3 Daft Monkeys are a world music-influenced acoustic band from

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, UK, consisting of Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts, Rich Mulryne, and Jamie Graham. The instrumentation consists of vocals,

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

twelve-string guitar A twelve-string guitar (or 12-string guitar) is a steel-string guitar with 12 strings in six courses, which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in o ...

, bass guitar and percussion. The band's musical influences include

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

, electronic dance,

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

, dub, punk rock, and traditional

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

. The band have had great success at venues and festivals all over the UK and Europe, including being invited by

Show of Hands Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mandoc ...

to play the main stage at the

Eden Project The Eden Project ( kw, Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England, UK. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located from the town of St Blazey and from the larger town of St Austell.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS E ...

and the 2008 BBC Proms at

St David's Hall St David's Hall (Welsh: ''Neuadd Dewi Sant'') is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales. St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales. It hosts the annual Welsh Proms and the bienni ...

in Cardiff. Other highlights include GuilFest; Lakefest festival Folkwoods, Holland; the

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...

, the

Trowbridge Village Pump Festival The Village Pump Festival is a folk music festival that takes place near Trowbridge, England. It has its roots years ago in a barn at the Lamb Inn, Trowbridge, and later moved a few miles outside the town to Stowford Manor Farm at Farleigh Hun ...

; Folk Segovia, Spain; Lorient Interceltic Festival, France; Kevelaer World Music Festival, Germany; Labadoux Festival, Belgium, Buskers Bern Street Festival in Switzerland, and enthusiastically welcomed returns to the Beautiful Days, Bearded Theory, and Larmer Tree festivals. Throughout the 2000s, the band were a regular support act for

The Levellers The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its popul ...

, with Roberts usually returning to join the Levellers onstage for the finale in a duelling fiddle-off of "What You Know" with added tambourine from Waters and tin-whistle from Ashton. Between March 2020 and June 2021, the band played over sixty 'Cyberbusks' online due to the various lockdowns and restrictions imposed during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Tim and Athene also collaborated with Scott Doonican of

The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are a British comedy folk and parody band from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Formed in 2006, they claim to be the hardest working comedy band in the UK, having played over 1200 shows throughout the UK. They ...

on a cover of the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Beatles for their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written and composed primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. ...

. From July 2021, 3 Daft Monkeys were able to resume touring and played several major festivals including returns to Beautiful Days and Hawkfest. The band have enjoyed airplay on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

BBC Radio Ulster BBC Radio Ulster ( ga, BBC Raidió Uladh) is a Northern Irish radio station owned and operated by BBC Northern Ireland, a division of the BBC. It was established on New Year's Day 1975, replacing what had been an opt-out of BBC Radio 4. It is ...

BBC Radio Cornwall BBC Radio Cornwall is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Cornwall. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Phoenix Wharf in Truro. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 12 ...

, and

BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Wales is a Welsh radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the 'Radio 4 Wales' opt-out service (previously the Welsh Home Service). Radio Wales br ...

, and have been described by presenter

Mike Harding Mike Harding (born 23 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet, broadcaster and multi-instrumentalist. Harding has also been a photographer, traveller, filmmaker and playwright. Early life and education Harding's ...

as "a brilliant band... absolutely amazing". FaN 2013 3394

Line-up changes

The band's first album, ''Brouhaha'', featured Rich Mulryne on

djembe A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...

, kick drum,

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...

and saucepan. From ''Ooomim'' onwards Waters played bass. Mulryne rejoined the band as a guest drummer for the album The Antiquated and the Arcane, and has since rejoined as a full member. In 2011, Lukas Drinkwater joined the band as a temporary replacement for Jamie Waters for the summer tour, and later joined permanently after Waters stepped down. In 2015, Jamie Graham took over playing bass.

Releases

''Brouhaha'' (2000)

Six songs recorded in Cornwall in 2000 with the band's original line-up. # Wonderful # 3 Daft Monkeys # Nothing # Maximillian # Saturn Returns # Global Junkie

''Ooomim'' (2002)

Eight songs recorded in Germany, during October 2001 and released in 2002. # Faces # Ooomim # We Be # Weird-Id # Crimson Eyes # Chuffy # Cheerio # For the Wedding

''Hubbadillia'' (2004)

Ten songs recorded by Mark Tucker at Presshouse Studios, Devon during the summer of 2004, released December 2004. # Hubbadillia # Hey Listen # Trez Cerveza # Air # Astral Eyes # Bubbles # The Man # Stop # Timeless # Does My Head In

''Gibbon It Live and Dreckly'' (2007)

12 tracks recorded live at various venues during 2006. # Broygas Tantz # Hubbadillia # Tres Cerveza # 3 Daft Monkeys # One Fine Day # Ooomim # Social Vertigo # Astral Eyes # Hey Listen # Faces # Maximillian # Mazoltov

''Go Tell the Bees EP'' (2007)

Showcasing three new tracks from the band's forthcoming album, plus one old favourite. # Go Tell the Bees

adio Edit Adio may refer to: Business *Adio (company), the former skateboard footwear and apparel company Music Songs * "Adio" (song), a song by Montenegrin recording artist Knez that represented Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 *"Adio", a 19 ...

# Paranoid Big Brother # Social Vertigo

# Astral Eyes emastered

''Social Vertigo'' (2008)

13 Tracks recorded with Mark Tucker during 2007 at Green Room Studios . Includes guest musicians on cello, brass, and percussion. # Paranoid Big Brother # Eyes of Gaia # Human Nature (Prelude) # Human Nature # Go Tell the Bees # Guardian Angel # Since # One Fine Day # Social Vertigo # Little Secret # Let 'Em In # Monkey & the Slippers # Dance of the Old Man of Storr

''The Antiquated and the Arcane'' (2010)

# The Antiquated and The Arcane # Under One Sun # Just A Ride # Doors of Perception # Days of the Dance # Perfect Stranger # Time To Evolve # Casualties of Tour # Civilised Debauchery # She Said # Love (SIC) Fool # Love Life # Masquerade Parade (bonus track on downloads only)

''Of Stones and Bones'' (2013)

# Agnes the Giant Killer # Sarah, the Devil and Jack # The Lovers of Porthgwarra Cove # Jenny and the Changeling # World on its Head # The Tale of the Laziest Pirate # Morwenna # The Pellars of Zennor # Reverend Hawker of Morwenstow # One and All # The Stranger

''Year of the Clown'' (2017)

# Year of the Clown # Delighted to be Invited # Drink with God # Money # Look to the Stars # 1,000 Years # I Love You # Blessings # Animal # To Dream of Angels # Not in my Name # We are Revolution

''Year of the Cyberbusk'' (2021)

A limited-edition 2-Disc DVD set chronicling the previous years' series of 'Cyberbusks'. Due to the ongoing

, the band were only able to meet up a handful of times so instead they met up 'online' each Sunday (for over 60 weeks) to play an hour's set. The DVDs contain a compilation of some of the most memorable moments from those sessions plus excerpts from the few outdoor gigs they were able to do together.

Film appearances

The band played the part of buskers in the Cornish film ''Darralla Jooan Choy an Horr'' (trans. The Tale of John of Chyannor), winner of the Audience Award at the 2004 Goel Fylm Kernow (Cornwall Film Festival)."Storytelling The Cornish Way"
, Brave Tales website In 2015, Athene took a role in

Tulip Fever ''Tulip Fever'' is a 2017 historical romantic drama film directed by Justin Chadwick and written by Deborah Moggach and Tom Stoppard, adapted from Moggach's 1999 novel of the same name. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Alicia Vikander, Dane ...

, directed by

Justin Chadwick Justin Chadwick (born 6 December 1968) is an English actor and television and film director. He directed episodes of ''EastEnders'', ''Byker Grove'', ''The Bill'', '' Spooks'' and '' Red Cap'' before directing nine of the fifteen episodes of t ...

References

External links

Official band website

Spiral Earth Site include interview

''The Source SouthWest'' Magazine including new interview

Properganda Magazine issue #7 with new 3 Daft Monkey interview
{{Authority control English folk musical groups Musicians from Cornwall