Victor Menace will confuse you, abuse you and amuse you and leave you begging for more! It’s the original sound of Ninja Folk with its ferociously fast fiddle, howling horns and gritty guitars on a bed of bouncing backbeats. The sheer pace and infectious danceability of this virtuoso band will have you on your feet in no time and dancing like nobody’s watching.
‘Victor Menace’ is the instrumental brainchild of alternative composer and musician RUTH THEODORE (Guardian ****/ MOJO****). Forming the band back in 2007, the sheer pace and infectious danceability, was an instant hit on the festival circuit and within a few years ‘Victor Menace’, fronted by Theodore on Violin and Alejandro Toledo (The Magic Tombolinos) on sax, was headlining the world music stages at Bestival, Hackney WickED, and Glastonbury’s ShangriLa stage. Soon after the release of their self titled debut record, the band sadly split as key members moved overseas and Theodore went on to release a further three acclaimed solo records. But at 3am on New Years Eve 2016, she declared war once more and reformed the band, with the original bassist Mike Limmer (La Chula), Lucien Windrich (eVoid) on acoustic, Haruna Komatsu (No Cars) on Clarinet and Sax, Luke Upperton (Skaprest) on lead electric, and Arturs Reirs (Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges / Steve Nimmo Trio) on drums. Remembered for their infamously energetic live shows the band were instantly asked back to Bestival 2016 and are now on the rampage.
“Ruth Theodore is remarkable for the quirky originality of her writing with its constant changes of mood and pace. She switches styles like she were providing the soundtrack to the crosscutting in an imaginary film” – the guardian ****
“A flair for off kilter arrangements that constantly surprise. Emerging with a colourful battery of instrumentation” – fRoots magazine
