“The Highlight of Glastonbury”
(Mark Radcliffe BBC2)
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With Celtic and eastern influences, the 3 Daft Monkeys’ dynamic style of world folk music reflects the global village in which we now live. Their infectious dancing rhythms lead you through a musical journey of the senses and emotions, and will leave you breathless, enthralled and exhilarated.
After experiencing the band’s notoriously energetic live performance at Glastonbury Festival last summer, Mark Radcliffe declared them as one of his “Highlights of the Festival” on BBC TV coverage, and subsequently invited them to play a session on his BBC Radio 2 Folk Show. The band have also performed a live session with Whispering Bob Harris on Radio 2.
The band have just released a brand new album in April 2017, following a highly successful crowdfunding campaign. The title track “Year of the Clown” is a social and whimsical comment on the strange and disturbing times we find ourselves in, where the ‘elected principles’ in the world circus appear to be the fools.
With their quirky and original approach to music, and their passion, intensity and sheer joy of life, 3 Daft Monkeys have gained themselves a large and loyal cult following. Their music is hard to pigeon-hole, mixing and crossing many musical genres from Celtic, Klezmer, Gypsy, Balkan, Latin, Ska, Dub Reggae, Indie, Rock and even a hint of Shostakovich. 3 Daft Monkeys have always maintained an independent and cottage-industry approach to their musical career, and have gained a huge following whilst ploughing their own furrow through the music business, gaining momentum through their live performances and intensive European touring schedule.
With a brand new 4-piece line-up, the band weave enchanting melodies with catchy choruses, virtuoso vibrant fiddle, rhythmic 12-string guitar, 6-string bass, bespoke hand-percussion and 4-part vocal harmonies. Fascinating lyrics of personal and whimsical observations on life, and folk tales both ancient and modern, are told within the swirling layers of their music, all with the essential catchy sing-along chorus.
The band’s diversity is reflected in the acts for whom they have been invited as special guests, including touring across the UK and Europe with the Levellers, and opening for bands such as Hawkwind, Bellowhead, Show of Hands and Dreadzone, as well as headlining their own national tours.
3 Daft Monkeys have played at a huge number and variety of festivals in the UK, including Fairport Convention’s Cropredy, Beautiful Days, Trowbridge Village Pump, Towersey Folk Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival and Boomtown Fair. Their eclectic mix of styles has drawn them a following right across Europe, and the band have headlined festivals in Holland, Germany and France. 3 Daft Monkeys have also recently joined acrobats and circus performers in the new and vibrant boutique “busking festival” scenes of Switzerland and Italy.
The band are:
Tim Ashton ( Vocals, 12-string guitar, penny whistle) click for more info
Athene Roberts ( Violin, vocals, accordion) click for more info
Jamie Graham ( 6-string bass) click for more info
Rich Mulryne ( Bespoke hand percussion kit, vocals) click for more info
“The musicianship- the virtuosity, the song craft, the arrangement- is simply astonishing“
(Spiral Earth)
“Varied and stirring acoustic style.. Outstanding fiddle work”
(The Guardian)
“Music as joyously life-affirming as this deserves a huge audience”
(West Briton)
“A brilliant band... I think this is absolutely amazing”
Mike Harding (BBC Radio 2)
“A veritable melting pot of styles makes a colourful carnival of sound”
(fROOTS magazine)
“Their live show strikes a quality balance of spaced-out
dizziness, dance-ability and sophisticated folk music”
(Bearded Theory Festival)
