Monster Ceilidh Band
Sunday #PVFF21
“Monster Ceilidh Band have the skills to create that instant party, with an infectious blend that fuses UK folk, with drum & bass.” – Mike Green, London King’s Place, Wilderness Festival & London Folk Guild
“Young and sassy, innovative and skilful the Monsters effortlessly fuse the traditional with the contemporary” – Liz Holmes, Director Knockengorroch World Ceilidh
Monster Ceilidh Band Present: their ‘Electrofolk’ spectacular with award winning talents of Accordionist Amy Thatcher and talented young Teeside Violinist Grace Smith. Their powerful and uncompromising approach has brought them to the attention of many of the major UK Festivals; from Cambridge to Bestival, along with Tanz und Folkfest, Germany and Colours of Ostrava in the Czech Republic and soon to audiences across the world.
The ‘Monsters’ have been guided by bands like Shooglenifty, Martyn Bennet, and the Peatbog Faeries, continuing in the electronic-fusion genre with their self styled ElectroFolk. D’n’B producer the Touch works together with electronic experimentalist and bassist David de la Haye to augment the compositions of Amy, Grace and Octave Mandolin player, Kieran Szifris. The result is a crucible for smelting riffs, massive chord progressions, intense electronics, folk tunes and a wide variety of styles from simply some of the UK’s finest folk musicians.
This is not a ceilidh, it’s electrofolkmaggeddon!
2011 saw the release of their first studio album ‘Mechanical Monster’. Its new electronic approach transformed their reputation from a stalwart and steady ceilidh outfit into that of a ground-breaking new act on the UK music scene. In 2012 they set themselves on a mission; to inject traditional music of the British Isles with the UK’s other great musical export, Drum ‘n’ Bass. They are currently the only live Drum ‘n’ Bass, folk act on the festival circuit.
Since their debut studio album, Drum ‘n’ Bass producer, The Touch, joined the band on a permanent basis adding live drums to the show. This expands on the electronic beats and brings the music alive. This new line-up has led to a slew of hugely successful festival appearances. Highlights included; Bestival, Beat Herder, Knockengorroch, Glade and Kendal Calling along with traditional folk festivals; Cambridge, Sidmouth, Shrewsbury and National Forest. This experience has honed their live performance into something that R2 described as an “unbeatable live experience”.
2014 saw their 2nd studio album ‘Charge’ released independently on the band’s own label. It was the first album to feature the full quintet with live percussion. They played many more festivals to promote this including a packed and stunning appearance at the highly respected TFF (Tanz und Folkfest) in Rudolstadt, Germany.
The band released their latest album ‘Mutation’, on Haystack Records in the Spring of 2017. It featured 2 fiddle players; Grace Smith (Spree, The Rachel Hamer Band, The Lindie Quartet) and Shona Mooney (The Shee) and they toured the UK in the Spring and played many more summer festivals to promote this.
2018 & 2019 saw Monster Ceilidh Band perform at such diverse events as Boomtown Fayre, Kendal Calling, Camp Bestival, HowTheLightGetsIn Music and Philosophy festival and DigNation, Archeology festival.
“…if we could say anything about this band it would be: any chance you get, go and see them!” – RoomThirteen.com
