$15 advance, $20 door

“Johnny Kalsi has done for the Dhol what Jimmy Hendrix did for the Guitar” - The Guardian

Led by Johnny Kalsi, The Dhol Foundation is a mighty Bhangra-style rhythm explosion of drum and bass, tabla and hip hop (with a Celtic twist), a powerful drumming and dancing spectacular: Thumping contemporary beats fused with super cool style. Johnny Kalsi, the UK’s most celebrated player of the Punjabi dhol drum, is no stranger to audiences across Europe. As a member of Afro Celt Sound System, Imagined Village and Trans-global Underground he’s featured in more bills than most. But it’s The Dhol Foundation that’s his pride and joy, the organisation that delivers a now legendary wall of sound, global rhythms and thumping contemporary beats with the effervescent Johnny at the heart of their live shows.

The band’s performance features an energetic line up of dhols up front, bass, drums, guitar, tabla and guest singers powering out a sound that’s as eclectic as it is forceful. The musical influences are drawn from a rich pallet of global sounds and its openness to explore the music of other cultures has always set TDF apart from other Dhol global bands.

The band’s music is featured in Hollywood films such as Gangs of New York and Incredible Hulk, while the band worked with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack for films including Rabbit Proof Fence, The Last Temptation of Christ and Reluctant Fundamentalist
As well as playing at numerous WOMAD festivals, The Dhol Foundation have appeared at some of the UK’s most spectacular celebrations in recent years including performing to their biggest ever crowd at the London 2012 Closing Ceremony, performing at The Queen’s Coronation Festival Gala in 2013 and performing before 40,000 at the BBC Proms.