The Rampants formed in the winter of 95.

We made our first appearance at the Moreton Bay Morris Ale, with our first public appearance at the Queensland Folk Federation's Mediaeval Fayre the very next day. We received a good reaction. The visiting AMR Squire was impressed ...or stunned, and possibly still is!

Initially the side invited/seduced/conned dancers from other sides to form our core. We wanted to be a compact traveling side of experienced dancers. It was intended to be a mixed side although Rampant Mk 1 was all male ...but not for very long.

The kit was designed to be different from anything else in the country and so far still is. Belted red tabards, long sleeve white cheese cloth shirts and dark green tights, rather Mediaeval in design. The combination of the kit and style of aggressive Cotswold drew in an interested crowd.

After a very successful 'tour' of the National Folk Festival in Canberra in '96 we came to the conclusion that Rampant was a bit 'bigger' than we had first thought.

WE HAD GROUPIES!!!

But this hasn't enlarged our egos ....

Our musicians consist of three.

David the Piper, Ron then Drummer and Seamus on everything else.

These tight guys give the side a very mediaeval sound. And occasionally, us dancers a heart attack! They like to play fast!!!

We dance traditions like Bucknall, Brackley, Bampton, Upton, Adderbury, Eynsham and a little Border. Our style of dance has been described as a Cotswold/Border hybrid, we're still unsure if this is an insult.

The side generally take dances and tweak them. We didn't know it was tweaking 'till we heard of Simon Pipe's Sydmouth workshop. This makes the performance a little more interesting, if occasionally dangerous for the audience, and confusing for the visiting dancer!

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