Fun Lovin’ Criminals set to rock Village Green

Metal have announced that New York’s finest, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, will step out on to the Village Green stage to share their eclectic mix offunk, jazz and blues on Saturday 13 July in Chalkwell Park.

Led by Huey Morgan,ex-con, Desert Storm marine veteran, charismatic smooth-talker with Irish/Puerto Rican roots and an immaculately tended goatee, the three-piece are, still, the finest and only purveyors of cinematic hip-hop, rock ’n’ roll, blues-jazz, Latino soul vibes, who through the mid to late 90s, chronicled life in their native city while teaching their listeners  the sonic possibilities of exuberant hip-hop gangster-rock merged with lounge music, funk, mariachi trumpets and ‘Bass-o-matic’ Barry White.

1996’s classic album Come Find Yourselfcontained the cackling refrain “stick ‘em up punk, it’s the Fun Lovin’ Criminal”, the ultra-cool ‘King Of New York’ and the Pulp Fiction-sampling ‘Scooby Snacks’, a stick-up stunner with its immortal refrain, “Runnin’ around, robbin’ banks, all whacked on the Scooby Snacks”.  

Their second album 100% Columbianreleased in 1998, featured their Barry White eulogy ‘Love Unlimited’ and in 2001 came the release of their third album Loco. Two more studio albums, two live albums and world tours secured their reputation as whip-smart originators and incomparable live performers.

The trio – Morgan, Brian Leiser and Frank Benbini – now all relocated to the UK, record in their London studio with life-long fourth member, the Grammy-award winning hip-hop engineer Tim Latham ISP (A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Lou Reed, The Pharcyde . . . and Britney Spears). 

Sean McLoughlin, Festival Director said

“We are beyond delighted to have secured Fun Lovin’ Criminals for Village Green. They will be the perfect ice-cool cocktail to continue the party spirit in the evening.”

Early bird tickets for Village Green are on sale until the end of May. Don’t wait to get them! As in previous years, 500 free tickets are available to holders of Southend Council’s Advantage card C. These can be picked up from the Southend Borough Council reception – just have your Advantage Card ready to show.