Formed 1996, broke up 2005. Released a bunch of records, toured all over the place. The music which you hear above is from rare and deleted 7" singles, we hope to collect these one day to make a comp LP.
BRIEF BIOG: Formed Summer 1996 by Rachel Holborow (Bass and vocals), Marc Walker (drums) and Pete Dale (Guitar and vocals). First gig January 17th 1997 supporting VSS at Newcastle's now-defunct Broken Doll. First single ("Do what you feel (feel what you do)", Slampt records) recorded in February of the same year, shortly followed by a UK tour in Spring and a 3 week European tour in the summer. The bands second single was issued in Autumn '97 by Troubleman Unlimited, who have subsequently issued each of the Red Monkey albums for the US 'market'.
The first album, "Make the Moment", was also recorded in '97 (busy year for a band with no manager, no publishing deal and very little money in the bank!) but was not released in the US until Spring 1998 to co-incide with the bands first (6 week, coast-to-coast) US tour. Also in early 1998 the band toured Ireland, the UK again and recorded its first (and only) Peel session. A third single was released by Kill Rock Stars in mid-98 adding to Red Monkey's renoun in the USA (very few people in the UK have ever taken much interest in the band, but they remain well respected and underground-popular in the US). A month-long European tour kept the band busy in Autumn '98.
The second album, "Difficult is Easy", was recorded in December '98 but not released until Spring '99, by which time the band had completed its third UK tour and was about to embark on its second US tour - 8 weeks of constant gigging, covering both coasts and lots of other parts of the US and Canada. The fourth single, "Get Uncivilised" on Troubleman, was also recorded in '99 but not issued until 2000. The third album, "Gunpowder, Treason and Plot" came out in 2001 and was promoted with a third US tour, this time only covering the East Coast in a two week burst. After that the band became busy starting families, only playing locally in Newcastle except for one show in London with our friends Q AND NOT U in 2004, one in London with WET DOG in 2005 and one in Brighton also in 2005. The only recorded output after 2001 was a split single with Erase Errata (2003). Disbanded in 2005.
Joe Mask of Leeds' awesome BILGE PUMP played extra guitar with the band from 2001 to 2004. Red Monkey played shows with FUGAZI, THE EX, ERASE ERRATA, Q AND NOT U, AT THE DRIVE IN, LUNGFISH, SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY, SUBMISSION HOLD, BLONDE REDHEAD and many, many others.
In 2006 Rachel is playing in DO THE RIGHT THING, Marc is playing in THE GUISE and Pete is playing in CHRONICITY. For more information on Red Monkey and/or to purchase the last LP ('Gunpowder, Treason and Plot' - but note, I only have vinyl copies left - if you want the CD or any other Red Monkey albums, you'll have to contact Troubleman) you can contact daleski@hotmail.co.uk
I got to say it: Do what you feel - feel what you do.
"blending low-level hip-hop beats with Scorn-esque bass and elonated guitar riffs to remarkable effect. . . it's that awesome. . . the music is superb, the artwork and packaging equally good. . . [it's] warped shuffling genius. 300% necro, foo'! (5/5)" (Zero Tolerance magazine).
Necro Deathmort's This Beat Is Necrotronic is released on Distraction Records on August 31st, but you can get your hands on it for FREE (on a 'if you like it, why not buy the CD?' basis) in all of its 320kps mp3 glory at distractionrecords.com!
If you're a local artist/musician, manager or promoter and you'd like to be more self-sufficient through your creative projects and you have a degree ... then why not try this new Masters course at the University of Bolton starting in September ...
This takes place this Thursday! See you there? d.x.
Distraction presents Kania Tieffer, a otter-fixated Chick On Speed cacking out pleasantly disturbed lo-fi fake nonsense r'n'b and vitriolic electropop with cheap children's keyboards, a battered old computer and an electric guitar, in an unmissable live show. Support comes from sample stealing, tune pinching, melody wrecking a-moral wrong-uns and kings of nostalgia-core Radgepackets, and pointlessly hostile bootmash-noisewhore-wrongtronica idiot Dressed In Wires! Cor!
Only 4 quid in, kick-off at 8pm, find out more here!
Look! Its some spam! Hope yer doing good, take it easy. . . d.x.
The Retail Sectors new 8" square vinyl lathe in handmade packaging with download code. "They're everyone's (or should be) favourite Japanese post rock band", according to Norman Records.
Combining a Steve Reich-sense of guitar-driven melodic elements with an abstract, almost Trans-Am like dexterity, each song builds in intricacy and volume until the immaculate devastation of the drums kick in, taking off on a flight into a vast sky of loneliness. STRICTLY LIMITED TO 150 COPIES! Half have already went via pre-order, so if you want one, order now!
7pm - 1am Friday, 3pm - 1am Saturday, 3pm - 12pm Sunday // £5 per day // NO advance tickets
After a veriable famine in the North East music 'scene' where the musically adventurous and artistically driven have been forsaken in favour of the safe, the tame and the bland, Distraction present three days of aural innovation, future players, and diverse sonic excursions that right those very wrongs.
The Distraction Weekender returns. Accept no imitations.
Stars of the Lid are easily one of the most important and influential bands or our times. Read a review of any ambient or experimental band these days and you will see their name being dropped, and it’s not hard to hear why. Stars of the Lid are masters of weaving sonic textures gorgeously into beautiful, absorbing, minimalist epic drones, wavering between subtly mournful and gloriously triumphant, offering the perfect soundtrack to lucid daydreaming.
Hear Stars Of The Lid play in Newcastle in a perfect church setting for this very special show. Buy tickets now or purchase from RPM, Beatdown or alt. vinyl!
Hi guys, even if from the grave, thanks for having me. I got to know you through Make the Moment while touring Germany, so that's a Kodak moment or two right there. Hope you're all doing fine, and greetings from Santiago de Chile.
I recently enjoyed a Memorial Day weekend 2,100 mile solo road trip on my motorcycle. I covered a lot of ground and saw many beautiful breath-taking sights: Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Crater Lake, & 350miles of Oregon Hwy 101 Pacific Ocean Shoreline. (And many destinations in between)
On my journey I also found the solace to peacefully commune in my spirit with my Maker. You might say I experienced an epiphany. This was the message I received- a recipe for personal peace:
1.) Each day make things right in every way to the best of your ability. Next day: repeat again.
2.) Start each day anew with a fresh start leaving the past behind. Next day: repeat again.
3.) Never allow the past to drag you down with guilt and defeat- it’s over and a done deal. It is now a brand new day. Next day: repeat again.
4.) One day at a time make the best of that single day- lived to the fullest. Next day: repeat again.
5.) Live the day as if it is your first and your last- imagining that it could be. Next day: repeat again.
6.) Do the best with what you have now for that day. You are never expected more than what you are asked or can do for that one day. Next day: repeat again.
7.) Do what you feel is right for that day to the best of your knowledge and ability. If you have no direction as to what that might be, the day is yours to make of it what you will- and have fun doing it! Next day: repeat again.
If there is light in the soul, There will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, There will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, There will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world. (Chinese Proverb)
