The Spooky Men’s Chorale 25th Birthday Tour is coming to Abergavenny, hitting the stage at The Borough Theatre on July 24.

On 4 August 2001, at Eastside Paddington Church, a genial scrum of bearded fellows shuffled onto the stage. How could any of us have known that 25 years later they would still be at it after nearly 1000 gigs, 8 albums, 14 tours of UK/Europe, and the small matter of singlehandedly redefining men’s singing?

But they are. And now, the Spooky Men will celebrate their birthday with a tour a little different to any other they have done. It will be a birthday party, a retrospective, and a showcase of everything they have become. There will be a number of chunky gems from the past, but also the very best pickings from their current spooky tool bag.

The Guardian’s review of the group says "It takes a rare skill to be very silly, thoughtful, and sing in perfect harmony, but the Spooky Men's Chorale manage to achieve just that."

The Spooky Men are not easy to describe: Founded by Stephen Taberner and Inspired by the great Georgian choirs of the Caucasian mountains, they aim to both celebrate and mock masculinity with a unique cocktail of mighty boofiness, charming stupidity, and exquisite tenderness that may well bring a tear to your eye.

Each show is journey rich with theatrical and storytelling elements, but what is most notable is the humanity that is evoked. No subject is too trivial or weighty for their attention, and such ability to find new musical rooms to explore contributes greatly to their astonishing fan loyalty. “Gird your loins: this is the one spooky show in the history of spooky shows that you should not miss.”