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Toploader

August 23, 2025 14:28

Toploader is an English rock band from Eastbourne (East Sussex). Founded in 1997, they are best known for their debut album Onka's Big Moka, which sold over a million copies and remained in the top 5 of the UK Albums chart for six months.

The band received four nominations at the 2001 Brit Awards. They are best known for their cover of the song ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ (2000), which became an international hit and reached high positions in the charts of several countries.

Country	United Kingdom (Eastbourne, East Sussex)
Years of foundation	Founded in 1997
Years of activity	1997–2003, 2009 to present
Genres	Post-Britpop, alternative rock, indie rock, pop rock
Members	Joseph Washbourn, Dan Hipgrave, Rob Green (formerly also Matt Knight, Julian Deane)
Awards and nominations	4 Brit Awards nominations in 2001; ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ 4x platinum certification by the BPI

Who are Toploader?

Toploader quickly gained popularity. Their debut album, Onka's Big Moka, sold over a million copies and remained in the top 5 of the UK Albums chart for six months. The band received four nominations at the Brit Awards in 2001. But it was their hugely successful cover of the song ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ (2000), which became a global hit, that brought them true international fame. After a hiatus from 2003 to 2009, Toploader returned and continue to tour and release music today.

List of awards and nominations

Despite the fact that Toploader's discography is relatively compact, and their peak popularity came at the turn of the 1990s and 2000s, the band managed to receive notable awards and nominations. The main source of their recognition was the hit ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’.

In 2001, Toploader received four nominations for the Brit Awards, the UK's premier music award. The categories included:

British Breakthrough Act (Best British Breakthrough of the Year).
British Group (Best British Group).
British Single for the cover of ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’.
British Album for the debut release Onka's Big Moka.

Although the band did not win any awards at the time, the nominations themselves cemented Toploader's status as one of the most promising acts of the early 2000s.

Sales and streaming certificates were received, as well as international awards and recognition. For example, BPI (British Phonographic Industry). ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ received a 4x platinum certificate in the UK. This means more than 2.4 million copies sold and equivalent streams.

In 2001, at the Danish Music Awards, the version of the song ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ was nominated in the Foreign Hit of the Year category. This confirms that the band's success went far beyond their native UK.

The cover of ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ has been re-released many times and has made it into the charts even years after its initial release (for example, it returned to the UK Top 40 in 2013 and 2020 thanks to its use in advertising and TV shows). This is a kind of ‘informal recognition’, because not every song remains relevant decades later.

In Ireland and Australia, the track also received gold and platinum status, reflecting the song's enormous popularity among listeners around the world.

Toploader at festivals

The energy and melodiousness of their songs have always been reflected on big stages. Since the late 1990s, the band has been actively participating in the festival movement in the UK and Europe, which has allowed them to conquer not only the charts but also the hearts of thousands of people gathered under the open sky.

After the release of their debut album Onka's Big Moka in 2000, Toploader became frequent guests at such iconic festivals as:

Glastonbury Festival. The iconic British festival where Toploader played in the early 2000s. Their hits, including Achilles Heel and Dancing in the Moonlight, drew crowds of thousands.
V Festival and T in the Park (2001). Here, the band shared the stage with Muse and Coldplay, confirming their place among the strongest representatives of the post-Britpop scene.

Toploader not only participated in festivals, but were also invited as the opening act for world stars:

Bon Jovi. Toploader became the last British band to play at the old Wembley Stadium before its renovation. This event went down in history.
Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, Tom Jones, Simple Minds and Noel Gallagher. Such joint tours and festivals significantly expanded their audience.

toploader members — Toploader at festival

After a hiatus (2003–2009), the band returned to the stage and re-entered the festival scene. Their music acquired new versions and fresh arrangements, which attracted a younger generation of listeners. During this period, Toploader became frequent guests at family festivals such as Chris Evans' CarFest, as well as regional events throughout the UK.

In the 2020s, Toploader continues to actively participate in summer festivals. In 2025, their schedule includes performances at:

Hardwick Festival.
Victorious Festival.
Sunshine Festival.
Smoke and Fire Festival.
Fix Fest (South of England Showground, Ardingly).

Toploader has also performed at Brixton Academy on numerous occasions.

Toploader band members

members of toploader — Toploader band members

The band is known not only for its hits, but also for the charismatic musicians behind its success. Each member of the band has contributed to the formation of the band's recognisable sound and stage image. Let's take a look at the key musicians.

Main band members:

Joseph Washbourn

toploader lead singer — Toploader Joseph Washbourn

Vocalist and keyboardist, one of the band's founders. Born in the United Kingdom, he has been passionate about music since his youth, studying keyboard and vocals. In Toploader, he became the author of many songs and the recognisable voice of the band. In addition to music, Joseph is involved in production and solo projects. The musician says little about his personal life, but it is known that he is married and raising children, preferring to keep his family out of the public eye.

Rob Green

toploader band members — Toploader Rob Green

Toploader's bass guitarist, who joined the band early on and became an important part of its sound. Rob was actively involved in the creation of studio albums, tours and live performances. The musician is known for his reserved attitude towards popularity and rarely shares details of his private life. It is known that he lives in the UK, enjoys sports and values his privacy, trying to separate his work in the band from his personal life.

Dan Hipgrave

toploader guitarist — Toploader Dan Hipgrave

Guitarist and keyboardist, born on 5 August 1975 in Brighton. He studied psychiatric nursing at the University of Sussex but left his studies in 1996 to pursue a music career with Toploader. From early on, Dan was a key figure in the band's creation and sound, especially on their debut album, Onka's Big Moka. After commercial success and the subsequent termination of their contract following their second album, Toploader split up in 2003 but reunited in 2009, and Hipgrave continues to perform with the band to this day.

Toploader albums

The band's most popular albums are:

Onka's Big Moka. Released on 22 May 2000. Genre: post-Britpop, alternative rock; produced by Dave Eringa. Reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and remained on the chart for six months.
Magic Hotel. The second album reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart.
Dancing in the Moonlight – The Best of Toploader. A compilation of the best songs, including an acoustic version of Dancing in the Moonlight. Released on 9 March 2009.
The third studio album, Only Human, was released in June 2011 after the band reunited.

Popular songs

All-time hits:

Dancing in the Moonlight. The main hit, a cover of King Harvest. Released in February 2000, reissued in November with remixes, it eventually reached No. 7 in the UK and went 4x platinum.
Achilles Heel.
Time of My Life.
Only for a While.

Toploader upcoming events

August 2025 is a busy month for the band:

23 August. Hardwick Festival (County Durham). One of the main festivals in the north of England, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.
24 August. Sunshine Festival (Worcestershire). A traditional summer festival with a positive atmosphere.
24–25 August. Victorious Festival (Portsmouth). One of the largest festivals in the south of the UK. The band shares the stage with other British stars and attracts thousands of people to open-air venues.
30 August. Fix Fest, South of England Showground, Ardingly. The final major summer event on the schedule.

Although the official schedule for autumn and winter has not yet been announced, Toploader traditionally participates in Christmas shows and themed concert tours in the UK. European dates are also possible.

Toploader merch

The official Toploader website has a ‘Cart’ section where merchandise (folders, cards, souvenir boxes) can be registered. Details of the range are not disclosed, but it is possible to purchase clothing, posters and, possibly, souvenirs related to the tour and album.