Reviews

We've had a few reviews of some of our gigs so far..and our CD! If you have a review or pics from our gigs we'd be pleased to consider displaying them on this web site. Our email address can be found on the contact page.

Preview for Munky Punch at Jam by the Lake on Saturday June 11th

"Ally: Aye, that’s right he did say that. But moving on now, have you seen the lineup that these Jam by the Lake people have compiled, Des? Good grief, it makes your eyes bleed just to look at it. I mean for a start there’s Munky Punch who are without a doubt one of the most lethal and indestructable student ska bands in the modern age. Quite frankly, I think it’s a testament to their enduring popularity that they’re still alive...
Des: That’s right Ally, I see what you mean, I think they started out when I was an undergraduate."
The Staying In team aka 'Ally McCoist & Des Lynam', Durham 21 (added 09.06.05)

Music for Justice (Tuesday 10th May 2005) - Durham 21 advertisement

"Music For Justice event which will feature some of the finest bands in Durham. Undertow, Alba Nova and the ever popular Munky Punch are performing at the event which aims to raise money and awareness for environmental and trade justice organisation People and Planet as well as the current Make Poverty History campaign...Completing the line up are Durham favourites Munky Punch. Munky Punch have established themselves as a hard driving, fun loving, ska band who always manage to get the party skanking whilst providing enough good tunes and high spirited antics to put a smile on the face of even the most ardent anti-ska fan."
Durham 21

Munky Punch - Got the Bastard! (reviewed July 2004):

"Bastards! You can’t start your album with the same cracked and faded version of ‘My Way’ that preceded Lightyear’s last every gig…an attribute which would make me incredibly sad every time I listen to this album if they weren’t so quick to pick up, pick up, pick up the pieces with their own trademark brand of party ska. Packing more talent than your average horn section and a brandishing a fistful of northern soul vocals these 12 tracks might just be your next soundtrack to a summer spliff and a can of red stripe."
Chris Lever (aka Lipgloss), Rancid News (online) and Rancid News Issue 7

Jam by the Lake, Saturday June 12th 2004:

"Other highlights of the indoor stage included Passenger Funk, and crowd favourites Munky Punch, who provoked more buggered dancing. The guitarist had one of those ingenious remote control devices which enable the user to dispense with their guitar lead, and he escaped from the stage and scampered around in ska-punk glee, stabbing away on his guitar."
Roger Jeffery, Durham 21 from Jam by the Lake (added 19.06.04)

Jam Night, Monday January 26th 2004:

"Ominous Hartlepool ska-punk
The infamous Munky Punch headlined. I first saw MP about a year ago, and really liked them - only to wander off bored as it appeared they only had one song. This time round the band is much improved - harder, tighter, faster and with more brass, they are a band with an incredible live energy, and they remain capable of unleashing an aural assault of beefy, demented ska-punk which cannot be argued with. I would prefer a bit more variety in their songs, but to be fair to them they have stuck with what they do best - they do it very well, and a packed JCR was soon joyfully dancing in a very silly fashion. A good start for Jam Night, which continues to kick ass for free."
Roger Jeffery, Durham 21 from Shiny New Jam (added 04.02.04)

We also got a mention in the Mustard Plug review on durham21.co.uk:

"Reel Big Munky Plug
[Mustard Plug] are quite frankly brilliant at what they do, but having seen a few ska bands this term, I really couldn’t tell the difference between many of them. Many of them sound a bit like Durham favourite Munky Punch, who sound a lot like Reel Big Fish. And they all sound like The Clash with brass instruments. It’s just all one big ska-punk noise. I don’t think I noticed that the tracks were very different, I certainly can’t remember the names of any of them. Aw well, maybe at 21 I’m past the maximum age of ska-preciation."
Caroline Wilson, Durham 21 from Are y’ Skankin’? (added 17.12.03)

Jam Night at Van Mildert 20th October, 2003:

”Headlining the evening was the band I am sure have played Jam Night more then any other, the seminal Munky Punch. They play shameless ska-punk, they’ve played it for ages, and they rock at it. They’re good, clean, unpretentious, very enthusiastic fun, and they showed it, getting the crowd up on their feet and rocking away. I didn’t see quite as much of the outrageous dancing antics I’ve seen at previous Jams, maybe they just weren’t drunk enough. More beer, guys. However, they did do their famous cover of YMCA, which, quite frankly, rocked. As do Munky Punch. They have a CD out, which I have heard is apparently ‘quite good’. Watch out.”
Aidan Rhodes, Durham 21 from Jam Night review (added 23.10.03)

And a review of Jamnesty: Battle of the Bands (05.04.03):
"Next up were the hard to describe Munky Punch. On-speed-manic-nu-metal-ska probably comes close. Either way, they came to party and dance and mess around, by and large showing everybody how to have a good time. Reminiscent of The Happy Monday’s cult dancer, Bez, Munky Punch enlisted the help of “The Queen Mother” who happily cavorted in and out of the crowd in wig and mask. The lead singer did too. The band’s only problem was the similarity between their songs, each of which sounded like the one before. All chances of winning were waved goodbye when they admitted, “…this is a cover…but we didn’t want to win anyway…but we have brought CD copies of our album to sell…” Nevertheless, it was worth a 50p entrance fee just to see them."

And a pic from that gig:

Phil Hall, Durham 21 from review of Jamnesty: Battle of the Bands (added 05.04.03)

[Visit the Durham21 web site: http://www.durham21.co.uk ]