Mark Kingsmill

Mark Adrian Kingsmill (born 4 December 1956) is an Australian rock musician.

Mark Kingsmill was born in Sydney on 4 December 1956.

In early 1977 in Sydney Kingsmill, on drums, joined vocalist Ron Peno's (aka Ronnie Pop) band, the Hellcats, with Charlie Georges on guitar.

Ian McFarlane, an Australian musicologist, described the group as "a tough New York Dolls-inspired covers band".

The Hellcats often supported fellow punk rockers, Radio Birdman.

Later that year Kingsmill, under the pseudonym Jim Boots, joined another local punk band, Thought Criminals, with the line-up of Roger Grierson (aka Jack Boots) on guitar, Rique Lee Kendall (aka Matt Black) on bass guitar and Bruce Warner (aka Kit Identity) on lead vocals.

Kingsmill performed on their first recording, an EP, Hilton Bomber.

It was released in 1978 on their own label, Doublethink.

Kingsmill was replaced by the Last Words' drummer, Ken Doyle (aka Derik Wapillspoon).

Kingsmill was the original drummer and member of his next band, The Other Side, along with Clyde Bramley and Charlie Georges, and was replaced by Ron Keeley, when Kingsmill departed to join the Hitmen.

This reunited Keely with Rob Younger (ex-Radio Birdman) on lead vocals.

He has drummed with several bands including the Hitmen (1979–84), New Christs (1983–84), the Screaming Tribesmen (1984) and Hoodoo Gurus (1984–98, 2003–15).

He is the older brother of Richard Kingsmill, former music director and presenter on Triple J.

Kingsmill, using the moniker Drum Stick, joined Sydney-based rockers, the Hitmen, in 1979 on drums and backing vocals, alongside Warwick Gilbert (Leonardo da Vinci) on guitar, Johnny Kannis (Adonis) on lead vocals, Chris Masuak (Han Debris) on lead guitar and Phil Sommerville (Cole Slaw) on bass guitar.Entries at Australian Rock Database:

In March 1979 WEA had signed the band and in July they issued their first single, "Didn't Tell the Man", with a line-up of Kingsmill, Gilbert, Kannis, Masuak and Tony Vidale on guitar.

The band's next single "I Want You" was released in April.

In December 1980 they worked with producer Mark Opitz to record their debut album.

Midway through recording Vidale quit and was replaced by guitarist Brad Shepherd (ex-Fun Things).

The album, Hitmen, was released in July 1981; preceded a month earlier by the single, "I Don't Mind".

McFarlane opined that the album and single "were excellent slices of melodic hard rock."

In November 1981 the group supported Steppenwolf on the Australian leg of their tour.

Tony Robertson on bass guitar replaced Gilbert during that tour.

In 1982 Shepherd and fellow flatmate, Bramley, formed a side project, a bubble gum pop group, Super K, to record a single "Go Go", for which Kingsmill played drums.

The Hitmen issued two more singles, "Everybody Knows (I Don't Like Love)" (April 1982) and "Bwana Devil" (November), with another album, It is What It Is, in November.

Shepherd left ahead of the album and the Hitmen continued to tour as a four-piece.

McFarlane declared that they would "draw big crowds on tour, but could not sell records."

They were dropped by their label, RCA, and disbanded in mid-1983.

In June 1983 Younger reformed his earlier band, the New Christs, with Kingsmill on drums, Masuak on guitar, Robertson on bass guitar and Kent Steedman on lead guitar (ex-the Celibate Rifles).

They supported an Australian tour by Iggy Pop and then Steedman returned to the Celibate Rifles.

He was replaced by Richard Jakimyszyn on guitar (ex-Lime Spiders).

The group's music was used on the soundtrack of the feature film, Going Down (1983).

This version of the New Christs issued two singles, "Like a Curse" (April 1984) and "Born out of Time" (April 1986), on Citadel Records.

McFarlane felt they were "consummate, guitar-driven, hard rock".

AllMusic's Jack Rabid reviewed "Like a Curse", as being "more slam-bang rock with great rhythm from a man who has it coursing in his bones."

This line-up of the New Christs broke up in May 1984.

In June Kingsmill, Masuak and Robertson all joined rock group, the Screaming Tribesmen, which was re-established by founding mainstay, Mick Medew on guitar and lead vocals.

In August 1984 Kingsmill left New Christs to join the Hoodoo Gurus, a rock new wave group, for their first United States tour.

This reunited him with former bandmates, Bramley and Shepherd, alongside Hoodoo Gurus' founding mainstay, Dave Faulkner on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards.

Kingsmill replaced founding drummer James Baker.

Kingsmill and Masuak co-wrote "Scratch the Itchy Brother" which was later issued on a compilation album, Kicks Right Now.... Demos and Out-Takes (November 2015).