“I suppose the immediacy of rock 'n' roll shapes what I do visually. Also, the inherent humanity and humour of it is a factor. There's a lot of humour in those old records - not necessarily laugh out loud stuff, but it's there, often just in the instrumentation.”

Kaiser George: The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock & Roll

George Miller, widely known as Kaiser George, is a celebrated Scottish musician and craftsman based in Glasgow. He first rose to international prominence in 1993 as the frontman of The Kaisers, a cult Merseybeat revival band that released six albums and toured the US, Europe, and Japan with their authentic 1960s sound. During the 2020 lockdown, Miller combined his musical roots with puppetry to create KGM Marionettes. His goal was to resurrect 1950s and 1960s rock 'n' roll, country, and blues icons as hyper-detailed string puppets. This nostalgic style beautifully blends early American music culture with the 1960s British "Supermarionation" look seen in shows like Thunderbirds. While Miller hand-sculpts the heads and miniature vintage instruments from scratch, he works with a close creative team: Ursula Cleary hand-sews the period-accurate clothing, Chris Taylor designs the retro display boxes, and Johnny Maben manages the printing and social media.

(Photo: ‘Kaiser’ George Miller)

Together, they have immortalized music legends like Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and a full replica of The Rolling Stones. Because each piece requires immense time and craftsmanship, Miller refuses to sell the original marionettes, keeping them as unique art pieces. Instead, due to massive global demand, the KGM team sells highly stylized, 1950s-inspired merchandise, including collectible trading cards, art prints, and postcards, exclusively through their official Big Cartel and Etsy shops.

Interview by Michael Limnios   Special Thanks: Kaiser George & Kaiser Johnny Maben

How has music influenced your view of the world? What keeps a musician passionate about rock 'n' roll and blues over the years?

Like a lot of rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues and blues fans, I'm drawn to broad strokes and simplicity. Whether or not music is responsible for that, I'm not sure. With time, the elements that make a great rock 'n' roll record do become recognisable in other areas and you begin to seek them out. If you're far enough down that road, a starkly expressive painting can look like Link Wray's 'Jack the Ripper', or robust flavours can bring Little Richard's 'Lucille' to mind. Of course, all that could just be the result of obsessive thinking, but it's fun to imagine someone writing a piece of music that sounds like a bowl of chili. I also think it's fair to say that most folks who love visceral music don't have a lot of time for the bland or generic aspects of the world, although music isn't necessarily the only contributing factor to that stance. I was a teenager when punk rock hit the UK and that set me towards the "anybody can have a go at anything" viewpoint. It also made me more interested in expression than expertise although there are definitely things in the world that are best left to those who really know what they're doing.

Whether you're a musician or not, if your passion needs any kind of significant maintenance, I'd say there probably wasn't enough of it there to begin with. Either that or you've finally "grown up", which, of course, is the key thing to avoid if at all possible. If your passion could benefit from a polish, discovering fabulous old records on a reasonably regular basis works well, although it can be tough on the wallet.

“I think it's partly because it's so unpretentious and elemental. People who love it relate to those qualities to the point where they often feel that the music defines them. That makes it sound like a cult and if it is, it's the only healthy one I know of.” (Photos: Marionettes by Kaiser George - Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Etta James, Howlin’ Wolf, Link Wray)

How did the idea of making handmade puppets and marionettes come about? How did rock 'n' roll shape your visual art?

It was really just a whim that somehow started to resemble an idea. I was working in the design department on a TV show when the first Covid 19 lockdown happened, so I went from being super busy to profoundly idle in a very short space of time. I didn't mind as that kind of work can be pretty stressful, but I do like to be busy so when the thought of making a Link Wray (you've probably guessed I'm a fan) marionette entered my head, I decided to get on and do it. After I'd posted some pictures of the result online, the response was so positive that I started on Bo Diddley and then things got out of hand.

I suppose the immediacy of rock 'n' roll shapes what I do visually. Also, the inherent humanity and humour of it is a factor. There's a lot of humour in those old records - not necessarily laugh out loud stuff, but it's there, often just in the instrumentation. With the puppets, I mostly try to give them something of a reflective look, rather than just portray them as performers. I want them to look like they might start telling you their thoughts, which contrasts nicely with some of their perceived personas.

Why do you think rock 'n' roll music continues to generate such a devoted following?

I think it's partly because it's so unpretentious and elemental. People who love it relate to those qualities to the point where they often feel that the music defines them. That makes it sound like a cult and if it is, it's the only healthy one I know of.

“If it's played with an authenticity of feeling and sounds gritty and real enough, it'll always have a devoted audience. Cleaning it up and making it more "appealing" doesn't work anymore as people are more aware now of how uncompromisingly effective the old records were.” (Photos: Kaiser George with various of his marionettes - Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Big Mama Thornton, Wilco Johnson | George Miller is a celebrated Scottish musician and craftsman based in Glasgow)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of the genre?

I think we're in a better time music wise now than we were 20-30 years ago. I'm certainly aware of a bit more straight ahead energy, but being so steeped in records of the '50s and '60s, I'm not really qualified to analyse the current state of affairs. If there's anything I'm missing, it's the sound of records that were recorded entirely live in the studio with minimal overdubs or processing. Having said that, I can't say I miss it from a nostalgic point of view as records, with a few exceptions, stopped being made that way well before I became properly aware of music.

I hope that people will continue to realise that the music of the past worked so well because of the way it was played and just as importantly, the way it was recorded. I have no fears about it - it'll always exist and continue to move a certain amount of people.

How can we bring the rock 'n' roll and blues of the past into the future? How easy or difficult is it for the younger generation to relate to old-school music?

If it's played with an authenticity of feeling and sounds gritty and real enough, it'll always have a devoted audience. Cleaning it up and making it more "appealing" doesn't work anymore as people are more aware now of how uncompromisingly effective the old records were. The young people I know, who are mostly musicians, seem to have no trouble at all relating to old-school music. The average young chart music listener probably has a harder time with it. I have noticed that if an old record is used to advertise a modern product, it seems to give it some kind of credibility it otherwise wouldn't have amongst non-aficionados. Streaming etc definitely seems to have helped young people with their ability to perceive old music as existing in the now.

“I hope that people will continue to realise that the music of the past worked so well because of the way it was played and just as importantly, the way it was recorded. I have no fears about it - it'll always exist and continue to move a certain amount of people.” (Photos: The Kaisers and Various Kaiser George’s marionettes - Roscoe Gordon, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rolling Stones)

Let’s take a trip in a time machine: where would you really want to go for a whole day, and why?

St Pauli in Hamburg, Germany on April 5th,1964. I'd go for a stroll along the Reeperbahn, buy a jacket from Meyer-Schuchardt Sport und Leder, pop into the Kaiserkeller for a beer, then go and see Jerry Lee Lewis at the Star-Club.

If you could ask Jerry Lee Lewis and Roscoe Gordon one question, what would it be? What is it about the music of The Rolling Stones that touches you the most?

I'd ask them both the same question: "Did you ever have trouble hearing the spinet piano over the drums at Sun?"

I like the early Rolling Stones stuff, although I don't think I fully appreciated what they were doing until I saw the 'Charlie Is My Darling' documentary. The excitement they managed to generate on stage and the chaos that they endured was something to behold.

Is there a common creative spark that connects the rock 'n' roll energy of the stage with the solitary work in the workshop?

They're obviously very different environments - the workshop being significantly quieter. What they do have in common is that they're both places where stuff gets done that, hopefully, some people might just love.

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(Photo: ‘Kaiser’ George Miller in his puppet workshop, Scotland)