Meet the Phunky Monkeyz!
From a stage made of wooden pallets to sold-out Funky Fridays, meet the Imperial-born band keeping the funk in student nightlife.
As ‘Halloweekend’ fades into memory, it’s safe to say that the Elephant and Barrel was the place to be on Halloween Eve, all thanks to the Phunky Monkeyz. Born out of Imperial’s student community, this playful seven piece band blends strings, keys and brass to deliver familiar anthems with a groovy spin, drawing inspiration from Stevie Wonder, Ezra Collective and Ray Charles. Their lively, thoroughly curated Funky Fridays are becoming an increasingly popular fixture on Imperial live music fans’ social calendars. But before sold-out nights or even an established logo, the band had a rather humble and wholesome start.
Origins
It all began when three friends came together for Imperial’s 2025 Battle of the Bands. Their next stage, however, was a little less conventional. After their first taste of playing for an audience, they decided to entertain guests with a short live set of soul, pop, and funk at the joint birthday party of the band’s saxophonist and marketing manager. To highlight the band, they constructed a makeshift platform in their living room with inexpensive wooden pallets and plenty of fairy lights. Between the spontaneity of the gig and the charm of the decor, the crowd was surely pleased. What soon followed was an invitation to play at another friend’s party, this time at a local Fulham pub – the Elephant and Barrel. The venue took a liking to them too (potentially due to a suited-up first impression), and has become the regular home to their performances. The band has since evolved and welcomed new, mostly Imperial members, with the current ensemble comprising Sebastian Hoving, Ayden Karim, Freddie Pointon, Dermot Mooney, Edward Peng, Leo Ghaw, David Barry, Aditya Subrahmanian, and singer Hannah Hollenbery among guest appearances. While covers remain central to their acts, the band have also written two excellently received originals, which “popped into existence in an afternoon.”
Funky Fridays
Before long, the Phunky Monkeyz had found a way to make Fridays a little funkier. The clear and abundant support from their peers encouraged the band to take their performances to a professional level, coining Funky Fridays: semi-regular live music nights at the Elephant and Barrel, described as a “perfect crossover between pub and club”. These events notably feature an upbeat extended set by the band playing jazz, soul, and rock favourites, followed by IC Radio DJs to electrify the dancefloor ‘til late, for an outing suffused with recognisable ambience (shoutout to Mia Taylor Robinson, marketing manager) and stellar energy. Their first official event had groundbreaking attendance, which has only since been growing.
So, what exactly is it that keeps students coming back? A handful of reasons make it the ideal night out: a convenient location to campus, affordable live music (only a fiver!), a free shot, a high likelihood of seeing friends or, at the very least, like-minded people, and ultimately an undeniable sense of community. Their latest Halloween themed event illustrates this brilliantly.
A Halloween Highlight
Under cobwebs, skulls and giant spiders, students in costumes embraced the occasion as the band returned this academic year, from film characters and real-life cryptic crossword clues to supernatural entities. Thid-year Design Engineering students, Leila and Kyara, who went as clowns, were named the best-dressed by the band, who awarded them a custom Phunky Monkeyz lantern (congratulations!).
The band themselves poured out their vast musical talent, treating the crowd to an awesome rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”, shredded by substitute lead guitarist Euan Bridges, and more. A particular highlight of the night was Leo’s synth solos; they are seriously not to miss. A special mention also goes to IC Radios’s Maya and Cam B2B as Global Freakwencies.
What’s next?
The academic year has just begun, and if you’ve missed this event, fear not! The band aims to grow even greater and grander, and there is plenty to look forward to. Keep your eyes peeled for their next event and their posters around campus. They may even have clip-on microphones by the next time we see them, bringing a new dimension to their act. They’ve certainly come a long way
