KICKER – THE LONGEST-SOLD BRAND IN UK ICE HISTORY

Where to start? The beginning I was not always a journalist. I actually fought my writing genes and swore I would do something else. I had issues with just how oddly famous my mum used to be. It was not ‘˜modern’ celebrity. This was before Andy Warhol declared that in the future, everyone would be famous for fifteen minutes. Iconic or what? No, this at the time was like being Formula One champ Graham Hill’s son, Damon. Or newsreader Richard Baker’s son, called er, ‘˜Baker’ to me, since I forget, who were both at school with me. But it really was not something I can get empathy with, from many people, as growing up with camera crews and seeing them on TV and in the press, was ‘˜normal’ to me and a bit odd to most people. Looking back, it was as normal as flying to the Moon and I would not change it for a thing.

But to make sure it was me they were getting to know, rather than speaking to me for any other reason, I tended not to tell people until I did know them a bit, about the famous face I was son of.
Thus I ran away with the circus and after leaving university, I went to work as a freelance road crew for big PA companies. I wanted to be Big Mick (Who is very hairy and mixes metal for a small beat combo – in stadiums. Well, there are only four of them.) and be front of house sound engineer and mix live sound for bands. But only a few are good enough to get to do that. I had stayed in professional audio, sales repping for Andrew Stirling’s pro and studio equipment sales company after my stint in pubs and clubs with a smaller PA company.
And then, their accountant, the one who arrived early and stayed late, was embezzling and they could not afford me any longer. I needed a job and found one at Electrosystems.
This was the company started by a man who made the very first injection moulded under dash housings for car radios when there were none. He was a true pioneer and his daughter was now running the outfit, second-generation style. A fabulous woman for many reasons, she was awesomely good to work for.
I had wept bitter actual tears the day I landed the job for I had worn my suit ( A huge lie, I went out in casual clothes and even shorts in summer – except for the full dress tails one Christmas Eve) and was to be a rep selling the stuff that you needed to have a car audio business. The industry was worth hundreds of millions a year back then. Kicker made stuff like this
Warhorse WX10,000.1


Tape, crimps, cable ties, cheap wire and shitty speakers that ‘˜both filled the hole and stopped the draught’. We had one line of four gauge power wire accessories for better installs, which I proved better at selling then my colleagues and whom were impressed with the MDF parcel shelf in my Sierra repmobile, for it bore two pairs of six by nines and a subwoofer. My samples all fitted in boxes around the amplifier board.
One day my vile line boss called to explain we had been purchased and were now property of Armour Trust and that we would have a new MD. I was fretty and sad to see the lady leave but Jim Johnson turned out to be one hell of a dude, as well as a good boss.
And to finally reward you for wading through the Chronicle Of Fats, this chap Jim struck up a relationship with Kicker USA and between him and Steve Irby, the guv’nor, the UK distribution deal was minted.
This was the job that taught me the shop trade and was vital to being way more than mere product reviewer, so although that advert on TV with the sales reps also sat in Ford Sierras, made me cry again, it was a worthy thing to have done.
I was about to become the features writer for Car Stereo & Security magazine, before being ICE editor of Max Power, then Fast Car, then TalkAudio, with nineteen other magazine and two newspaper titles on the side.
Adam Rayner had definitely left the building.
Then, Armour divided into home and car divisions and while also buying Autoleads, moved it all down south to their part of the world.
And thus Kicker stayed – with the two corporate purchases and one house move. And oh BOY did Armour get behind it to promote the brand! They had dancing girls, major outside tent assemblies and bonkers demo cars with flags on. Then, they bought a mighty HumVee and did a huge audio install with the biggest L& square woofers in existence. It absolutely stonked and weighed a tonne. I recall asking what petrol consumption they were getting on runs to car shows, fully laden as it was, to be told, ‘Nine miles per gallon. But it’s OK, as we had budgeted for seven!’ It was hilarious

Yet throughout the years, it was the same outfit and no other American brand at ALL can claim such long term reliable UK distribution. It really matters, for the market is littered with brands of quality that were badly or briefly distributed here, such that getting spares or recones for them is simply not viable.
But now, a change, for without going off into even more corporate stuff about brands and who owns what, Kicker has moved UK house, in just as solidly carefully considered a way as it first came to Blighty.
And what a great fit! For it transpires that although both are audio companies, the Kicker and the JL Audio distribution rights in several other territories are held by one and the same outfit, with both JL Audio ad Kicker entirely happy that the Kicker customer is a different cat to the JL Audio one.
I have been in touch with the Kicker head office throughout my entire career as recipient of press releases and was invited to the opening of the new Stillwater HQ of Kicker some years back but couldn’t go. I admit to being utterly chuffed for Celsus and Kicker alike and look forward to seeing the cars AND MOTORCYCLES that they supply, as Kicker is big in Bike Audio!

Here is what Kicker had on offer for MOTORCYCLES in 1994. Seen at the CES show in Las Vegas in January of that year, also (Hmmm I have a chum with a Harley, who will love this! link
Celsus, specialists in car audio accessories, are an award-winning ISO9001 distribution company.
Celsus supply the UK and Europe with the most desired 12V mobile audio, together with digital radio integration, sound damping and automotive accessory products. The company intent is to create an environment where ‘everyone does well’ as the DNA within the business. All products aim to bring enjoyment to customers, supplier partners and the Celsus team.
This progressive approach and market leading products from global brands including JL Audio, Dynamat, DABmotion, Calearo and Jehnert, provide great opportunity for long-lasting business relationships with both customers and supplier partners.