“They've got IT..." - Eddie Bo (New Orleans Funk/Soul legend)
“The undisputed Kings of Deep Funk…” Shook Magazine (Formerly Straight No Chaser U.K)
“The best new Deep Funk band in the world today” Adrian Gibson (The Jazz Café U.K)
"The Bamboos are bad mother-****ers!" - Syl Johnson (Chicago Soul/Funk Legend)
The Bamboos are Australia's masters of deep funk and super-heavy soul. Led by guitarist Lance Ferguson (AKA Lanu), other members include Kylie Auldist (Vocals), Danny Farrugia (Drums), Yuri Pavlinov (Bass), Stevie Hesketh (Hammond Organ), Anton Delecca (Tenor Saxophone/Flute), Phil Noy (Baritone Saxophone) and Ross Irwin (Trumpet).
The Bamboos formed in 2001 and released the 7" single “Eel Oil/Blackfoot”, earning them international acclaim from the likes of Mr Scruff, Patrick Forge and Jazzanova. Their next release “Tighten Up/Voodoo Doll” was signed by Kenny Dope (Masters At Work) and Keb Darge (Legendary Deep Funk) for their US based imprint Kay-Dee Records. Making their home at the UK's Tru Thoughts records in 2005, The Bamboos’ debut album ‘Step it Up’ was released jointly by Tru Thoughts and Ubiquity Records (US) in 2006. The second Bamboos long-player ‘Rawville' was released in 2007 and was described by IDJ Magazine (U.K) as " ...arguably the finest Funk album of the modern era".
The Bamboos’ live shows have evolved into non-stop mixtape-style throw-downs that draw the links between hip hop, soul, funk and old-school breaks, and they have performed at large scale events and festivals including Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival, Meredith Music Festival, Falls Festival, The West Coast Blues & Roots Festival, Golden Plains, Parklife, The Adelaide Festival, The St Kilda Festival, The Caloundra Music Festival, The Sydney Festival, Trop Fest and have appeared on the ABC TV Show ‘Sunday Arts’.
They have also performed as a backing band for international artists including Eddie Bo (US), Syl Johnson (US), Joe Bataan (US), Eddie Floyd (US), Betty Harris (US), Alice Russell & The Quantic Soul Orchestra (UK).
The Bamboos’ music has featured in high-rating TV shows such as ‘Greys Anatomy’ (US),‘Ugly Betty’ (US) and 'Underbelly' (AUS), and in 2008 they recorded music for the multi-platinum million-selling Nintendo Wii video game ‘de Blob’, with a sequel coming soon.
The third Bamboos album, ‘Side-Stepper’ featuring the single “King Of The Rodeo”, received unanimous acclaim including airplay on JJJ (AUS), Mark Lamarr and Craig Charles' BBC shows, and was 3RRR's ‘album of the week’ upon release in Oct 2008. The “King Of The Rodeo” single, an inspired Mod soul take on Kings Of Leon’s indie smash, won XFM’s ‘X-Posure Hot One’ accolade, as well as major mainstream radio play in the UK and elsewhere and well over 100,000 views on YouTube. The album peaked at Number 1 on the Australian iTunes R&B/Soul album chart.
The Bamboos were included in the Melbourne Age’s prestigious ‘Top 100’ list of influential people in Melbourne city for 2008, and in a poll by the same paper they were voted Australia’s fourth best band, just after AC/DC and ahead of high profile acts such as Jet and Empire Of The Sun.
In the Autumn of 2009, The Bamboos took their sound on the road again with DJ and live PA tours of the UK, Europe and the US.
The upcoming fourth album, ‘4’, out in early 2010, features a collaboration with adored US rapper Lyrics Born, a hook up which sprang from a radio interview in which Lyrics Born said on air that the Australian act he most wanted to work with was The Bamboos. There comes a time in every band when their sound crystallises, and with ‘4’ The Bamboos have made a succinct musical statement that distills all their influences, nuances and idiosyncrasies and ultimately pushes them into a sonic world all their own. The first single, “On The Sly” featuring Kylie Auldist, precedes the album’s release, and with a promo video that has already had 10,000 YouTube hits in its first few weeks, heralds a new chapter of more mainstream success for this incredible band.