos, violence, and inflicting harm on others. The lyrics explore themes of sadism, the blurring of pleasure and pain, and a disturbing fascination with bloodshed and destruction.

Line by Line Meaning

Dead city ripper
A dangerous individual who causes destruction in a lifeless urban environment

Cruising down your street
Moving effortlessly and confidently through the streets of the city

Don't drag your feet
Don't hesitate or delay, take swift action

He's got a heat
He possesses a burning desire or intense passion

A burning in his brain
An overwhelming urge or obsession within his mind

You're gonna run
You will flee or escape

Straight down a gutter drain
Into the grim and undesirable part of the city

Ripping
Causing destruction or tearing apart the urban environment

Putting metal in your meat
Introducing danger or harm into your life

This fun can't be beat
This thrilling and exhilarating experience cannot be matched

Well there's a line
There exists a boundary or distinction