Monster Ceilidh Band announces Christmas dates in the North East, looks back at 2011 and an expanded line up with future collaborations with Lucy Ward. Monsterously exciting news for Christmas and 2012!
Winter is coming and Newcastle’s Monster Ceilidh Band will be celebrating in style at The Sage Gateshead. The band will be giving family matinee performances on the 22nd and 23rd December as well as an evening ceilidh on the 22nd December. The band will also be appearing at Washington Arts Centre on the 31st December to help celebrate the new year. Electronic and acoustic ceilidh music will be seeing dancers into 2012 so if you’re in the area grab some tickets and enjoy the party with Monster Ceilidh Band.
Monster Ceilidh Band spent the last year recording, launching and touring their double CD ‘Mechanical Monster’. It marked a change in the band’s sound and direction. The album retains the spirit of acoustic ceilidh on one CD and introduces their powerful new electronic sound on the other. Shaping this new sound is northeast Drum and Bass producer ‘The Touch’ AKA drummer Joseph Truswell. He teams up with bassist David de la Haye creating jittering, glitchy, beats and the first live folk drum ‘n’ bass act in the world.
The Monsters launched Mechanical Monster in March. Hall 2 of The Sage Gateshead was filled to capacity midweek showing amazing support from their local fans. New Monster Joseph Truswell joined them on laptops to play the new album in full. A month later, in April, Truswell strapped on his drum kit for the first time and the new five-piece was born.
Mechanical Monster is a big departure from their friendly, LoFi, bedroom-recorded first release ‘Make Me a Dancer’. It sees the Monser Ceilidh Band move into the studio environment capturing the live feel of the band. Paul Susans of the Bahgdaddies took producer’s chair for what critic’s have described as “simply stunning”, “truly thrilling” and a ”leap into the future” (Songlines, R2 and fRoots).
Throughout 2011 the Monsters visited King’s place, Alchemy Festival, Towersey, Sunrise Celebration and many more; cementing the new five piece’s sound and solidifying their reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting new prospects. The highlight of the year was playing at Towersey’s late night dance event with Jamie Smith (Mabon). The five piece rocked the stage for an hour and a half, finishing the show by leaping into the audience to a D’n’B remix of their last encore.
The Summer ends with exciting news for the Monsters – A collaboration with BBC Horizon award nominated Lucy Ward is in the pipeline so keep a beady ear out in February; And the management of UK dub pioneers Zion Train and Baka Beyond have taken on Monster Ceilidh Band for 2012, expect big things!