Monday 26 June 06 [14:07:45]

Big Screen Blows Down

Munchbreaks gig at Millenium Point was abandoned when the largest video screen in Europe was blown down by the wind.

The band were booked to perform at the Fan Park (Millenium Point, Birmingham) on Tuesday 20th June 2006. They were to play before the England Vs Sweden match of the World Cup which was to be screened on a huge screen directly behind the stage. The Munchbreak set was to feature animated visuals by Chu on the big screen. The footage above was filmed by the Colonel immediately after the band were evacuated from the stage in front of the screen. Luckily no one was hurt and the band's equipment was spared as the screen fell backwards away from the stage.

The band were forced to wait at the venue for 2 and a half hours before retrieving their equipment as several 'jobsworth' security staff declared the whole stage a hard hat area.

Last Updated 26-06-06 [14:08:56] by Fly

Friday 05 May 06 [12:08:48]

Chu Joins the Crew

The Munchbreak band has recruited Chu of 'Your Mum Rang' as VJ. He will be collecting, scribbling and projecting on-stage visuals as part of the new live show. Chu is a talented designer and spraycan artist responsible for designing the sandwich logo and several flyers for the band as well as painting the Munchbreak HQ (see STUDIO page for a look.) His debut VJ performance will be at May's Rainbow gig and will also be performing at all future Munchbreak sessions. (see LIVE page for details of up and coming gigs)

Last Updated 05-05-06 [12:25:04] by Fly

Friday 14 April 06 [17:15:43]

New Live Bootleg tracks

Get your bootlegs on people and enjoy some sounds from Aprils Munchbreak Session at the Rainbow.
4 new live tracks are available to download by clicking the turntable icon and selecting 'Bootlegs'
Cheers to everyone who made it down on the night for the set and thanks to Chu for entertaining the
band back with some Birthday party antics.

Last Updated 14-04-06 [17:41:49] by Fly

Friday 31 March 06 [16:02:13]

Munchbreak Radio Goes Live.

Check out the new installments on Munchbreak Radio. This month we are featuring mixes from DJ Feva, (Feva's Web Mix2) Mr Muz, (Mr Muz Mix2) Damon the Delicous, (Damon's Reggae Mix) and a live bootleg recorded at the Rainbow, Birmingham in March 2006 (Colonel Clarke and Mr Muz in the Mix)

The Munchbreak band have been busy writing and arranging their live set and settling into the new studio space now fully operational and complete with top paint job from Chu. Get in our Forums for a sneak preview. The band will be feautured in Aprils 'Drop Beats Not Bombs' 4 day Festival in Birmingham. See the Live Section for the lowdown.

Last Updated 31-03-06 [18:38:21] by Fly

Thursday 02 March 06 [02:07:47]

New Studio

Munchbreak on the Move

February has been a busy month! Moving studio to the other side of the city has delayed recording and rehersals for a bit. The new Munchbreak HQ is now fully operational and mighty fine it is too..

Seen here is the control room feauturing our vintage Allen and Heath 12 channel desk. The studio also has a larger live room where rehersals take place..

So it's goodbye to Barford Street in Highgate - home of the Sheep Slaugther yard. A big shout to Nigel and Matt for putting us up at Blotto for the last few years. We will miss you.

Last Updated 02-03-06 [02:09:51] by Jerome

Thursday 05 January 06 [00:34:13]

Bring on the 2006

A Happy New Year to y'all and a big shout to those of you who made it to the New Years Eve party at the Rainbow. Hope you enjoyed the new classic breaks set. This will continue to grow throughout 2006 and feel free to drop some requests here or in the forum for your fave bootie movin breaks for the Munchbreak band to serve HOT (with gravy.)

No thanks are due to the drongo who 'forgot' we needed a stage at the Rainbow. There's nothing like playing live on a concrete floor to keep that ego in check. Seen below is the back yard of the Rainbow before the gig in it's bare state.

Watch this space for some sneak preview footage from the video lens of Fatwah Eddie. A good chunk of the gig was captured this year in between saxophone solos. Respect to Sir Wiesel for some sterling DJ skills in the face of adversity.





You might have noticed the 'New Look' web site. Please bear with us as we get up to speed uploading audio tracks to the radio. Hopefully there will be some original MB tracks available to download very soon. Why not join our mailing list and we'll drop you a line when they're available.

Last Updated 05-01-06 [00:35:12] by Fly

Friday 30 September 05 [06:47:57]

Get Down to the Rainbow.

Come and visit us for the incredible Munchbreak Sessions every first Friday of the Month at the Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham. Our monthly residency features the latest live set from the Munchbreak band usually on stage around 10.30pm for your listening (and dancing) pleasure.

You will also be treated to a fine selection of Funk, Hip-Hop, Breaks and Beats from DJ Feva and Mr Muz (seen here in action.)

Become a member...

You can become a member by joining our mailing list with only a name and e-mail address either by entering your details below or coming along to the Rainbow and signing up. Every member will be issued with an exclusive Munchbreak Membership card that will get you £1 off entry fee after 10pm at all Rainbow gigs. Sign up now and there'll be a card waiting for you on the door at the next gig.

This snazzy card could be yours...

Last Updated 30-09-05 [06:47:57] by Jerome

Friday 30 September 05 [06:47:57]

Munchbreak Studio Action

The tapes are rolling...

Expect more choice releases...

The Munchbreak Studio is now fully operational after years of begging, borrowing and scraping. The band now have multi-track recording facilities via their fat PC and have seriously upgraded their monitors and microphones. The result is a fine collection of mouth-watering funk/rap nuggets recorded over the last few months. With many tracks approaching completion it''s time to keep your ear to the ground for details of future releases.

Located in Highgate, Birmingham the studio is housed in an old factory warehouse and nestles between potato chip supplier and sheep culling facility. Recording sessions are carefully scheduled to avoid any interference from the many noisy, punk band neighbours and the excited bleetings of escaped sheep.

''Popcorn'', the first track to be completed gives a fresh spin on the classic J.B groove. All three MC's spit onto this one drip droppin the hip hop back to the pub and chip shop! Also finished is the growling rif explosion of ''Across the Tracks''. A heartfelt self portrait of the Munchbreak way rapped by Mr Muz. Another track to look forward to is ''Come Play'' featuring the sweet vocal liltings of Paradox effortlessly blended with some quick witted rapping and sharp creased rhythm hits.

The Munchbreak studio is also home to a well used set of turntables. The resulting DJ mixes are available from the radio section of this site so go check it.

Last Updated 30-09-05 [06:47:57] by Jerome

Friday 30 September 05 [06:47:57]

About Us

Munchbreak founding father Damon Wilding chronicles the bands history and roots

Beginnings?!

If a line in the sound has to be drawn in order to identify the 'beginning' of Munchbreak, then it should be made on the Sunday afternoon at Shambala Festival 2001.

A curious performance began involving ten or so musicians, improvising, rapping, scratching, singing, bouncing and continued for over an hour, with seemingly, no gaps. I remember seeing people jumpin' around in front of the stage, then backstage, to my right, then centre stage leading the entire piece! What a refreshing break from the usual 'band' politics and creative differences. I cannot overestimate this sense of freedom. We loved it - and to think that jammin' was a thing of the past - ha!

From this a plan was soon hatched to continue this locally and it turned up at the most convenient place possible (round the corner from Jibbering Records) - enter Patrick Kavanaghs. Fly's house used to be literally across the road from Kavanagh's so much of our equipment was stored there so we could simply 'trolley' it over every Thursday. To be fair, the road was the easy bit. P.K's inside or fire escape stairs were both extremely treacherous (P-Belly - Oh yes!) and played no small part in the decision process that led us to a different venue in the end.

These sessions began for jammin', open to anyone who fancied a go with us providing at least a rhythm section. Funk, Hip hop, Reggae, Drum&Bass, Soul, Psychedelic, Rock, Jazz, Latin and some extremely strange sounds that HMV definitely doesn't have a section for, were made in the top room by the cream of Birmingham's music scene. But what made this jam session distinctive was the 3-D element involved. The rules were simple....

• Anyone can have a go (Please don't if you can't play the instrument)
• People take to their places as the DJ continues to spin tunes.
• When ready, the drummer clocks the DJ and after four ' he/she's in. Continuing the rhythm of the track already playing.
• The records were the starting point for each jam, which could then go on in any direction, but at least everyone begins at the same point.
• At the end of the jam the DJ rocks another track. The music keeps going and the jams pop out!

We did this relentlessly from September 2001 through til July 2003 every 2 weeks (except for a few weeks off in the summer for festivals - Hello Hope, the 'Bala' etc.) Through this we developed our sound, our approach, our musicality and our organisation becoming more and more a group who can improvise, write tunes and perform like our lives depended on it in order to get the party happening (at least a good night was at stake!) Dancing, playing, wailing, spitting, smoking, vibing, banging, bouncing, drinking and the rest all in that upstairs room - to anyone who ever attended we salute you!

Along the way Fuzz Townsend joined in for a bit, whose boundless enthusiasm and optimism stuck a well placed big toe up the crack of Munchbreak's monkey arse, when it was really needed to be fair. After he moved into running the Rainbow pub we went with him and relocated. By this point we'd gotten our shit together, proper 'sets', organised DJin, Hip hop starter, funky main course, Reggae pudding - lovely spread and making the necessary rent money for the studio space at Blotto (Hello Nigel, Matt, Dave, Liner and the rest!)

Currently we're using the 2 rooms at the Rainbow - alternating DJ's between outside and in, doing one big live set (making a show of it) and people seem to be getting into it. In the summer there's talk of putting some live stuff outside (we'll see) and in the mean time we're recording as much as we can. Watch this space!

There is a scene that exists in Birmingham outside the Flapper and Firkin and the Jug Of Ale venues - with a shit load of World Class musicians, characters, artists, performers and heads. Munchbreak has been and is testament to this. Big up everyone: Jam Jah, Jibbering, Speedwell Road, Unit Crew, Coach and Horses, Oxygen Rooms, Silver Dollar, Badada, Grassi Roots, Beatroot Beast, Misty's Big Adventure, 360, and all the really obvious ones that I've forgotten!

Damon the Delirious

3 Chestnuts for ya:

1. Love is the food of music

2. A good recipe is determined by...

a: the quality of the ingredients

and b: the manner in which they are organised.

3. The best time to eat is when you're hungry.

Last Updated 30-09-05 [06:47:57] by Jerome