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Some brilliant pics of Shamrock here: http://www.event.fotowut.de/shamrock10/uebersicht_shamrock10.html

I rather like this one! 

http://www.event.fotowut.de/shamrock10/konzerte/BleedingHearts/slides/bleedinghearts_82.html

[Mark joins the A Team at Bremen Maritime Festival]

Whoops, external pressures meant that our little trip to Bremen Maritime Festival went uncommented upon. Well, the first gig was great, sunshine, good crowd and street dancing, err, ok harbourside dancing. Cool. Alas, the Saturday night was a washout, second Saturday night German festival in a row that was a washout.

However, plenty of people stood in the driving rain to watch us which was uber-cool! The Bremen press, lamenting the fact that the festival is switching tack slightly and is not purely about sea songs, beards and olde worlde stuff anymore declared that we were ‘experimental folk-rock’ that appeal to the younger audience, we guess that means anyone under 40! This was a positive review and we did make the front page, so I guess that means we had some positive impact. We sold lots of CD’s and t-shirts so that is a good indicator too.

Mark joins the A Team at Bremen Maritime Festival

A special thanks to Frank and Sonja who organised it all for us and let us stay in their beautiful new (actually 1930’s) house they just got. Their house is an example why our economy is fucked. Here we happily pay £170,000 (average) for a house the size of a shoe box yet argue over paying £2 for a t-shirt made in China. I still don’t get that by the way. Over there you can get a detached house, with garage, converted attic, 3plus rooms, basement, work room and summer house for less than half our average house price. So, if you are still wondering how the UK got where we are are? Greed!

Thanks to Frank and Sonja - thats them in the background

So what about our latest venture on Friday 13th? Saturday 14th?

First off, this was a mad driving weekend where we did over 2000 miles at excessive speed to be able to make ferries and gigs. Not ideal and not something we care to repeat. The gigs were just too far apart at 350 miles. It has injured the van, which now has to go to the van doctor this weekend. Shit.

We did let Ewan visit Musik Productiv in Osnabrucke to try all the guitars out – and had a little mini-band-rehearsal on £3000 guitars ha ha, not that the staff were amused.

This was a weekend where Ewan came with us to lend his mando and cittern to the sound. Mark didn’t travel with us to the first gig, so we guess he don’t like folk then? Why? ‘Cus we played a famous folk club in Venne, which is host to one of the biggest purer folk-fests in Germany. Acoustic was order of the day, sitting down, Gaz on box and me on me chair too. Gel has that ADHD so he stood up. It was intimate, yes we could smell each others sweat after 18 hours in the van together and 800 miles. The gig was actually a bit of a blast and we enjoyed it and took the chance to throw in a couple of newbies we’d been working on with Ewan. The second of these songs ‘Ballad for the Fallen Soldier’ was a particular hit; with folks asking where can they buy it…well you can’t, it’s one for the new album hopefully.

Relaxing in the folkclub


Ewan and hat in folkclub

Another mad drive…………………..then to Shamrock Castle Festival, courtesy of Germany’s ‘Fiddler's Green’ folkrock band.  Mark hooked up with us for this one by flying in and adding to his increasing carbon footprint what with flights for work and gas guzzling scoobies.

Our stuff waiting backstage at Shamrock

We didn’t think he had actually arrived until about an hour before the gig as he went straight to bed to sleep on his arrival. Then when we did see him he forgot something from the hotel room and didn’t fancy walking back down and up the rather steep hill, being the old fart he is and out of condition. So, as we were heading down there to get changed, he gave us his key for his room, to get his bits and pieces. Yup, bad move Mark, this is a rock n roll band and you just gave your keys to us elderly juvenile delinquents. Ha ha bloody fool. Needless to say, we re-decorated his hotel room and trashed it for him.

Part of our redecoration of Mark's room project

Anyway, the festival itself is set in castle ground full of lubberly peeps. Fiddler's Green made us feel very welcome and we really like those guys, all the bands were ace.

Backstage at Shamrock with Fiddler's accordian player

We did our set, it went down a storm! You may see some pictures of Gel with top off having his chest rubbed by the front row of the crowd against the crash barriers. One too many rottweins! He was deffo not with it Sunday, every time you spoke to him all you got was ‘uhh?’ There was much dancing and singing to our tunes and we even noticed quite a few ‘Bleeding Hearts’ t-shirts in the crowd, maybe we are famous after all,……….nah, maybe not.

Some new friends we met at Shamrock

After our set we stuck around, drunk a few more excellent german beers served in these crockery long jugs…..EWAN!!!!!!! (he’ll know what I mean)  and watched the Fiddler's Green boys who played a great set and have this ‘wheel of folk’ thing going off. Bit like the motorbike wheel of death they used to do at circuses. Check out their website, there is a mini-video of it. It looks great, the whole crowd moving around the guitarist in a circle as he stands on a plinth in the centre of the crowd out front. I wanna do that but with people jumping up and down at the same time.

Those crockery beer glasses we never took home with us


Fiddler's Green live at Shamrock, from backstage

Up early on Sunday, collect the van and notice my new Mercedes Benz is waiting for me….how kind of someone.

Check out this numberplate at Shamrock - could be mine!

Mad dash to Calais and 550 mile trip, met a mad Belgium bloke on the motorway who kept cutting us up and circling the van like a shark. We couldn’t work out whether he was a nutter or copper. Anyways, he fucked off after I opened the window and scowled at him.

Following that was a starliner tourbus in front of us with a unique name ‘assman’ Mark dear are you watching this? We don’t want anyone to think we are politically incorrect but every band has a tour-target and this time it was Mark’s turn. Watch out for who we pick on next. It keeps us sane on the road and everyone must do their duty and take their turn. Good sport Mark is.

Is this the Starliner tour bus we need?  Note name please Mark

Got to Calais after 9 hours or was it more? Storms at sea…nice…bumpy ride………anyone for dinner?

Eating ice cream on a stormy sea - clever or not?

That’s it for a fortnight, more blogs maybe soon…

Foxie

[The Vogelwald Tour – Bodensee Germany 16/17 July 2010.]

The Vogelwald Tour – Bodensee Germany 16/17 July 2010.


This was the first mini-tour with Lizzie in tow as Mark was otherwise detained but not by HMP Service.

Now the first thing to say is that Bodensee, the lake which marks the border between Germany, Austria and Switzerland is a long fukin way away. That Lizzie had this as an introduction is all credit to her – being cooped up in a van with 3 stinky blokes for over 1,000 miles when you’re a ‘lady’ you know is no mean feat. Respect.

Jeez this driving lark is boring!

Note the not ‘posed’ picture outside a German motorway toilet….is that George Michael I see in the background. And stop it with those rock poses boys ‘n’ girls…it is sooooooooooooo 80’s….oh yup forgot, that’s where the Tories and their Lib-dem poodles are taking us.

Now where is George?

More eighties posing!

In one comedy moment Lizzie did ask however why all roads lead to a town called ‘ausfahrt’ yes it is THE most popular town in Germany. It may not be Rome or Darlington (-: but all roads lead there ha ha….Irony!

Vogelwald is a crackin’ festie by the lake except in summer it’s very hot (when it don’t rain) and is plagued by mosquitos! Needless to say we wuz bitt’n all ova with Gaz suffering more than most as his blood must be very tasty.

The gig was a fine affair with lubberly crowd dancing the night away and despite some electrical mishaps at the start, bloody non-earthed euro electrics, we played a stormin 2 hour set. Go look for ‘rock im vogelwald’ and discover if there are any pics out there.

Vogelwald rocks out

After the gig, it was time to eat cake – yes I did say cake as after 24 hours in a van, no sleep, no food and being hungry for sugar, cake IS the order of the day in this part of the world. Only trouble is, being tired, Gel totally missed the cake when he had a knife in his hand and sliced the top off his thumb, oh dear Thumbelina. Still, it added to the taste of the cake as it was Gaz’s slice of cake he was cutting and that attracted even more mozzies to him. Nice.

Where's the first aider gone?

We have to say we were very well looked after by Michael and his crew at Vogelwald, we made some new friends and had a ball! So Cheers!

I just want to say something about the B&B we stayed at in Vogelwald – great scenery. In fact this is the area that ‘The Great Escape’ looks like it could have been made in with the rolling hills and borderland back-drop. I decided to take a pic from the balcony and just after my camera went click a guy went past on a really old motorcycle, missed it….was that the ghost of  Steve McQueen? Shit! Shame the real film was actually meant to be in Poland…Switzerland is a long way from Poland in wartime on a motorcycle…that’s Hollywood license eh?

Just missed Steve McQueen

Now then, Saturday was a totally different affair…………………we were told in advance that if it’s wet we play indoors and if its hot then it's outdoors. It was bucketing with rain and yet they decided still outdoors…now even Germans aren’t that mad are they? Outside? In fat rain? Yup…………………who is going stand outside in fat rain watching a band when they can sit indoors getting pissed looking outside….exactly…..it was a washout but we managed to convince them we should do an unplugged version indoors in the café-bar, which after their vast expense on stage and PA, they were clearly not keen on….but as no-one wanted to stand outside watching an otherwise excellent covers support band (boneshaker) they got our message. The site was a swimming pool…lido to you and me and as it was pissing down, youths were swimming in the lido in the dark…totally mental eh?

No sunshine here

So we did an indoors unplugged set with minimal equipment, treated it like a busking session and were a great hit, especially as we threw in some face to face street theatre antics ha ha. I even fell over ending up with my whole left side bruised and a chunk out of my beloved thinline telecaster, now that hurts! But job done!

Some new friends escaping the rain

And then for the journey home after 3 hours sleep. A bit of ferry shopping looking for the new band image inspired by Lizzie….what dya think? Will it work?

New image Gel eh?



Not sure this is gonna work?



Still not sure this is gonna work!

All in all a very tidy weekend and everyone came home happy - even us. Gel has seen the funny side to his sliced finger dilemma – a smiley face on his bandage which he promises to give to Gaz when it comes off. Where ya gonna put that then Gaz?

Cheers - Foxie

Smile Thumbelina

[The journey there]

The weekend festivals we were playing over the dates 2 and 3 July had a bit of a maritime theme – something to be repeated in August if you note.

Thankfully the journey over was non eventful; just as we like it - but it was clear the temperature was hotting up and peaked at 34 degrees centigrade which was quite something as the heat was frying us in the van, and the street. Hot mineral water and hot sweaty cheese sandwiches do nothing for your digestive system either I can tell you.

The journey there

On Friday we played in Bremerhaven, which is a big port full of maritime history and famous for the invention of the first proper submarine at the end of WW2 – so we are told. Until then all subs had been boats that could go underwater but 1945 marked the first truly modern sub design – we’ve been on it and to be honest we can’t tell the difference but they tell us its true. Our host for the evening was Bernd from the Muckefuck, whose past life as a sailor was on sub-killing aircraft among other things. Nice guy.

He’d organised the whole street festival thing in Bremerhaven for years now and does a great job with stalls and beer and stalls and beer and stalls and beer; yup lots of beer, which meant a long night in one individuals case, not saying who ha ha.

On the way there we did our usual pilgrimage to the music mega store in Ibbenburen but each visit gets more disappointing with uninspiring instruments on offer and rising Euro zone prices making the UK look cheap  - it used to be the other way around. In one case a USA Fender guitar costing £600 here was nearly 900 Euro and at a near match for euro vs £ that’s a huge mark-up! Fuel too is getting to be the same kind of price as over here making our Euro ventures more expensive to cover costs.

Anyways, back to the gig – I think it’s fair to say we rocked but the heat and alcohol wacked the audience out and they were on their arses before us. 1,000 folks all hot and sweaty and drunk and exhausted from dancing in the heat is a rather interesting picture – unfortunately my battery on my phone had died so no pix alas. Maybe some photos will pop up on the Bremerhaven muckefuck site before long so keep an eye out eh?

Sleep was at a premium with the ‘disco’ music below our room thumping on until 6am, long after we finished our set - but boy the heat made anything but lying down and drinking vast quantities of liquid impossible anyway. We took to sitting on the stairs in the communal hallway as that seemed the coolest place to be to avoid our sweat sweating and developing a heat rash.

Saturday we were back to the boat Treue on the river in Bremen.

I really need some sleep


I am still pissed from last night


Calm down now its Gel relaxing in the heat


Mine's a mineral water please

In the afternoon we watched the Germany vs Argentina game on TV with the Germans but boy they are NOT in any way as nuts as the English when it comes to supporting their team. NO shouting at the TV, NO chants, little debate, just a cheer when they score. Strange lot those Germans – and it was the same last time we were over when they lost to Serbia, we thought it was just ‘cus they lost, but nope that’s the way they are. You would think a 4-0 drubbing of Argentina would be something exciting to watch but no it was dull dull dull. Can’t wait for the probable Holland vs Germany final, boy that’s gonna  be exciting in a dull as dishwater way. The less said about England the better but those t-shirts they had over there with the score ‘4 – (with a 2 crossed out) – 1 and no penalties’ slogan at least showed some comic merit. Bastards! Funny enough the TV commentators didn’t miss any opportunity to say they beat England 4-1. ok ok enough is enough, at least the 66 ball over the line debate is now well and truly dead. Let’s move on.

Yay its Germany Argentina in a bit, look at the crowd

And yes its 4 nil, yawn

There’s some pics of the boat – we played it before in the winter but this time it was much better – a full house and a storming gig and some new fans to boot or should that be boat?! What’s more just before we played a breeze picked up and kept us cool while playing. Then the heavens opened, lightning but no noise, odd indeed.

How did you do that when on stage?

Check out our new friends in the photos and apart from anything this gig will be famous for the fact we were all totally teetotal, it was just too hot beforehand to consume any more beer without the risk of passing out ha ha.

Meet the crew

On that note, our next trip’s in a couple of weeks when Lizzie joins us as Mark is otherwise engaged with domestic matters etc…. and it’s by a river…there’s a theme developing here…………….

Foxie

9 July: Nozstock Festival, BBC Garden Stage, Bromyard, UK (live BBC transmission 8pm)

16 July: Vogelwald Festival,  Laimnau bei Tettnang, Germany (www.vogelwald.de) (with Lizzie)
17 July: Warmfreibad, Badstr. 30, Fischbachau, Germany (www.musik-gastronacht.de) (with Lizzie)

6 August: Festival Maritim, Vegesack-Bremen, Germany (www.festival-maritim.de)
7 August: Festival Maritim, Vegesack-Bremen, Germany (www.festival-maritim.de)

13 August: Folk Klub Venne, Haupstr 29, Venne (nr. Osnabruck), Germany ( 4 piece acoustic with Ewan)
14 August: Shamrock Festival, Burg Waischenfeld, Waischenfeld, Germany (5 piece line-up inc Mark & Ewan)

27 August: Zytanien Festival, nr Hannover, Germany (www.zytanien.de)
28 August: Burgfolk Festival, Mulheim, Germany

17 September: Royal Oak, 175 Felixstowe Road, Ipswich (www.myspace.com/the_royal_oak_ipswich)
18 September: Alchemy Festival, Lincs, UK (full details tbc)

27 November: The Wheatsheaf, Leighton Buzzard, UK (www.thewheatie.co.uk)

Bleeders Towers
Wednesday 5th May 2010

Main plot: rant        }
Sub-plot: new song }   or is it the other way round?

Hey, hello folks, Foxie here with my final pre-election rant fuelled by quality French Vino:

This is a bit of an unusual mailout - so firstly, please visit our ‘Attack’ page for the latest gig updates. There’s a few more on there and there’s more to come.

Right, propaganda version 1 done.

Here’s propaganda version 2:

Main Plot:
It’s only a day away to one of the most important elections in a generation and we have a choice to make………errr actually except we don’t really, do we?

There’s the winner of ‘Britain’s Got No Politics X Factor Mr Universe’ Nick Clegg with his flip flop policies and ‘deal or no deal’ show, who wants to change the face of politics but not really as he appears to have ruled PR out as a pre-requisite for a deal, or has he? Anything to get a say in Government…yep they are ALL the same!

There’s ‘dim but nice’ Dave Cameron presenting the friendly face of Toryism that won’t attack pensioners allowances or the needy (honest – read his contract with the electorate – have you read that shit? Try suing him in 5 years and see how far you get?!) whilst at the same time saying he’s gonna' chop £27 billion in public spending this year without affecting frontline services – mmmmmmmmmmm - and he does cosy deals with right wing nutters in Europe to appease the right in his party. Where you at Dave eh?

Then finally, there’s gorgeous Gordon Brown, the alleged man of substance and uglier than all of them put together and deadlier than a ‘live’ microphone. Oh, and the reason to vote for him is that the Labour Party are not quite as bad as the other two, well thanks for the vision and positive vibe dude. Inspire me, that’s what I want and need along a reason to vote for you and this ain’t happening right now.

Anyone else feel a bit dis-enfranchised and confused here? Like we got a Hobson’s Choice? Where is the credible alternative, the passion, the vision, and the political philosophy for the 21st Century? The 18th century had the industrial revolution, the 19th century had reform and rise of the vote and worker rights, the 20th century was the people’s century and saw the rise of idealism like socialism. What we got now? Administrators and beaurocrats moving the deck chairs around on the good ship Titanic as it decides which iceberg to hit, as one will cause less damage than the other.

We see the EU and IMF deciding the future of a country like Greece while the people of the country rebel, as they are the ones who will pay the price – not the faceless bankers and politicians who caused it by being in hock to global capitalism. And who knows………………like dominoes we might be next…Spain is already in the hat. But will we rebel?…are we angry?…I don’t see it - sorry. WE WILL get the Government we deserve whoever it is and it’s no good saying it ain’t your fault ‘cus it’s all of our faults.

I do agree with Gordon that the Tories will really screw us and fire us back into recession and I ain’t forgot the 80’s (but credit where credit is due [irony] ‘cus if I hadn’t grown up with the Thatcher back-drop I wouldn’t be so angry or creative, so cheers Maggie) but is that reason enough to vote for his lot? Oh yea they gave us the minimum wage, EU Social Chapter, improved NHS and schools…..but at what cost? Two pointless, destructive and deadly wars (on all sides), PFI, more privatisation and a bank bale-out that means we are now £1 trillion in debt. Don’t get me wrong, the debt is one thing and sometimes you have to do this shit to get ahead, but not like this… we no longer even own the hospitals and schools we’ve paid for……….it’s like taking out a mortgage on a house you want to buy only to be told even though you’re paying it off someone else can live in the house and you’ve still got to find a place to rent for yourself.

Ultimately, this Thursday:

Nick will do what’s right for Nick and his lot.

Dave will do what’s right for Dave and his lot.

Gordon will do what’s right for Gordon and his lot.

There are the other minority parties and independents (some of whom I find quite objectionable and those of you who know me will know who they are) but mostly (and sadly in some cases) due to the electoral system they are pissing in the wind.

Let’s hope we do get a balanced (hung) Parliament so at least we get something positive out of this whole mess…electoral reform so that every vote counts! I might not agree with the way some of you vote (or you I) but your vote should at least count…..and if some of us are wrong in our beliefs it can be challenged and argued in a democratic way. That’s never going to happen in this elected dictatorship system we seem to have inherited since 1979 that has given rise to politics moving ever to the right with cameras watching our every move and state control.  What’s the difference between the ‘big society’ of the right and ‘big government’ of the centre ‘cus I am fuked if I know. Holy crap, it seems I can’t even go for a bag of chips or a dump these days without being spied upon. I thought millions died in WWII to protect us from this invasion of civil liberties and total state control bullshit.

So yes, we do have a choice on Thursday, to vote for the party or parties that seek electoral reform.

I’ll give you a clue - it ain’t Dave or anyone else on the right………..go on prove me wrong…now there’s a challenge…………….

Sub Plot (eventually)
Oh, where was I……..music and politics…….I think they do mix ‘cus at least the 70’s and 80’s had music anger, Punk! And historically Folk was a way of telling the stories of the day way back. Where’s that now with the current lot? Nowhere, and that’s where the Bleeders come into this…… we mix it up baby ….

I did not go to Eton, I did not go to Cambridge, I am not a millionaire, my wife is not a millionaire (I am not married I know but give me some poetic licence here) but when some prick tells me time and again that ‘we’re all in this together’ I just wanna' punch his lights out ‘cus we ain’t are we really? Dave don’t have to worry about surviving on minimum wage, or his tax credits or his childcare vouchers or his pension or that his kids might grow up in poverty or go to the wrong school as they live in a sink estate, or whether the council social services can still function or if the NHS has enough doctors or nurses does he, so no, sorry Dave, we ain’t all in this together are we really. Nice spin. And the words ‘conservative’ and ‘change’ are diametrically opposed...an oxymoron! Spin over substance. If you think I am picking on Dave unfairly, tough… but at least I do realise that there are others in other parties who also enjoy the same weapons of privilege (wealth/education etc) as Dave…. Nick for instance - and he was once even courted by the Tory hierarchy.

In order to celebrate Dave’s fine achievement of abuse of the English language, (this is where the grammar freaks will shoot me) we have juxtaposed it with music in our brand new song delivered for the first time this last weekend in a song called ‘We’re all in this together.’

Check it out ruff ‘n’ ready as it is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZqYrhFdBbQ
So, go on vote for change on May 6th but just don’t do it in the way that those 3 majorly right of centre mainstream parties want you to. Dare to be different, vote for reform, challenge the system, yup - make the day a truly historic one and make my day too, punk.

May the 6th could, just still, create a new Britain in a way we never imagined.

Foxie

1. Check out the brand new video on our 'Pix 'n' Mix' page taken at 'Folk Im Schlosshof' Germany 2009. We all think it rocks and it's 2 of our newer songs too!

2.  Mr Mark ‘madfiddler’ Knight has committed himself to Bleeding Hearts and become a full-time member. What’s more, we plan to do some shows with Ewan too, so there will be 5 of us rocking out at some gigs! Welcome aboard boys!

That’s not all, as Mark has some pre-existing commitments he must honour and we respect that as good upstanding chaps – so, Lizzie (ex Blue Horses) will be joining us on fiddle from time to time too.

2010 looks exciting and quite mad dunit?! We is well chuffed!

WEBSITE: I am going to have reflect these changes on our site but bear with me as I have 1 paid job, 2 volunteer jobs, a political career to run and a band to organise it might take a bit of time – but I will get there in the end. We plan some other changes to our online profile too which should see you being able to buy old albums online for download etc.

New Album Planned:
We boys have been laying plans for 2010 and are preparing to go back in the rehearsal room to do some new tunes. I have a bagful of them so we’ll choose the best and then run with them. Hopefully, we can debut some of them in the second half of 2010 as we shake them down. Expect to see some scoffing at politics, some facing up to the big issues and some silliness too! We are the only REAL artists/band that does this stuff – all the others are pretenders to our throne! Yup, same old message, brand new delivery!

The plan is to record a new album “Folk & Glory” late 2010 for a 2011 release. It will be half full-on and half acoustic double album money permitting. We are still bankrupt presently hence the ‘money permitting’ bit!

REMEMBER: The election is now only a short time away and it's a tuffie trying to decide who to vote for! If you can't tell the difference between the 3 main parties, then up to a point you'll be right. Just remember the fukin mess the last Tory Govt left the country in and the attacks on workers they made (which they plan again, especially on safety law). Remember too that the LibDems and the Tories both voted against the minimum wage claiming it was unaffordable and business would suffer. Funny how the rich always claim anything for the poor will harm business but tax cuts for the rich are an incentive to prosperity. Wankers the lot of them. The hot issue is public spending cuts and all 3 of them will cut deep and hard, it's just a matter of how soon. So where does that leave us? Fuked if I know but a hung Parliament might just make them all think and it might even lead to another election to give Labour time to rediscover its core values and reveal what a bunch of tossers the Tories really are! Forget the LibDems, just Tories in drag judging by their shenanigans in Leeds Council forcing a major long running and bitter industrial dispute. So, wouldn't it be great if a few Greens got some seats?! Yup, only the Greens seem to have any real socialist policies and wanna save the planet to boot. Now if only they had a candidate in my neck of the woods......still, if we have another election they could have some incentive with success in May 2010. History in the making or Foxie's wishful thinking......mmmmmmmmmmmmm. So long as the BNP scum come nowhere it might work out for the best. Now that's optimism for ya!

1 May: Katie Fitzgeralds, Wollaston, Stourbridge, UK (5 piece line-up: www.katiefitzgeralds.co.uk)
2 May: The Crown, Nuneaton, UK (special event & 5 piece line-up)

30 May: Off The Tracks Festival, Donington, Leics, UK

18 June: TBC
19 June: Kunstof Friedrichsrode, In Friedrichsrode 14, Helbedundorf, Germany

16 July: Vogelwald Festival,  Laimnau bei Tettnang, Germany (with Lizzie)
17 July: TBC

6 August: Festival Maritim, Vegesack-Bremen, Germany (www.festival-maritim.de)
7 August: Festival Maritim, Vegesack-Bremen, Germany (www.festival-maritim.de)

13 August: Folk Klub Venne, Haupstr 29, Venne (nr. Osnabruck), Germany (acoustic with Ewan)
14 August: Shamrock Festival, Burg Waischenfeld, Waischenfeld, Germany (5 piece line-up)

27 August: TBC
28 August: Burgfolk Festival, Mulheim, Germany

18 September: Alchemy Festival, Lincs, UK (full details tbc)

27 November: The Wheatsheaf, Leighton Buzzard, UK (www.thewheatie.co.uk)

The year was 2000, the month(i think) was November. The venue, The Market Tavern Birmingham.
As i recall, the only reason that i went along was to get drunk.......not really, having known Gel from the days of Ark through Glam sham and Press Darlings, it was time to support him in his new venture of Bleeding Hearts.     
The Market Tavern is one of those 'old worlde' type pubs  that you don't really get nowadays, Minton tiling on the walls and floors and punks wandering all over the place.....clean and tidy downstairs.....rough and ready up. I remember that this pub had a very perculiar floor... when 50 people bounced along to the music, the floor bounced(alarmingly) too!! I suppose the fear of imminent death through rotted beams of wood added to the excitement.
As i recall (being so long ago) i also went along to re the band Rotunda that a friend of mine used to roadie for, Loz.
Anyway, i was impressed by the fact that you coulld use a fiddle in a punk setting and so paid my £3 for the Democracy cd, which i still have and play(saddo or what?).
So, 10 years on and i am still held in the trall of those Bleeders, I tried to think of all the times that i have actually paid to see them play over the years and i still reckon that it is less than 10 times!! (but then again, i have 3 t-shirts 4 albums and 2 singles and a host of memories)

Still getting the hairs out of between my teeth