3 Daft Monkeys at The Barge on HoneyStreet

Witnessed amazing fireworks for Confetti Battle in Devizes, and I hopped eastwards to that sacred hippy haven in the Pewsey Vale, The Barge at HoneyStreet; what better place for equinox? For while there’s always a hedonistic happening here, this particular autumn occasion was unmissable; 3 Daft Monkeys were heading from Cornwall for their final night of a summer tour; that’s a perfect recipe for a high octane detonation of scrumpy & western skulduggery…and it went off!

3 Daft Monkeys applauded the crowd and the vibe of the Barge as vital factors to a cracking night, but whilst it’s worthy praise, being the Barge is that little pocket of counterculture resistance in an affluent, often conservative area, a sacred space for UFO enthusiasts, eccentric boaters, campers, and die-hard free party people, it was those 3 Daft Monkeys who really brought the party with them, and these two clash of Titans, the band and the establishment, would ensure it went off.

Four 3 Daft Monkeys there are, actually; bad maths or simply irrelevant I forgot to ask. Hair of a Troll Doll frontman Tim, has matchless honest and loveable stage presence, accompanied by the exceptional gypsy fiddler, metal looking bassist with stamina, and a proficient drummer fusing standard drumkit with bongos, and the gusto of the Muppet Animal. Celebrating their twenty-fifth year, they know what buttons to press to enthuse a crowd to ecstatic proportions, and do with certain ease. 

It might appear as a random raggle-taggle outfit, dressed independently quirky as they are, but boy, are they tight as band, unified by dedication to a unique sound, motivation to an energy-busting fusion of contemporary Westcountry folk rock, punk and ska, breakneck Balkan, Bavarian oomphlah, and anything else they care to lob into the carnival melting pot. If influences vary, the magic is composition, as they merge into a definite uniform.

I fondly reviewed their album Information Camouflage two years ago, and have been aching to see them live since, because through the lively recordings it was obvious from the off, they’re a must-see. I’m so chuffed with myself I made the effort to cross them off that list; it was a sublime evening with the excitement of a toddler on Christmas morning. Naturally, my dad-dancing feet were in their element; we don’t get enough of this stuff around here, in my honest opinion, thus why the Barge on HoneyStreet is as loved as it is.

It hosts the unusual, the quirky, and maintains the zestful zeitgeist of now, a post-free-party era where matured revellers congregate to continue the party they started at the beginning of their adulthood, be it any past decade or culture. The Barge nonchalantly caters for travellers; the complete campsite, pub grub or street food outside, its wharf, children’s activities, but most proudly of all, this overall ongoing comfy, friendly festival vibe.

After a few management issues over the last decade, everyone here now praises Lenny and his team, who has unleashed the full potential of the surroundings and wharfside inn, and has transformed the Barge into the temple they only could have imagined it could become; it’s a fortean empire, a quirky theme park of charming yet unconventional.

Apt then for 3 Daft Monkeys to jump on its bed. Themes of their songs vary, from hope to redemption, and prose of revolutionary social and political uprisings to comically whimsical cases of mistaken identity, such as a mermaid actually being just a fish with the head of a monkey. But whether the matter is fact or fiction, the mood is a frenzy of fiddles and guitar, a beautiful upbeat stomp of boundless shindig. And they do it with bells on.

This highly entertaining showdown was supported by two other apt acts. Secondly Lenny No-Strings, with a bassist and fiddler of his own, apt for more reasons than because he runs the place. It was a psychedelic blues art piece, seemingly improv, but built into the framework.

But most impressive was the South African fairy harpist standing before my eyes upon arrival in the barn, projecting a corona aurora onto the backdrop painting. Julía Faé expressively played acoustic guitar and swapped for a harp, to passionately deliver some lovely spiritual songs of fairies and ufos; it was all very otherworldly, mystical and beautiful. It’s not everyday a harp comes into play, so this was a pleasant surprise alone, aside Julía’s proficiency in using it.

What I loved about 3 Daft Monkeys, aside their deliciously professional outpourings, which gave me pre-thoughts of having to bodaciously knock on a green room door to chat with, was their genuine charisma; that they stayed around to party with the punters and joined in the skullduggery all around us. But then, who wouldn’t?! The Barge is such a wonderful place, brimful of joy and positive vibrations, and long may it be so!

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