Festivals For All caught up with Dan Booth, co-founder and co-writer of the excellent Ferocious Dog, who are starting to make a serious name for themselves around the festival circuit and also for their (in)famous high octane live performances. This is how it went….

FFA -Tell me about your musical background and how you’d describe the band…

I never know what to say! The band has been a six piece with this line up for the last couple of years. The band flips from folk - to energetic - to crazy! Our mosh pits are mental - Someone apparently broke an ankle last Saturday in the pit (laughs)…. Luckily it was during the last song! (laughs louder). We have an absolutely brilliant following. As soon as we come on tops are off and they just go crazy.

FFA – OK, I may mosh but only if I can wrap myself in a memory foam mattress then?

Just get up in the balcony and look down kid! (laughs again).

FFA – Musically there is a lot going down – the variety of styles and influences in the band are massive?

Yep – I’d just describe it as Energetic Folk …the basic description is ‘Folk Rock’ but, for instance, all 14 tracks on the new album are different….a couple are probably best described as Folk Pop, but then we have mosh pit crazy songs like Hell Hounds as well … but it’s all high energy stuff.

FFA – Listening to Hell Hounds it’s Folk Punk to me – not just in the music, but in the band’s portrayal, and also the crowd shots…..

We’ve two writers – the lead singer Ken (Bonsall), that’s his stamp – folk rock. I bring… er, this is tricky, … I’ve no punk background at all for instance. I bring – well it’s not a ‘pop’ element as such – we are not a pop band (laughs again) but call it perhaps a less aggressive edge – How can I say this – it’s maybe a more contemporary element. My background is more Libertines and the Indie scene. Ken is more early Levellers / Clash influenced. I love Mumford & Sons and their melodic type stuff….but obviously when I bring that to Ferocious Dog it changes because we are a ‘heavier’ band if that makes sense. Either way – it all works – we’re a great team.

FFA - It’s difficult to be a Folk Rock band without a Levellers influence….. is that fair?

When I was a kid the thing that transformed me from playing classical music was Jon Sevink on his fiddle. I sat in my bedroom playing along to the Levellers – so it’s bound to have an influence and there is no shame in admitting an influence…. But just listen to the album and there is clear blue water there… we have our own style. Kyle (Peters) writes too – he wrote one song and also sings it live …. That’s more a Ska song (Pocket of Madness) – so it’s different again.

FFA - You’ve been around a few years but things have really taken off recently….

We’ve been around in various guises for years but to be honest we never took it seriously! (laughs) ….then a couple of years ago we were due to go out to Dubai – so Kyle came on board to give us a bigger sound and then shortly after that we saw Ellis (Waring) play and witnessed how brilliant he is – he’s just a magician on all kinds of instruments. That’s when it all got serious. Two & half years later we are headlining festivals!

FFA – And a new album of course….

Yeah – you could say it was 10 years in the making and the last year & half to record! We worked with producer Gavin Monaghan – he’s a brilliant producer. We were determined not to rush it after that run up (laughs again). Also there’s lots of emotion in the album as well, so we took our time. For instance the first song is called The Glass and we wrote it for a family member who died last year. Lee’s Tune is a tribute too – we are really proud of all of it.

FFA - Do you have a favourite song?

Quiet Paddy is a really high energy one – our audience love it… but my personal favourites are Too Late and Freeborn John. Too Late shows everything in the band – it starts off really melodic with Ellis showing his finger picking skills – a beautiful start then it turns into Folk Punk right at the end. The crowd always go crazy to that one. Freeborn John is really more Ska – real good festival music - and then kicks into a dance music feel at the end.

FFA – So, finally, what can your festival audience expect?

To get injured! (roars with laughter). No - Don’t quote that! …..Seriously though, they can expect high energy music, a massive mosh pit, and people going crazy!

And, of course, great music from a great band - you couldn’t ask for more!  The album Ferocious Dog is out in the UK end of March 2013 and they are already lined-up for a host of festivals and live appearances this year…. catch them whilst you can. 

Also check out this great live video from Colin Chapman:

More Details on Ferocious Dog HERE.

Article by Barrie Dimond.