There's no warm up with this album, after declaring its anti war politics in the first opening 30 seconds, the music comes at you like a shot from a catapult. Balkan ska punk with a bit of swing which will appeal to anyone in the mood for a right old knees up.
Babylon Circus have toured extensively across Europe, Australia, Syria and Lebanon in the Middle East but remain largely overlooked in the UK. Formed in Lyon, France in 1995 they have released three albums and an e.p.
Dances of Resistance is their third from 2004. Its difficult not to draw similarites both musically and politically between Manu Chao / Manu Negra. Indeed on listening to the music my memory is cast back to the energy of a Manu Chao concert with all the men in the audience dancing as if they are on hot coals whilst waving their arms in the air as if at a football match. I'm suprised that Babylon Circus haven't found themselves more fans amongst the Manu Chao and perhaps even the Gogol Bordello faithful.
Maybe all this is about to change as they play WOMAD, Charlton Park this summer. Their music is infectious, full of energy and exhuberence, all the ingredients of a great festival band which will surely get you linking arms with complete strangers for a spin around. If it doesn't I challenge you to keep still.
Babylon Circus is:
* Biloul - drums, precussion, chorus
* Monsieur Raphael - bass
* Brozeur - keyboards, melodica, percussions, chorus
* Jo - guitar, chorus
* David - vocals, guitar
* Laurent - trumpet, flugelhorn, pichotte, chorus
* Vincent - sax alto and soprano, timpani, clarinet
* Rimbaud - sax tenor and soprano, bass clarinet, accordian
* Clemsent - trombone, tuba, Barrel organ,triangle
