On Saturday 25th February, ‘broken-folk’ duo Lunatraktors returned to The Met for their highly anticipated gig in our Derby Hall.

Lunatraktors is comprised of choreographer and percussionist Carli Jefferson (she/her) and vocalist and researcher Clair Le Couteur (they/them).

The duo are known for their ability to strip folk down to it’s bare bones to create a truly unique live sound and their Derby Hall gig was no exception. Ethereal tonal percussion was mixed with harmonic singing alongside whistles, drones and analogue synth. The gig also showcased Lunatraktor’s visual performance art with several elaborate costume changes and Jefferson’s evocative tap-dance and body percussion.

The performance was also available to watch as a free live-stream to provide access to those who were not able to attend for physical, neurological, geographic or financial reasons. You can watch the full recording of the live-stream here:

Ahead of their evening performance, Clair and Carli lead ‘Dancing in Circles’, a performance masterclass session that took place in our Box theatre. The workshop aimed to improve participant’s ability to improvise, play in sync with other singers and sense subtleties in tone and rhythm. Attendees were encouraged to express themselves through voice and learn how to do this instinctively. The session culminated with an improvised harmonic singing session, aided by the beautiful acoustics of The Met’s foyer.

In between their fantastic workshop and gig, we sat down with Lunatraktors to discuss what inspires their music, the political history of folk and how queer culture has influenced their writing and sound. You can check out what they had to say here:

We’d like to say a huge thank you to those who attended the workshop and the gig, the livestream viewers and above all Lunatraktors for creating such a unique and special event.