Check out the 'Bleeding Band Tour Blog' now live on our FORUM with 'on the road' stories and incriminating photos!
FOXIE'S RANT: Sounds like the old rant but is slightly different…..well things ain’t changing are they… 1) NEW ALBUM - Folk 'n' Glory – Now Released And Reviewed! Oh yes it is and what favourable reviews we have had from Rock n Reel “best thing Bleeding Hearts have done” to Folkwords, Celticfolkpunk, Celtic Rock, Folkworld all praising the boys and girl for our latest offering. If you wanna hear a sample for yourself visit our ‘NOIZE’ page, then if you wanna buy it, visit our ‘DOSHSWAP’ page. On our ‘DOSHSWAP’ page you can pay by cheque, cash or paypal/debit/credit card – just scroll down the page to find it. For the trendier kids amongst you who have long since ceased to deal with hard copy albums, we also have direct links to I-tunes and Amazon right at the bottom of our ‘DOSHSWAP’ page. (See 5 below) Nice. It’s all rather quite good…..and so say all of us….. 2) PROMO PICS: Check ‘em out. Our latest promo pics are on our ‘PIX N MIX’ page…thanks to Andy for the promo pics….we owe you a pint or three. 3) BACK TO THE CD BUSINESS………………. Folk ‘n’ Glory is 11 tracks long. Having been done 1,2,3,4, stylee all together in a room through hot valves straight to our budget pc – and it’s got a lo-fi charm all of its own. We went for that 60’s/70’s vibe with band in a room having fun feel and we thinks that’s exactly what we’ve got. Folk ‘n’ Glory has quite a retro feel to the music and artwork, which we think you’ll be pleased with, we are. Deffo folkier than Politics and on a par with fiddle-punkin’ ‘Propaganda’ for that soundscape to the revolution Foxie is planning every day. Yay, that’s getting closer too by the way….. 4) NEW SONGS Well the summer riots, the anger about Government cuts in welfare, youth services, education…actually the list is endless…..….sadly, and more - the Government attack on the NHS and their relentless drive to stoke the fires of free market capitalism with yet more privatisation in response to the global crisis in capitalism using tactics that actually started the financial collapse in the first place; exposes their contempt for the poor, the sick, the young, the elderly, the vulnerable and now the public sector – whose strike has caused them to go a little doolally by threatening to destroy trade union rights - all of this should have every fair minded person up in arms. Still ‘tho, George, Nick & Dave haven’t quite finished yet, there is no plan B because it isn’t a case of Plan A not working, plan A just hasn’t finished us off yet and that is the real plan, a return to Victorian values based on wealth division, democratic unaccountability and a castration of those in society who dare to question them. The blind leading the blind up the blind alley that leads to a blinding explosive conclusion and global blinding catastrophe, and they are ‘all idiots in it together’. Interestingly, Einstein said "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." A top tip in my opinion and one that politicians, bankers, financiers and capitalists everywhere should take note of…….this message is already filtering through to the worldwide ‘occupy’ movements as the alternative manifesto ‘of and for the people’ (that was Abraham Linclon by the way) gathers speed. Maybe Marx was right all along with an extra caveat for women’s rights and the green question. All of this provides a fertile ground for the imagination and new songs. Those of you who have been to see us over the last couple of months will know ‘we know a song about that don’t we’………’blackberry riot’, ‘chains’, ‘glad we’re so uncool’ which kind of speak for themselves and we have another in progress called ‘when a house is not a home’ about confusion, isolation and not knowing where you belong when everyone is shouting the odds at you. They may morph of course, they usually do, until the final final final final…..final version, nope finalish version but we do hope to record them soon. The plan is to take some of the newer stuff that was left over from ‘Folk ‘n’ Glory plus the new new songs and record them acoustically in our state of the art studio that we haven’t got, for a new album and maybe even throw in a couple of old old songs too. This idea coming out of a few acoustic gigs we did this year. Watch out 2012 although release depends on money, which again we are short of like everyone else in the REAL world. 5) WE IS ON I-TUNES ETC ETC. Those of you who are missing our earlier albums will be pleased to hear they are now on Spotify, as well as being available to download from iTunes, Amazon MP3, Play, 7digital, and many other fine vendors of digital music. Note: you can no longer get hold of our old albums either by purchase or free mp3 download. If you want to get your mits on the old stuff you will sadly have to visit Spotify or I-tunes etc. 6) FORUM. Or blogspot as it is now called. Ewan ‘keeping it nice’ Porter hyphen Stevens will be doing future blogs as he is the dude with the notebook, pen and GPS camera with ‘cake’ ‘puppy’ and in the case of Gel and Liz ‘poser’ settings. 7) FINALLY. We are working on 2012 gigs and have a few irons in the fire that will be posted up as soon as stuff starts getting confirmed, so until then, we hope to see some of you, all of you, new friends, old friends, lost friends at a gig soon, when they eventually happen, so don’t be strangers! Foxie xx
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IN (Gel's) SHORTS (I only wear 'em at gigs you know!) Webmaster comment: Gel really needs to update this bit! He knows it, we know it! Please email him with suggestions gel@bleedinghearts.co.uk Free Joke Service Exceeded maximum bandwidth, inactive account or temporarily suspended. Me Gear Innit' It's an Ampeg! The Trace is dead, long live the Ampeg! intentional space for atmospheric setting.................. Peace, luv & trains; Gel (-; xx
CHEESY BIOGS Foxie Working class poet and proud, son of a car worker from Birmingham who grew up in a struggling family who's dad spent more time on the dole or striking for his principles. This obviously left a great impression upon him so that he has the biggest gob in the band and is the ringleader of all things angst. A man of protest since his schooldays, rejecting Uni to go on picket lines in industrial disputes from Liverpool to London and thereafter be an active supporter of all things left-wing but pro-environmental, joining in the 90’s environmental protests. Scoffing at New Labour as tories in drag and passionate enemy of all things global and corporate, he’s now taken the jump to more active green politics and getting a sound thrashing in local elections, doh. Formed the band after playing too many gigs as a solo performer in folk clubs but with the attitude of a punk which at the time scared the shit out of the tankard brigade. Recorded a brilliant solo album but did not release it because "the world is not really ready yet for such visionary work; maybe when I'm dead" Not really a folkie, more of a punk but with a love of the fucked up countryfolkrockcrossrhythms that gets 'em dancing, Yes, maybe a visionary of sorts, but always out of step with current political and musical thinking and he just happens to be a great songwriter who doesn't care what the music establishment thinks. Yep, definitely a one off and some might say thank Christ for that. Gel Gel is the band's practical joker. He loves talking about anything. He loves spiritual stuff and is about as close to a hippie as any punkfolker could be. This is not a contradiction in terms it is just the complexity that is Gel. On continental tours he has been known to take an extra steering wheel and sit on the (continental) drivers side of the van, gain a drivers attention at high speed and then pull of the wheel - just to see how well the other driver can slalom. (kids please don't do this it is dangerous and you might get arrested) Gel does not have much luck in his lovelife; he got dumped by a supermodel (it's true! every reader of those mags will have seen her pix) because he preferred to take his dog for a walk on the Malvern Hills instead of taking her out once. Of course, being a bloke, he now regrets this course of action but he's too proud to admit it. To help him get over this setback he has been known to don a dress on stage just to show off his supermodel figure to prove that he is just as good as her! This may be another reason why girls run away as their mom's don't like this sort of thing. Gel has an impressive musical C.V. having played with a couple of Brum based cult bands (Ark, Press Darlings) in his past but his real passion is that punkyfolky thing so he is proud to be here. Gaz It could be said of Gaz that he has spent some time seeking perfection. An amazing player of technical skill with a power that makes Sizewell B seem a mere triviality. This we know is not true but if Gaz were plugged into the National Grid whilst playing drums his energy levels could make all those Nuclear Reactors redundant. And good riddance too. Gaz is something of an artist - all that artwork in the band is his doing, quite a creative and he can do it with metal too being something of a not so jolly welder - just look at his kit baby. He first started playing guitar but this was so harmful to his fingers that he turned it over and just hit it; then demanded his parents get him a drum kit and he has not looked back since. Gaz brings experience and stability to the band, he has toured the U.S.A. and Europe as a session drummer before joining Bleeding Hearts and understands perfectly the rigours of life on the road where others would fail before him. More into Skyclad than Fairport Convention he manages to sing and play drums at the same time. A great feat indeed. He may come from Cheltenham?! Why?! He may have rejected gigs with The Albion Band and wished he was Filthy in Motorhead but he knows what he wants. A great singer in his own right but happy in the knowledge that he plays drums in the best punk-folk-rock band in the world. His is pure bliss. Liz Self confessed classically trained goth and health freak, Lizzie came to the Bleeding Hearts via a 15 year stretch (not in prison) as the front woman with Bluehorses playing at festivals across Europe. Lizzie also played on the 'Best Of British Fiddle' album compiled by 'show of hands' Phil Beer and Bluehorses music has been used on Top Gear, Bargain Hunt and was the theme tune for History Hunters (does that make her famous blah blah?). Lizzie has also been known to lend her voice for TV session building vocal layers into a Bulgarian folk choir! Loving her folk music and rock and punk and metal.. (yes I said metal) Bleeding Hearts has all the high energy that keeps her happy and out of trouble (mostly) ... but its taking her a while to get used to the fact that not everything HAS to be in a minor key! (bloody goths!) And no... the tour-bus WON’T now be filled with scatter cushions and matching curtains just because there is a female in the band!!! Ewan So who is the boy behind the shades? Ewan is Scottish-ish and a long time pal of Gel and the guys. Graduate of art college in Brum and one time graphic artist (you decide on which kind of graphic!) he’s now dedicating his artistic talents and skilled hands to music. He’s a veteran of the Folk Fest scene… tankard included (always good for beer on the go!) Having danced the Morris and the Bhangra he is probably the folkiest of the five and knows a move or two. Check out the kilt and be ready for his ranting and dancing in DM’s! Ewan Porter-Hyphen-Stevens is the Folkie-Boy whose role is to “keep it nice”. A multi-instrumentalist 'Jack-of-all-Trades' of all things stringy, and in the best Brummie tradition: master of none. But he says he’ll never pick up a banjo (Phew or shame?!) So let’s big it up for the ‘Mando’ massive and check out the Cittern, man! However, just to keep us on our toes he is currently trying to work a Didgeridoo into the set, but you’ll have to wait and see…In his spare time, Ewan enjoys long walks and growing vegetables (what, not ‘world peace and support for kids charities…..winning Miss West Midlands 2011 in the process?) He also likes to listen to Rock and Metal, on vinyl - for the sheer joy of that thumping bass (on vinyl? Really? OK, he’s blown it… ) Folkie-Boy my arse – you’ll just have to see if it is his bare arse under that kilt or pants keeping things safe……real Scotsman or nay? We say yay, liberation for Scotsmen that’s what we preach preacher man.
