Preview

Hop onto The Baghdaddies magic carpet for an amazing musical trip from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. The Baghdaddies have been astounding audiences across the country for over five years (including the Talbot audience on their first visit in 2002) with their eclectic fusion of Balkan gypsy songs and rhythms with funky dance grooves. Throw into the mix a little jazz, reggae and ska and you have one of the most danceable bands on this or any other planet.

Hailing from Newcastle The Baghdaddies have performed at many of the major European outdoor festivals and even entertained at Dracula's castle in Transsylvania. Appearances at Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe, Sidmouth Festival and Royal Festival Hall and radio sessions for John Peel and Andy Kershaw on BBC Radio 1 have brought their unique talents before a nationwide audience. They released their first album 'Last Tango in Babylon' in 1998 and their latest CD 'The Fabulous Sound of Toon Tone' was released in 2001. For a tour of the music bazaars of Eastern Europe and the Middle East book your place on their magic carpet early.

'The vibe of Toots & The Maytals with the passion of Eastern Europe creating the funkiest sound ever; the tent was popping, they were our true festival heroes.' Glastonbury Review

'Roots band The Baghdaddies turned the Old Steine into a massive dance floor ... More than 50,000 people kissed, hugged and danced with strangers'. Brighton Herald reviewing Brighton's Millennium Eve Party.

Review

First, a word from our Medical Correspondent, Dr. S.T. Ethos-Cope:
'As a doctor, I am often asked, "Doctor, I need a magical permanent pick-me-up, some kind of instant life-changing treatment that doesn't entail expensive medication or embarrassing surgery - what do you recommend?" My reply is invariably the same: a visit to a Baghdaddies gig will be immediately efficacious, promoting a healthy increase in heart rate and inducing an irresistible urge to dance uncontrollably and smile benignly on your fellow man (and woman). In fact, I would go so far as to say that failure to experience at the very least an involuntary tapping of the toes in the presence of this spectacular musical combo can only mean one thing - you are what we doctors call "dead".'

Thanks, Doc. You've pretty much summed up the effect of the Baghdaddies, whose return to the Talbot, 3 years on from their 2001 Tregaron debut, was greeted ecstatically by a huge (for us) crowd. Both band and audience were thoroughly up for it, with dance floor action on a previously unparalleled scale and long queues at the bar - at both ends of the building! This was a night of delirious mayhem, a sort of indoor Glastonbury in miniature, but without the mud and the latrines.

With their impossibly infectious mix of Balkan dance beats, jazz, ska, tango, punk, reggae, even oom-pah, each member of the quintet (trumpet/melodica, sax, guitar, bass, & drums) is absurdly accomplished - and they all sing too, sometimes all at once. From 'Ounce Pounce' to 'Abdul Waheb', 'Slivovits' to 'Tipsy Cocek', plus plenty from their third CD 'Random Acts of Kindness', there was simply no let-up - the Baghdaddies gave 101 per cent in a show that managed to be both super-tight yet spontaneous fun. As another reviewer has remarked, 'this band from the souk-infested, mint tea-drinking side of Newcastle ... even had the audience clapping along in seven-eight time', and it's a testament to their funky skills that they make such complex rhythms irresistibly accessible to one and all.

All good things must end, and with their trademark encore 'Havatequila', which segues into 'Show Me The Way To Go Home (Have A Banana)', the Baghdaddies were gone, leaving us exhausted but happy ... and cured of all ills. Think we might need a repeat dose of their medicine in a year or so, though ...