Monster Ceilidh Band at Hare & Hounds
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At the show the Newcastle-based outfit will be showcasing Charge, their first complete electronic album with the full band line-up.
"It's an exciting time for the Monsters," exclaims frontman and mandocello player Kieran Szifris. "After the success of our first experiment with electronics on Mechanical Monster we're delighted to be able to make a new album. We are calling it Charge because the album has the kind of electrical charge we produce in our live performances. It's full of possibility and we feel it represents what we're about - moving forward with our experimentation in ceilidh music."
The Mechanical Monster album was released in 2011 and featured two discs, one of acoustic tunes and the other of electronic beats and programming.
"We're having a lot of fun experimenting with form, sounds, tunes," says bassist David de la Haye. ''The ceilidh format is so versatile and on Charge we've continued to try and see how far we can push it. There are different types of tunes clashing with swung Drum 'n' Bass, acid trance and dubstep. We were also blown away by the amazing vocal talent of Geordie singer Hannah Rickard so we got her in to lay some vocals down on a few things."
"It's important to us that we can go to a festival and either do a great ceilidh or a great electronic show," claims drummer/ DJ Joseph Truswell. "At folk festivals we tend to do both types of show - but it's the folk audiences who really know their dances."
Fiddler Carly Blain explains: "We did a lot of graft last year playing all over and putting in the miles but it has been an incredible experience for us. We took a gamble and spent a lot of our own cash on Mechanical Monster on what was basically a bit of a hunch on Kieran's part. We all knew we loved the type of music we were making but who knew anyone else would like it? It's so freeing to know that audiences love it and we can build on what we have started, bringing it all together on Charge. Who knew drum and bass and ceilidh music would go together?"
It is not only folk festivals that have enjoyed the Monster experience. The band has also played at 'cross-over' festivals like Secret Garden Party and Bestival. Accordionist Amy Thatcher says: "The festivals are great - particularly Bestival. We played to thousands, it was bonkers!''
