Meet El Pony Pisador, the band from Barcelona who are re-writing the folk music rule book

One of the liveliest, virtuosic and infectiously joyous bands on the international folk circuit, El Pony Pisador are set to play at The Apex, early next month.

Taking their name from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings inn (“The Prancing Pony”), El Pony Pisador (pictured above) play an eclectic blend of folk sounds from all over the world with jaw-dropping musicianship.

Native Catalan songs and dances mix with Celtic and Mediterranean tunes, with unexpected and brilliant dashes of yodelling, Tuvan throat singing, bluegrass, Georgian polyphony and Balkan polyrhythms.

They have released four albums and accumulated over six million online streams; however, the band are really best experienced live.

Their shows have been shaped by the experience of playing at festes majors (Catalan festivities), which are not just a concert, but a cultural celebration where the whole town participates. This gives their shows a festive atmosphere that is suitable for all ages.

Talking ahead of the UK tour, vocalist and guitarist, Ramon Anglada Jaraquemada, said: “We love playing in the UK and can’t wait to play in Bury St Edmunds – the crowd are fantastic.

“We have some great friends in Britain, including the Sea Shanty group, The Longest Johns, who we recorded and toured with a few years ago.

“Since then, we have travelled all over the world but there is something special about ‘Inglaterra and Espana’, coming together – Catalan, Celtic, Anglo – it’s where so much of our traditional music comes from.

“We have some new tricks up our sleeves for this tour so come and join us for some Catalan chaos. We will put a smile on your face, guaranteed.”

El Pony Pisador are at The Apex on Tuesday, November 3, at 7.30pm. See www.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for more details and to book tickets.