Kangaroo Moon

Kangaroo Moon is an Australian group playing folk-based didgeridoo and gong-influenced music, with a sound that combines world, rock, folk and dance elements with acoustic and electronic textures. The band forms in 1988 and is active from Australia, later becoming based in Glastonbury, UK.

Formation and lineup

The group begins with Mark Robson, Matt Ledgar, David Williams and Elliet Mackrell. Robson is the only constant member across the various lineups. The current named members are Elliet Mackrell, Mark Robson and David Williams.

Over time, the lineup includes guitarists Jerry Bewley and Steve Berry, bassist Maurice Cernigoi, Nick Marshall on bass, violinist Elliet Mackrell, drummers Ian Campbell, Rick Cole, Matt Ledgar and Greg Sheehan, and other occasional contributors. David Williams plays bouzouki, mandolin and guitar, and is also associated with the Agitfolk band Seize The Day.

Style and musical approach

The band’s music develops from an early folk-rooted approach into a broader psychedelic and dance-oriented style. It is described in terms such as psyche-celtic folk fusion, electro-psychedelic funk, ethno-celto folk, Celtic-inspired didgeridoo-driven trance dance and richly melodic, rhythm-led dance music. Their performances and recordings often combine live improvisation with a strong emphasis on rhythm, movement and melody.

Kangaroo Moon also run workshops that can be adapted for children, adults, or mixed groups, introducing participants to rhythm, movement and melody.

Performances and touring

The group tours extensively in Australia and Europe. It appears at Glastonbury and WOMAD several times, and also plays Phoenix, Guildford, Mistelbach in Austria, Sfinks in Belgium, Oerol in the Netherlands, Maleny and the National Folk Festival in Australia. The band also performs and dances through a number of annual permutations between Australia and Europe.

In earlier years, the band alternates summers between Australia and Europe, busking and building a following before playing festivals and bush hall gigs. Mark Robson is originally English-born and travels to Australia, where he joins a convoy of artists, musicians and travellers called the Peace Train before helping form the band’s early identity.

Recordings

Kangaroo Moon records many albums from its early years onward. Their releases include Live (recorded at the Australian National Folk Festival in Canberra), Bagpipes On The Beach (recorded in Wales and produced and mixed by Adrian Wagner), No Ones Slave / 1000 Richest People (a 12-inch single produced and mixed by Grant Showbiz), Who’s Got The Keys (a live album recorded in Australia, Ireland and at Glastonbury), Belongil (produced by Grant Showbiz), Keep Them Warm (recorded in France and described as their biggest seller), In Transit, Alive and Hopping and Between Two Worlds.

Alive and Hopping is a live album recorded in London and Australia in 1999, and Between Two Worlds is a studio album recorded for the German label Klangbad. The band also has 12 recordings in circulation by the time of the later festival account.

Related work

Mark Robson also releases four solo albums: A Celtic Dreaming, Magenta moon, Take time to dream and In search of a simple life. These recordings present a gentler, less dance-oriented side of his writing and include many plaintive airs.

The group is also associated with the Kangaroo Kylie Band, a ceilidh band with a dance caller.