12 Stone Toddler rock. But remember when rock was anti-fashion, didn’t stay in neat little categories, represented deviation from the norm? Remember when rock plundered other genres and threw the bits into a hot cauldron? Remember when rock meant bands with nothing in common other than a liking for loud guitars, stomping beats, electric hooks?
12 Stone Toddler bring this ethic back. A marriage of opposites, combining heady eclecticism with a love of the three minute wonder. All shiny and new, yet visited at night by the ghosts of 20th century music. Swaggering with the chutzpah of a naked child threatening to wedge a fork into the electrical socket, each twist and swivel brings a new reason to love this band.
The enfant terrible of songwriters Chris Otero (vocals/bass) and Ben Jones (keyboards), this is dark, philosophical, beautiful, tragic-comic, full blooded rock and roll, that recognises no boundaries.
Born at the turn of the century, tested in sweaty underground Brighton gigs, Toddler amassed a zealous cult following. Two albums – DOES IT SCARE YOU? (2007) and SCHEMING (2009) came out in quick succession, to rapturous critical acclaim. After faking their own deaths, Toddler suddenly rose from the grave with a third album IDIOLALIA (2018), now infused with the vibrant telepathy and spot-on vocal harmonies of Robin O’Keefe (drums) and Helen Durden (guitar).
Accustomed to the big stage, having notched up numerous festival performances including Glastonbury, Beautiful Days, Bestival, Boomtown and Shambala, received big support from BBC Radio 6 and MTV Europe, and currently providing the score for award winning film short “Last Respects”, 12 Stone Toddler are always hatching plans, bursting from eggs, always running towards you because they’re in love with you.
REVIEWS
“It’s the record Frank Zappa wanted played at his funeral”
“A monster mash of melodic stomp”
“Funkier than the contents of a witch doctor’s juju bag” –
Kieran Acharya, Alternative Ulster
“Simultaneously magnificently louche and uncomplicatedly rock” – Pete Cashmore, The Guardian
“Messrs Otero and Jones slay all before them with their inventive musicanship, dark and twisted lyrics, and sophisticated production”
“Utterly original, tight-as-you-like, acid fried mini sketches of life in the dark lane.”
“Highly original, musically outrageous, stylistically uncompromising, very spontaneous, but also very tight, Brighton’s 12 Stone Toddler are a synthesis of all that’s good about contemporary adventurous rock music.”
Pete Feenstra, Get Ready to Rock
NEWS
12″ Vinyl realise of Idiolalia planned for May/June 2020 followed by a new single in the autumn.
LIVE
12 Stone Toddler planning for a summer 2020 festival dates and UK tour in the autumn.
SHOP
Idiolalia
Scheming
Does It Scare You?Gallery
