Flintshire-based band Junebug were at Chester Zoo to perform live renditions of their latest double ‘Ape-side’ charity release on Monday, October 27.
The three-strong band had a bumper half-term turnout to join them and sing along in celebration of October‘s Go Orange for Orangutans campaign at Chester Zoo.
Two of Junebug’s latest self-penned tracks have been specially written to support Chester Zoo’s £15,000 Go Orange for Orangutans 2014 appeal, which runs throughout this month.
Both tracks can be digitally downloaded for a donation of as little as £1 - though people can give more - and all the proceeds will go directly to the Go Orange appeal. Download them from the band’s website junebugtheband.bandcamp.com
The band’s line-up consists of North Wales brothers Ralph and Guy Latham and Warren Gilbert, of Wirral.
Warren travels from Wallasey to Flintshire each week to meet the brothers for rehearsals in Brynford, near Holywell.
They hope the tracks - titled The Song of the Apes, and She’s an Ape, Not a Monkey - will also raise awareness about the important wildlife welfare work supported by Go Orange for Orangutans 2014.
Ralph said: “It was a bit of a coincidence really, we were playing around looking for new subjects to write about when we just hit on some ideas on the theme of apes.
“Around the same time we happened to hear about the Go Orange appeal, mainly because I am a member of Chester Zoo and receive its regular quarterly magazine. We were all touched by the plight of the orangutan population which has lost 80% of its native habitat in Borneo, so we thought why not do our bit to help out? The ape theme of our songs tied in perfectly with the appeal.”
Ralph, 33, Guy, 38, and Warren, 42, have been gigging with Junebug for more than 10 years and built up a loyal local following of fans.
“Guy and I have been playing together since our teens, then we met Warren and eventually formed the band. We play quite a bit locally and have also done gigs further afield, even as far as Scotland and Cornwall,” said Ralph.
Chester Zoo development manager, Melanie Cowieson, praised the band’s new songs and said: “It is so good of Junebug to support us like this. Not only will anyone who downloads either of these tracks be directly helping our Go Orange for Orangutans fundraising appeal but they will get some great music to listen to as well. We urge young and old to come along to the zoo to see their live appearance during school half term week on October 27.”
The goal of Go Orange for Orangutans 2014 is to raise enough money to replant a key area of woodland in Borneo which will enable orangutans to move more freely around the forest. It costs £10 to buy the seed, plant out and nurture each sapling so it stands a chance of developing into a mature tree. Chester Zoo aims to finance the cost of 1,500 trees, costing a total of £15,000.
Find out more about how you can help Go Orange for Orangutans 2014 at www.actforwildlife.org.uk/orange .
