A Monkey on your Back- circus and music podcast

27/09/2021

Hello friends! Been a while I know, sorry for radio silence. We are now available to listen to on Amazon Music and Audible as well as all the other channels! Exciting! If you haven't yet please do have a listen to our podcasts, a whole season here already. We will get on the monkeys back again soon with some more episodes for you. Meanwhile, please do have a listen to the ones that are already available, and don't forget to leave us a review on apple podcasts, it really helps to get the word out to a wider audience. Thanks!

Here is the new link: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/a6a31c3f-477d-413e-9b90-55d3a7ae831c/a-monkey-on-your-back-circus-and-music-podcast?

19/03/2021

EPISODE 13 OUT NOW: Spanish artist Gonzalo Santamaria.

SUPPORT US: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness

Interview with Spanish circus artist, director, producer, compere, and Kaotic Festival coordinator .santamaria.eddy.eighty about life as an international artist in current times. Showcases music from , and .circus house band

Here is the ink to the episode on anchor.fm, also available on other platforms such as Spotify and Apple podcasts: https://anchor.fm/amonkeyonyourback/episodes/Episode-13-Interview-with-Spanish-artist-Gonzalo-Santamaria-et0sn9

19/03/2021

26/01/2021

Just bought us some 'thinking caps' to help with brainstorming some new and exciting stuff for 2021! After a small hiatus from podcasts the last couple of months we are now looking into bringing some more wonderful stories from our beloved international circus family while sharing, promoting, and supporting the wonderful music industry. While it still looks awhile before we can experience live shows and live music we believe its important to keep telling and listening to these stories, even if from the comfort of your own home.

09/01/2021

Hi everyone, apologies for the radio silence over the past few months, we have been very busy with other projects lately and haven't had time to do any new podcasts, but very soon we will be back on again. I just googled the podcast, and we came up on Feedspot as number 18 in the top 50 music podcasts to listen to in the UK! How cool! If you haven't yet, please do help us out by spreading the word, giving us a review on apple podcasts, and if possible to drop us a few quid to help out that would be brilliant. Work is very tight in the entertainment industry right now, and we are working very hard to make ends meet. SUPPORT US: https://ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness. Thanks for your support so far, we love doing this podcast. Big love to you all ###

12/10/2020

12/10/2020

AFTER A VERY BUSY week of podcast editing (hi,it's Rada here), and the BRAND NEW release of 5 episodes last week, I decided to share one of my favourite images of me training aerial silks in a tree in Port Douglas, far north Queensland (yes, the tree was tested and safe, don't worry), many years back while filming a feature film called 'Fools Gold' with and , taken by my friend Stefan Turney.

AND WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please support this project by listening, sharing, and giving us a review/ rating here on insta, on our FB page , on apple podcasts, DONATE if you can at ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness, and tell all your friends how much you love the podcast! Thank you so much!

10/10/2020

EPISODE 12: OUT NOW. Chez Dunford PART 2

SUPPORT US: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness.

PART 2 of interview with multi-disciplinarian Chez Dunford . Episode 11 is PART 1 so please listen to that first.

TONIGHT she is performing in an online live streamed show with clowning/ improvisation company called 'The New Normal'.
You can get your tickets at www.thewardrobetheatre.com.

We continue to play a few more of Chez's original tunes from her album 'Of Forest', available at chezdunford.bandcamp.com and talk about working with Performers Without Borders in refugee camps, Invisible Youth, Everybody Dance and using circus as a tool for social change.

Here is the link to the episode on anchor.fm, also available on other platforms such as Spotify and Apple podcasts:
https://anchor.fm/amonkeyonyourback/episodes/Episode-12-Francesca-Chez-Dunford--performance-artist-and-musician--PART-2-eks1ue

07/10/2020

EPISODE 11: OUT NOW.

(PART 1 OF A TWO-PART INTERVIEW) link to interview on spotify here, but also available on many other platforms: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cFnotF8ZSWAd4pcwa74Bc?si=ryPtcmf9SUywDmkgGgqo0A

Francesca (Chez) Dunford is a clown, performance artist, musician, theatre-maker, acrobat and aerialist. She sat down with last week to chat about life as a multi-disciplinarian, share some of her own stunning original music from her album 'Of Forest', and talk about a new show she is in with Bristol-based clowning/ improvisation company 'Beyond the Ridiculous'. Their show 'The New Normal' airs live ONLINE at 8pm THIS SATURDAY 10th Oct, 2020, supported by Bristol's very own Wardrobe Theatre. You can watch the show in your own living room by buying a ticket at https://thewardrobetheatre.com/livetheatre/beyond-the-ridiculous/.

We also shoot the breeze about life in current times, how she found herself wanting to entertain from a very young age, her lifelong love of music, and reimagining herself as an artist in the current world. The interview is fun and informative, and yet again too long to upload as one episode, so we present it to you in two halves. This is PART 1 of the interview, PART 2 will be out in the next few days we promise!
Support us: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness and please leave us a review, or a star-rating wherever you get your podcasts AND on our page. Thank you.

05/10/2020

(EDIT: Ok, so late-night research meant I put the wrong links here for reviews! Haha, no wonder we don't have too many, even I can't work it out. So here is the edited version, with instructions....

Dear friends, can I ask a small but important favour of you all? Please can you head over to apple podcasts (if you have itunes):

Follow this link, hopefully it works, or open Apple Podcasts on your computer and search for "A Monkey on Your Back: Circus and Music Podcast" https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-monkey-on-your-back-circus-and-music-podcast/id1515359918)

and give our podcast a quick review/ star rating? When you search for our podcast, and scroll down you will see a Ratings and Reviews box at the bottom, click on write a review- can either just leave stars or write a few words too (would be ace to have both!). Currently researching other ways to leave a review, so apologies if you don't have itunes- if anyone else happens to know how to leave reviews on other platforms, do let me know in the comments please!

Grace Billings and I would be very grateful, as it will help to boost our online ratings and get our podcast out to a wider audience. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Let's keep giving circus a voice in these tumultuous times. Cat photo for attention only). One love ###

❤️

04/10/2020

EPISODE 10. PART 2 of Rada's interview with Mike Finch founding member of Australia's and ex-CEO/ co-Artistic Director of . Here is Part 2 of the  interview, took a bit longer than a week to get this out to you all as work has been pretty hectic lately.

Here is the link to the episode on spotify, and it is also available on 6 other platforms. Search 'A Monkey on Your Back: circus and music podcast':

EPISODE 10: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fd6Qreo6micKq7CWsikRb?si=jDMCQgeWTDKWZ5WHbBZm5

We suggest going all the way back to EPISODE 6 to listen to the first half of the interview before you listen to this.

In this episode we ask Mike about his addiction to working in circus, how he views circus life moving forward in the current pandemic crisis, and of course once again we have some more brilliant music from the Circus Oz Band and Sarah Ward, aka Yana Alana (and the Paranas)

Support us: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness

Links:
Podcast FB: https://www.facebook.com/amonkeyonyourback/
Podcast insta:
Miss Radida insta: , website: www.missradida.com
Gracie B insta:
Mike Finch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikefinch1/

03/10/2020

Here is the second part of the Interview GracieB did with the incredible Swedish performing artist David Eriksson .

LINK TO EPISODE 9: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7aZ3omok5FUzfEFPZH5nLl?si=9-XKTagnQC6yCh_U1jhR7A

In this episode David talks about his award winning show; Pink on the Inside, authenticity as an artist, and he shares reflective stories about being onstage that also highlight the amazing colourful career he has.
We suggest if you haven’t already go back and listen to Episode 8: David Eriksson (part 1) that we released yesterday (link here; https://open.spotify.com/episode/315NBnzxZiZtkLSTLn7AwP?si=pGcK4mo0RWiW8km_e4tYhg)

This episode will make more sense if you do!

We have a wicked track off the new Father Funk album (thanks Will!).

David also shares a piece of music he did the vocals on a few years back and it's AWESOME!
Thanks so much David for the wonderful chats!

www.baldwithballs.com
insta:

Thanks Will (aka Father Funk) for your tunes and ongoing support with this project!
You can purchase his new album from here: fatherfunk.bandcamp.com

A Monkey on your back is an independent production!
Support us: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness

Links:
Podcast FB:
https://www.facebook.com/amonkeyonyourback/

Podcast insta:

Miss Radida insta: , website: www.missradida.com

Gracie B insta: , website: www.flameoz.com




❤️

02/10/2020

EPISODE 8 OUT NOW: In this episode GracieB chatted with incredible Swedish performing artist David Eriksson. David mixes circus juggling and acrobatics with absurd comedy making shows with characters that are bizarre yet wonderfully funny! We has won awards, travelled the globe for the past 22yrs, worked for some of the most renowned circus' and cabarets and made work that is deep and thought provoking. This was a long interview so we have decided to release it in two parts. In this first part we chat about what its like performing in the current climate, the need to address and adapt shows. We speak about David growing up in Sweden and how this shaped who he is today. We also spoke about his experience training with Circomedia in Bristol, and how pivotal that was to his life and career.

Thanks so much David for sharing your stories!

Podcast link; https://open.spotify.com/episode/315NBnzxZiZtkLSTLn7AwP?si=gWTNVi8gQAGrtcyNM1EdVQ

www.baldwithballs.com

insta:

We have some amazing music by local Bristol based group (Thanks Jack Wisdom!)

www.binbagwisdom.co.uk

binbagwisdom.bandcamp.com

and a beautiful song by another Bristol artist The Undercover Hippy. (Thanks Billy!)

www.undercoverhippy.com

https://undercoverhippy.bandcamp.com/

A Monkey on your back is an independent production!
Support us: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness

Links:

Podcast FB: https://www.facebook.com/amonkeyonyourback/

Podcast insta:

Miss Radida insta: , website: www.missradida.com

Gracie B insta: , website: www.flameoz.com

02/10/2020

In this episode GracieB chatted with incredible Swedish performing artist David Eriksson. David mixes circus juggling and acrobatics with absurd comedy making shows with characters that are bizarre yet wonderfully funny! We has won awards, travelled the globe for the past 22yrs, worked for some of the most renowned circus' and cabarets and made work that is deep and thought provoking. This was a long interview so we have decided to release it in two parts. In this first part we chat about what its like performing in the current climate, the need to address and adapt shows. We speak about David growing up in Sweden and how this shaped who he is today. We also spoke about his experience training with Circomedia in Bristol, and how pivotal that was to his life and career.

Thanks so much David for sharing your stories!

www.baldwithballs.com

insta:

We have some amazing music by local Bristol based group (Thanks Jack Wisdom!)

www.binbagwisdom.co.uk

binbagwisdom.bandcamp.com

and a beautiful song by another Bristol artist The Undercover Hippy. (Thanks Billy!)

www.undercoverhippy.com

https://undercoverhippy.bandcamp.com/

A Monkey on your back is an independent production!

Support us: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness

Links:

Podcast FB: https://www.facebook.com/amonkeyonyourback/

Podcast insta:

Miss Radida insta: , website: www.missradida.com

Gracie B insta: , website: www.flameoz.com

In this episode GracieB chatted with incredible Swedish performing artist David Eriksson. David mixes circus juggling and acrobatics with absurd comedy making shows with characters that are bizarre yet wonderfully funny! We has won awards, travelled the globe for the past 22yrs, worked for some of t...

01/10/2020

After a very busy month with work, life, and all that jazz, we are back with a vengeance bringing you lots of new circus and music interviews over the next few weeks. First off the bat we will be releasing the interview with Swedish artist followed by the second half of interview with .... these will be followed promptly with a fabulous interview with and then to top it all off, we also have an interview waiting to be edited with Spanish artist .santamaria.eddy.eighty ..... phew! Yay! Good to be back on track. Hope you are enjoying our work. Please head over to apple podcasts and give us a review and a star-rating, and if you can help us financially please head to ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness and buy us a coffee, we really appreciate your support and it will help us finance the project so we can keep doing what we love by bringing you circus stories.

16/08/2020

Episode 7: Kaptin Barrett, aka head of music at , DJ and self-confessed music addict joins and for a chat about music, Boomtown Fair, and how festivals are coping during these uncertain times. We also play a bunch of great music of course, including the .circus fabulous house band , featuring Andy Cooper, and a track produced by Kaptin himself for the . This episode was produced by Miss Radida and The Amazing Gracie B, and Gracie did the editing.



Support us: ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness

Links:

Podcast FB: https://www.facebook.com/amonkeyonyourback/

Podcast insta:

Miss Radida insta: , website: www.missradida.com

Gracie B insta:

Kaptin/ AAA Badboy: https://aaabadboy.wordpress.com/about/

AAA Badboy on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/axaxx6ndw2opzzwztz5xs5me9

Boomtown Fair: https://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/

The Carny Villains: http://www.thecarnyvillains.com/

The Allergies: https://theallergies.bandcamp.com/

Gardna: https://gardnaman.bandcamp.com/

Big Swing Sound System: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2DtWOFKSKRGcUPsV1dOEOC

Spandex Moose: https://soundcloud.com/spandexmoose

06/08/2020

If anyone is looking for a new podcast to listen to about the entertainment world (apart from ours of course) I highly recommend this lush podcast by the Incredible Rubber Man himself Captain Frodo Santini. It's ace! Thanks Frodo!

Philosophical and esoteric perspectives from a modern day Showman. The host Captain Frodo, internationally renowned circus performer and writer, talks about ideas related to "Carnival life, circus, imagination, showmanship, evolution, meaning of life, blah, blah, blah."(Quote from his wife). You can...

05/08/2020

Hi everyone, hope you are having a fantastic week! has a new episode out today. Episode 6 is Part 1 of a hilarious interview with former Artistic Director and CEO of , and founding member of the one and only Mike Finch . Here is the link to listen on spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2QVBJSO5DXF3BoLYdxuzpa?si=zTyaEpP1TwuNabQSO2H6rg

Have a listen, like on fb and insta, let's keep the voice of circus 🎪 loud and clear in the world.

04/08/2020

Another incredibly interesting interview coming up with Swedish Circus Superstar David Eriksson! Gracie B got to chat with David on many topics around the current situation in the entertainment industry while also delving into some deep personal stories that has helped shape his award winning work. We also get to listen to some never released music David recored a few years ago! We feel so lucky to have this wonderful platform to share the stories, the art and the music created by our wonderful guests! Keep your ears out for this one!

25/07/2020

Latest episode of circus and music podcast out now! and interviewed Julian Bracey co-artistic director of Bristol-based performance company . We talk about his life as an artist and director, what the future looks like for him and the arts industry, working with , and ,and we feature music from world female beatboxing champion alongside and , and of course our intro theme from . Link to episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cXffETexd5pPIHS090cZu

21/07/2020

We just finished interviewing head of music for the himself Kaptin Barrett for podcast. We chatted about music (obviously) and what the current climate feels like for independent arts festivals going forward from 2020s covid-19s summer catastrophe of shutdown. Features music from , , and . Watch this space! Out soon.

17/07/2020

Ooh just finished interviewing Mike Finch, former Circus Oz artistic director. Exciting interview, lots of bonkers stories, can't wait to have it edited. Watch this space!

10/07/2020

Episode 4 is out now! interviews from Australian circus company, about being stuck in Berlin with her latest touring show "Le Coup" at the beginning of the covid-19 lockdown. They also talk about life as an artist, what the future looks like, and what it was like to perform in front of her childhood idol , the Queen of pop herself! is an independent podcast, so please, if you are enjoying our work, head over to -fi.com/monkeybusiness and buy us a coffee to help with all those late nights we are spending editing all this work. A little bit goes a long way, and a big bit goes even further. Enjoy!
Link for episode here, copy and paste:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=151191383256364&id=115633016812201&sfnsn=scwspmo&extid=qWcalnb7JqCWrBnr

10/07/2020

Here is the latest podcast episode. Miss Radida chats to Artistic Director of Australian circus company, Company 2 about life, the universe, and what the future holds. Original music by Father Grant and the Blunt Objects, Bonnie Stewart and of course our intro theme-tune by that lovable lycra-clad duo Spandex Moose. Have a listen, I hope you enjoy it, and if you can please do support us at ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness. A lot of time goes into creating this work- we love it, really hope you do, too. Thanks to Chelsea McGuffin for the interview!

Artistic Director and performing artist Chelsea McGuffin from world-renowned Australian circus company, Company 2, joins Miss Radida to talk about life as an artist, running a circus company, and what that looks like in the current world climate- including yet another tale of a circus company stuck....

04/07/2020

Podcast producer Miss Radida DJing in a Virtual Reality Festival called Lost Horizon with Ms Merlin on Sh*tv Sh*tv last night, brought to you by the team behind Glastonbury Festival's own naughtiest corner Shangri-La, here they are in all their disrespectable glory- Ab Fab DJs on the 1s n 2s.... Massive shout outs to the people who made this epic project come to life- Kaye Dunnings, Chris Tofu, Robin Collings, and everyone else- all the artists, techies, and crew. Was a joy to be part of. Hope you enjoy too!

Ab Fab DJs (Miss Radida and Ms Merlin) keeping it wrong at Lost Horizon Virtual Festival. Brought to you by the team behind Glastonbury Festival's own naught...

01/07/2020

What's that????. Our very own Miss Radida is DJing as part of Ab Fab DJs with the absolutely fabulous Ms Merlin this Friday night 3rd July at 9.30pm UK-time for the Lost Horizons Virtual Festival. Follow this link for how to watch! https://www.losthorizonfestival.com/how-to-watch

Lost Horizon offers an array of ways to attend the festival and experience its magical virtual world in VR, on PC, mobile app and streaming

16/06/2020

A few days late to get this out, but it was worth it- second half of my interview with Grace Billings.... out now....A monkey on your back: circus and music podcast.... this episode holds some powerful music.... wow.... enjoy!

This is the second half of the interview with The Amazing Gracie B after her 5 month stint away from the UK, which included arriving in Australia for xmas 2019 whilst Australia was engulfed in national bushfires, traveling to Perth for the Fringe Festival to perform with Dreamstate Circus, and her p...

09/06/2020

Support us at ko-fi.com/monkeybusiness

06/06/2020

What to do on a coldish, overcast day? How about take a listen to our latest podcast? Episode 2 Part 1 is out now. The Amazing Gracie B​ is back in the country, and we had a natter about her journeys to Oz for the Perth Fringe with Sophie Jacob McGrath​ and Dreamstate Circus, and also adventures of getting stuck in Panama after Tribal Gathering. A journey to include epic bushfires, performances, and WICKED music by Spandex Moose, Dub FX and the team (thanks Ben!), The Chicken Brothers (thanks Jamie Howie​ and Matt Seamless​), and even an unreleased sneak preview from Phoebe Blue.... how lucky are we? https://anchor.fm/amonkeyonyourback/episodes/A-Monkey-on-Your-Back-Circus-and-Music-Podcast-EP2-PT1-ef2oos

In this episode, Miss Radida is finally joined by her co-presenter The Amazing Gracie B from award-winning performance troupe Flame Oz, as she tells of the adventures of the past 5 months away from the UK. The journey covers time in Australia through the recent bushfires, performing at Perth Fringe....