TOUR NEWS: Australia’s notorious Spooky Men’s Chorale 7th UK tour July/August 2017

Australia's weird and wonderful black-clad choristers have embarked on another biennial blast round Britain including Bury, Settle, Penistone

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Following triumphant UK tours in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015, they have whisked themselves away from the eucalyptus-infused Blue Mountains for a whistle-stop run of nearly 30 performances in England, Scotland and Wales – a veritable bounty of big summer festivals, wondrous workshops, and even a top secret Mystery Gig!

In their 17 th year and with five studio albums to their name this is a line-up that totally warrants the term ‘unique’. Describing themselves as “equal parts monk, Visigoth and village idiot” they are not afraid to send up the stereotypical male to side-splitting effect. Says Spookmeister (and sole Kiwi) Stephen Taberner (he of the deerstalker hat): “The chorale attempts to explore the paradoxes of latter day masculinity with unbridled enthusiasm, a pleasing array of deep harmonies and a gentle wink towards posterity. We’re trying to master the impossible art of being both musically immaculate and blitheringly stupid.”

The Spookies were formed by Melbourne-based Taberner in Sydney in 2001 and could rightly be said to have almost singlehandedly redefined the world of men’s singing. With a sound variously described as “sexy, powerful, impossibly gentle and sad but unmistakably male” their repertoire ranges from Georgian drinking songs to whisper perfect ballads and a string of improbable original hits like Don’t Stand Between a Man and his Tool and Stop Scratching It . Spooky veterans know well their hilarious, elephantine retreatments of classics like Earth, Wind & Fire’s Boogie Wonderland and the funniest version of Abba’s Dancing Queen you are likely to witness. Spooky virgins should expect the unexpected.

Hotfoot from their most ambitious Australian tour to date, the mighty 15-strong line-up’s UK show will run the bizarre gamut of surfing, gluttony, tools, mastodons, Bee Gees, body parts and how to scare off hostile neighbouring tribes – songs from their album The Spooky Man in History and the back catalogue but also from their snug latest CD Warm – an unadulterated album of shiver-down-the-spine Georgian songs.

Compellingly comic they may be but make no mistake, this is a finely-honed class act. Not only can they sing like angels; they also maintain an unflinching, side-splitting grandeur amidst the mayhem.

Says Taberner: “We love playing the UK. This time around audiences will witness Spookies that are bigger, blacker, deeper and more hairy than ever before. These fellows are guaranteed to leave small children thrall struck, women making noises they’ve never made before and real estate salesmen vaguely aware that somewhere, there’s a whole world they’ve never experienced.”

UK TOUR 2017

07/07/2017 Sheldonian Theatre OXFORD 01865 305305
08/07/2017 Ely Folk Festival ELY 01284 758000
10/07/2017 The Apex BURY-ST-EDMUNDS 01284 758000
11/07/2017 Subscription Rooms STROUD 01453 760900
12/07/2017 St David’s Hall CARDIFF 029 2087 8444
13/07/2017 Philharmonic Hall LIVERPOOL 0151 7093789
14/07/2017 Town Hall BIRMINGHAM 0121 7803333
15/07/2017 St. Mary’s Church NOTTINGHAM
16/07/2017 The Met BURY 0161 7612216
18/07/2017 Sage GATESHEAD 0191 443 4661
19/07/2017 La Belle Angele EDINBURGH 0131 220 1161
20/07/2017 Town Hall CASTLE DOUGLAS
21/07/2017 Victoria Hall SETTLE 01729 825718
22/07/2017 Town Hall KENDAL 01539 725133
23/07/2017 The Paramount PENISTONE 01226 767532
25/07/2017 Arts Centre SALISBURY 01722 321 744
26/07/2017 Colston Hall BRISTOL 0844 887 1500
27/07/2017 The Stables Theatre WAVENDON 01908 280800
28/07/2017 Warwick Folk Festival WARWICK 01926 776438
30/07/2017 WOMAD MALMESBURY 0845 1461735
01/08/2017 Theatre Royal MARGATE 01843 292795
02/08/2017 MYSTERY GIG!
03/08/2017 Kings Place LONDON 020 7520 1490
04/08/2017 Wickham Festival, Hants WICKHAM 01329 231942
05/08/2017 Sidmouth Folk Week SIDMOUTH 01395 577952
26/08/2017 Towersey Festival THAME 01629 827016
30/08/2017 Corn Exchange DORCHESTER 01305 266926
31/08/2017 Royal Hippodrome Theatre EASTBOURNE 01323 731294

Tickets: https://spookymen.com/gigs/

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