It’s St George’s Day and Monkey Poet is treating the world to an exclusive free download of his long-awaited debut record Welcome To The UK.

The album - which will be officially released by Debt Records on the day of the General Election - is based on Monkey Poet’s award-winning live show of the same name, an act that toured the world last year, gleefully vaulting customary genre divisions and inspiring no small amount of controversy for its political, sexual and occasionally downright obscene content.

Never one to tread the usual paths, however, Matt Panesh (the Monkey in question) has decided that a conventional live album just won’t do.

“It’s hard enough to entertain with just one voice and one body in front of a crowd but take away the body and leave the voice and it gets harder still… I thought the idea of a radio play with some acidic asides and poetry to emphasize certain points could be more effective.”

Effective is one way of putting it. Mould-breaking is another. Panesh’s signature enthusiasm-combined-with-rage is typically delicious here but all the more moving when set within the grey confines of a kitchen sink radio drama.

“The play was born out of a desire to reflect the society we live in… and to mock it! The album afforded me some amazing liberties - allowing me to push the boundaries of the original show and then laugh heartily when the cast subsequently ran with the ideas.”

He goes on to address the subject of poetry itself:

“I’m very protective of poetry as a form. I loathe people who want to identify it as Poetry rather than Entertainment. Entertainment covers anything that’s entertaining, Poetry allows people to don their righteous boots… It’s the opera syndrome, if you will.”

With this album Monkey Poet explodes the form entirely, with some elements taken from live performances, some set to music and others played out by actors. The collaborative element working under Panesh’s stewardship is certainly one of the record’s great strengths and features wonderful turns from label-mates Biff Roxby (from The Bedlam Six - who also produces the record) and the legendary voice-over skills of Richard Barry.

So does Matt believe this is the future for recorded poetry?

“Well, it’s not perfect but I think it stands as a blueprint for possibilities in this field.”

We wonder what he has in store for us next…

Welcome To The UK can be freely downloaded from the Debt Records shop for the duration of the St George’s Day weekend. It goes on general release 6th May 2010.

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