Mystery band Santa Belles releases charity single

A popular band from Hackney has entered the yuletide spirit by recording a Christmas charity single to raise money for homeless people in the borough.

The Santa Belles, who in another guise are a successful post-punk outfit on the underground scene, release their Christmas Hoedown song on 11 December. The launch party, on the same day at The Victoria pub on Queensbridge Road, features the Belles, Miss Roberts and Some Mechanicals and Raagnagrok, all of whom will play their own interpretation of Christmas classics, plus DJ Sci Fly. Proceeds will go to charities Shelter and St Mungo’s.

A video by animator Squid that accompanies the song will also be shown.

The track itself is a good-natured folk-tinged ballad played on flugel horn, banjolin (a cross between and banjo and a mandolin) and guitar with lyrics that hint at looking to the future in a time of political uncertainty.

The band’s banjolin player, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “It’s just a bit of fun. We thought it would be good to put out a Christmas song – you know how annoying they usually are. We wanted to raise a bit of money for charity and do something different.”

The Santa Belles Christmas Hoedown is available on iTunes, CDbaby and Amazon. The accompanying video can be watched on YouTube.

Urban Missfits Christmas party
Saturday 11 December 2010
8pm-2am
The Victoria
435 Queensbridge Road
E8 3AS

Free entry