British drummer and percussionist Dave Allan was a member of God's Little Monkeys, a folk-rock quartet based out of York that recorded in the late '80s and early '90s. The band was compared to the Pogues and enjoyed by much the same audience. Another reference point was the Oyster Band, another Northern English folk group known for sophisticated harmonies and tough political lyrics. God's Little Monkeys had a repertoire that was something like a history book, one chapter medieval and the next rockabilly.

Allen was also a member of both Malcolm's Interview and Malcolm's Mother, basically similar lineups with worse and worser names, if such a thing is possible. The other members of these original formations were vocalist and guitarist Jon Townend, keyboardist and vocalist Jo Swiss, and bassist Martin Appleby. The earliest record release from this bunch was on the scrambled Eggs Will Walk label, a 12" 1986 EP that included assaults on traditional songs. Malcom's Interview released on album in 1987, after which Appleby dropped from the band's tree, the hole more than covered by new member Dave Wall. The Alias label released the first effort under the God's Little Monkeys moniker in 1989. The band also released a pair of noise-folk albums on the brave Cooking Vinyl label. Like his fellow bandmates, Allen was incensed when one of the group's albums was remixed by another label with which it had recently signed a contract, the ensuing controversy stirring up the kettle to the point where the entire band boiled over. Allen dropped out completely at that point, although his former bandmates tried getting a new contract for the group, apparently with no success. God's Little Monkeys was always more popular in North America, including Canada, than in the band's homeland. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi