Gypsy Fever Summer Tour

The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band and DJ Balkanetic

Monsoon Bar, Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef

9pm, Monday 25th January

no covercharge

Following a successful European summer based in Berlin, The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band and DJ Balkanetic are back for another one of their legendary summer tours bringing the infectious, irresistibly danceable sounds of Eastern Europe to venues throughout New Zealand.

The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band

Hailing from the slums and ghettos of Auckland (the Prague of the South), The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band bring their unique brand of highly theatrically East-European Debauchery to those in need, wherever they may be. Expect spontaneous combustion in the audience, clothes thrown off in frivolous rampage, macabre stories, legs turning into snakes, much musical and physical inebriation, and dancing, dancing, dancing… When Gypsy, Balkan, Cabaret and Swing combine, it is futile to resist!

After first emerging from an alleyway behind Auckland’s Wine Cellar sometime in May of 2006, the band has gone from enigma to sensation. In April 2008, they released their first ep, Danse Macabre which lingered in the Independent NZ top 40 for several months and the riotous energetic video for the single, The Dance of Death, was one of the top five most watched videos on NZ music site Amplifier for over a year. In this time the band has completed three highly successful nationwide tours, brought the Bordello to some of the country’s biggest summer festivals (including Prana, Jambalaya, Parihaka, Cross St Carnival, Fleetwaters and Splore), performed at AK09, The Famous Spiegeltent, and opened for American band Beirut. Following the release of their highly anticipated debut album, Polkapocalypse and a summer in Europe the band is ready to bring the Gypsy Fever once again to the good people of New Zealand.

“Emanating seemingly unlimited passion and desire, the group’s charm is also rooted in their playfulness…” Groove Guide

“Benka Bordadovsky Bordello Band capture a Jewish, Gypsy feel with breathtaking effectiveness.” Canta

“It’s really good fun and the stop/start carnival atmosphere is infectious…” Dominion Post

“Frenetic and bawdy, the eclectic BBBB have a gypsy/klezmer/Eastern European-thing going on that is very addictive and slightly unhinged.” Kia Ora

“It makes you want to kick up your heels and dance like a Cossack…” Real Groove

“Knees-up dance music…” Elsewhere

DJ Balkanetic

DJ Balkanetic has been entertaining audiences at festivals, parties and weddings around New Zealand for the last few years with a highly infectious, uplifting blend of Balkan beats, Klezmer, Romani/Gypsy music and organic global grooves. He has played at festivals such as Prana, Splore, Jambalaya, the Big Bay Out, Cross St Carnival, Culturefest, AK07 & AK09, The Famous Spiegeltent and 2 Womad afterparties alongside Mr Scruff and Nickodemus. He has also supported The Hot Grits, The Mamaku Project, The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band, An Emerald City and the Jews Brothers. Last year he toured New Zealand several times with various acts and in January 08 and 09 went on the highly successful Gypsy Fever tours with the Benka Boradovskys. He has just returned from a summer in Europe with a bag full of new tunes that he guarantees will leave you breathless on the dancefloor.