Mangled
News
Burtle Harvest Home Tickets Now
On Sale! [posted 17 Jun 2008]
Tickets
for the Burtle Harvest Home - featuring live entertainment from
local band The River Brew together with The Mangledwurzels - are
now on sale. They are priced at £6.00 each - including the
famous Burtle hog roast - and are available from Shelly Pople on
01278 723415.
Burtle
Village Harvest Home is the major celebration in the Somerset Levels
village. It is held periodically since its resurrection in 2000.
The last Harvest Home was 2004 and, like the Olympics, is scheduled
to be held on 2nd
August 2008 - which is also Jethro Tool's 21st birthday! (Well,
21st and a bit!).
The
event will be held at the Burtle Village Hall and on the adjoining
field. Full details are outlined on the village's Harvest
Home website.
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Calne Gig A Virtual Sell-Out! [posted
9 Jun 2008]
Claims
on the Calne Liberal Club website that The Mangledwurzels has a
"a huge following" seemed to have been proved right as
feedback from the organisers inform the band that most of the tickets
for the band's appearance on Friday 27th June have now been sold;
and it is unlikely that anyone without tickets will get in on the
night.
This
would promote Calne Liberal Club into the same category as Bath
Pavilion, being venues who have hosted sell-out Mangledwurzels gigs,
and have had to turn people away on the night (unless people have
read this news item, of course!).
If
you haven't already got your tickets; the advice is to contact the
venue as soon as possible on 01249 812129 to books yours now. Tickets
for non-members are £3.00, current club members get in for
free - but must have a ticket anyway!
[from
Calne
Liberal Club website]
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a
Jethro
Cooks Up A Storm! [posted 26 May 2008]
Jethro
Tool, keyboard player with The Mangledwurzels showed
fans - and the band - a new side to his personality as he appeared
at the Bristol auditions for the ITV Reality programme Britain's
Best Dish at The Watershed on Bristol's Harbourside on Saturday
24th May.
Armed
with a recipe, 500g of finest West Country venison from Springlease
Farm Shop in Norton St Philips (as used by Jethro and Sil Wilcox,
the Wurzels manager - although never at the same time!), 4 litres
of finest Thatchers Traditional Cider (of course!) and the surprise
ingredient, some home-made apple and tomato chutney; Jethro tried
to convince the judges - Jilly Goolden, Ed Baines and John Burton
Race - that his Scrumpy & Western Casserole
was indeed Britain's Best Dish!
And
he was not alone, for The Mangledwurzels turned up in force and
were filmed entertaining the gathered contenders with some proper
Scrumpy & Western music, before Jethro Pitched his dish to the
judges (that is, he pitched his idea; he didn't literally heave
a dish of casserole at the celebrity chefs!).
How
did he do? Well, you will have to wait until the programme is aired
in September...but
the ingredients were cooked up the following day, and the Scrumpy
& Western Casserole served to Rosie Russett (and Jethro!);
washed down with more scrumpy - and the verdict was that it was
delicious!
The
recipe? Well, have a go and see what you think!
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 Happy
Landings Charity Concert! [posted 11 April 2008]
Three
top mid-Somerset acts played to a packed house at a charity gig
which raised hundreds of pounds to help homeless and abandoned animals.
The Queens Arms pub at Wraxall hosted a night of music on Wednesday,
April 9 in aid of Happy Landings animal shelter at Pylle, near Shepton
Mallet.
Chilcompton-based songstress Helena kicked off
the night, followed by Shepton Mallet’s top tenor, Tim
Pitman. Then the event, in which all three performers gave
their time and talents free of charge, was rounded off with a scrumpy
swilling and audience rousing set from The Mangledwurzels.
With
bargain price tickets ensuring the audience value for money at less
that £2 per act, Happy Landings was delighted to receive around
£350 from the concert, which was the brainchild of Mangledwurzels
frontman, Kevin Carroll who lives in Shepton Mallet.
It was Kevin’s influence which ensured the top line-up for
the charity concert, with both Helena and Tim Pitman saying they
agreed to take part because they considered Kevin such a good friend.
Queen’s
Arms landlady, Sue Cross described the turnout and entertainment
as “fantastic” and was delighted at the success of the
pub’s first music concert. She has said it may now be the
forerunner to many similar evenings.
Kevin
Carroll said he wanted to thank his fellow performers for supporting
the evening and giving up their time for such a worthy local cause
and Happy Landings fundraising manager
Carol
Vincent said: “I was very surprised at the excellent turnout
for a Wednesday evening, and also at the quality of talent on stage
for less than the price of a packet of cigarettes.
“A huge thank you to all performers and to everyone that came
along – I hope they all enjoyed themselves and will continue
to support other local Happy Landings charity events.”
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Bristol Cider Festival
tickets on sale now! [posted 8 April 2008]
Tickets
for the 1st Bristol Cider Festival - run by CiderFestivals.co.uk
- are now on sale from the Pavilionshop
ticket office priced £6.00 in advance.
The
event takes place at Brunel Passenger Shed, British
Empre & Commonwealth Museum, Station Approach, Temple Meads,
Bristol BS1
6QH on the weekend of Friday 8th August and Saturday 9th August.
There will be entertainment on both days; The Mangledwurzels
will be providing the entertainment on
the Saturday sessions. Friday's entertainment is a
rock band, believed to be a Meatloaf tribute band (although this
has yet to be confirmed).
The
event has already receiving a lot of interest from cider drinkers
across the region, and tickets are bound to be in demand. The venue
is the same as the CAMRA Bristol Beer Festivals which sold out in
advance for all sessions; and both of the CiderFestivals.co.uk Bath
Festivals sold out with over 500 people turned away at the latest
event.
Any
unsold tickets will be available on the day, but cider fans are
urged to get their tickets in advance to avoid being locked out
on the night!
tickets
on sale now!
On
offer will be over 80 ciders and perries including
award-winning ciders from Rich's Farmhouse Cider and Heck's Farmhouse
Cider (Somerset), Gwatkin Cider (Herefordshire), Gwynt Y Ddraig
Seidr (Wales), Mr Whitehead's Cider (Hampshire) and the Cornish
Cyder Company (Cornwall). As always, food - in the shape of a dozen
or so hog roasts and all the
hotdogs you could desire - will be served up by Chris Lilley Catering.
The
Mangledwurzels are already looking forward to a year of Beer and
Cider Festivals - the Bonjour Brighton Raceday & West
Cider Festival
(April 27th), The
Pucklechurch Beer Festival (20th
June),
The Canal Inn Music and Beer Festival in Wrantage,
Taunton (5th July), The
Natterjack Beer Festival in Shepton Mallet (July) and The
Somerset Cheese, Chutney and Cider Fair in Taunton (September)
booked - and several others in the planning stages...
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The Mangledwurzels Plan
Second Album! [posted 18 March 2008]
Rehearsals
are underway as The Mangledwurzels put together tracks for their
second album which will be released in the summer of 2008.
 The
album - which is tentatively titled Wurz'ee II
- will be recorded at Handsome
Llama Recording Studios in Frome over the coming months,
with engineer Will Angeloro (pictured, right) once again behind
the desk. It will be a wholly studio-based album with the band planning
to add more instrumentation than you will normally hear at the band's
live gigs.
"Our
first album was meant to be a showcase of what the band does at
a 'normal' Mangledwurzel gig (if such events are in any way normal!)"
said Jethro Tool. "This time we want to show people what we
can do in the studio with a full band - bass guitar, drums and anything
else we feel the songs will benefit from. I have an accordion sitting
gathering dust at home..."
And
the band are planning to showcase their own material. Rather than
simply re-recording old Adge Cutler and Wurzels songs, Wurz'ee
II will mostly - if not totally - consist of the band's
own compositions. The resulting album is planned to be a Scrumpy
& Western album in its own right.
Amongst
the tracks being rehearsed are old favourites from the band's set
- Cider
Be Good For ‘Ee, I Can Drive A Tractor,
The
Mangoldwurzel (Beta Beta Vulgaris),
The
Rat Song, and a new arrangement of Valleys
Girl. The band will also be dusting down Seth's homage
to his home town Farrington Gurney which
rarely gets an outing these days but is nevertheless a lovely song.
Fans
at recent gigs have been given advanced warning of some of the new
songs, No Sheep 'Til Ammerdown and The
Shepton Sheep, which having been rehearsed, now have
regular slots in the band's live set. And behind the scenes there
are some brand
new songs still in the rehearsal process, which will be totally
unfamiliar to everyone (including the band at the moment!) such
as The Poacher & The Gamekeeper, Five
Miles An Hour, and I Likes Cider.
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Apologies from The
Mangledwurzels! [posted 18 February 2008]
The
Mangledwurzels would like to apologise to hundreds of cider drinkers
who were unable to get into the 2nd Bath Cider Festival at the Bath
Pavilion last weekend.
The
event, which took place over the weekend of the Friday
15th & Saturday 16th February, sold out on both evenings with
hundreds of people turned away at the door. The band and venue had
urged people to buy tickets in advance, and as it turned out this
was good advice.
Over
two-and-a-half thousand cider drinkers crammed into the Pavilion
over the weekend to enjoy a large range of ciders and perries from
across the West Country and Wales. Even
the Saturday afternoon session, which is always quieter, had twice
the crowd of last year's event. Food - in the shape
of a dozen or so hog roasts - was served up by Chris Lilley Catering;
and The Mangledwurzels showcased four new additions to their setlist
- The Shepton Sheep (a new song written by Seth Pitt),
No Sheep 'Til Ammerdown (Jethro's mangling of the Macc
Lads' No Sheep Til Buxton), Hark At 'Ee Jacko and The
Marrow Song.
Plans
are already underway to expand the Bath Cider Festival into a three
day event in February 2008, with a Thursday evening session added
to allow more people through the doors to sample the cider and music!
And if you can't wait that long; rumours are rife that a Bristol
Cider Festival is planned for August. You heard it here first!
...and
don't forget that the band and the cider will be transported down
to Brighton for the 2nd Brighton Race
Day Cider Festival at Brighton Racecourse on Sunday
27th April.
Cider
Awards
The
2nd Bath Cider Festival offered 86 ciders and perries from across
the West Country and Wales. A four man panel was forced to taste
them all and judge which were the best on offer. It's a tough job,
but someone had to do it! The judges were Lee Hamber (Events Supervisor
at Bath Pavilion),
Mark Lilley (Buyer for Ciderfestivals.co.uk),
Seth Pitt (of The Mangledwurzels) and Frank Blades (Editor of the
Real Cider & Perry
Website).
The
winning ciders were:
- Cider
of The Festival 2008: Rich's Farmhouse
Medium Cider (Rich's Cider, Somerset)
- Best
Dry Cider: 'Heart Of Hampshire' Dry Cider (Mr Whiteheads, Hampshire)
- Best
Medium Cider: Rich's Farmhouse Medium Cider (Rich's Cider)
- Best
Sweet Cider: Farmhouse Sweet (Gwynt Y Ddraig, Wales)
- Best
Perry: Oldfield Perry Medium (Gwatkin, Herefordshire)
- Best
Sparkling/Bottled: BeeSting Perry (Somerset)
The
following ciders and perries were also rated as "Recommended"
by the judges: Yarlington Mill Medium Cider (Gwatkin),
Farmhouse Medium (Gwatkin), Kingston Black (Hecks
Cider, Somerset), Sweet Perry (Gwynt Y Ddraig), Blakeney
Red Perry (Hecks), Blakeney Red Perry (Gwatkin) and
Cornish Rattler Cyder - bottled (Cornish Cyder Farm).
And
finally unofficial The Cider The Mangledwurzels Would Most Like
To Take Home award went to Gwatkin's Farmhouse Medium, after
Jethro Tool was seen loading up 20 litres into his van after the
show!
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Bath Cider Festival tickets
"selling like hot cakes!" - [posted 12 February
2008]
Tickets
for the 2nd Bath Cider Festival are "selling like hot cakes!"
according to a spokesman for the Bath Pavilion ticket office.
The
event, which takes place this weekend (Friday
15th & Saturday 16th February), is already looking
to eclipse the success of the 2007 event where both evening sessions
sold out on the night, and staff were send out to buy more ciders!
According
to the Pavilionshop website
less than 150 of the 1000 tickets remain for each of the evening
sessions, and both evening sessions look in danger of selling out
in advance. The Saturday afternoon session is selling slightly slower,
but still well over half of the tickets have gone - and large crowds
are expected on the day as rugby fans arrive early for the Bath
vs Wasps match at the Rec that afternoon. Cider fans are urged to
get their tickets in advance to avoid being locked out on the night!
tickets
on sale now!
The
2nd Bath Cider Festival takes place at the Bath Pavilion on North
Parade, Bath BA2
4EU on Friday
15th February
(7pm-11pm) and Saturday 16th February (noon-4pm and 7pm-11pm).
Tickets cost £5.00 in advance per session.
There
will be over 70 ciders and perries from across
the West Country and Wales, as well as hot food in the shape of
hog-roast and hot dogs. Each session will include live entertainment
from The Mangledwurzels providing music to drink up your cider too.
The
Mangledwurzels are already looking forward to a year of Beer and
Cider Festivals with the Cat & Wheel Cider Festival
in Bristol already done - the 2nd Brighton Race
Day Cider Festival (April), The
Pucklechurch Beer Festival (June), The
Natterjack Beer Festival in Shepton Mallet (July) and The
Somerset Cheese, Chutney and Cider Fair in Taunton (September)
booked - and several others in the planning...
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Annual Somerset tradition of
wassailing to be performed at charity event [posted 17
January 2008]
An
old Somerset tradition of wassailing - held each year on January
17th (the old 'twelfth night') to ensure a fine crop of cider apples
during the summer ahead - will be performed at a charity event near
Highbridge on Thursday night.
Burnham-On-Sea
Rotary Club and Rich's Cider are organising an evening of wassailing
- in which good health is wished on crops for the coming year -
including entertainment from The Mangled Wurzels (pictured), in
aid of the Somerset and Dorset Air Ambulance.
The
event will be held at Rich's Cider in Watchfield and tickets cost
£15 in advance and include a plate of stew and a mug of mulled
cider.
Doors
open at 7.30pm and tickets are available by calling 01278 783651.
Read more about apple wassailing here.
[from
Burnham-on-Sea.com
website]
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 Mangledwurzels
'Topped The Charts In The Farmers Weekly'! [posted 18 December
2007]
The
Mangledwurzels had a nice
article in the Farmers Weekly "Farmyard version of Christmas
classic released to raise money for charity", announcing the
release of the Stuff The Mangledwurzels EP.
The
article, archived on the Farmers Weekly website, contained the wording
straight from the press release, and included a link to the video
on YouTube, as well as links to the band's website and the RABI
website.
The
article was picked up by Tim Relf, and used in
his
blog for the 18th December under the heading 'Sounds Like Christmas'.
More festive that the previous day's blog which was about 'Ferret
Tossing'!
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 Stuff
The Mangledwurzels Released [posted 10 December 2007]
The
Mangledwurzels today released their charity Christmas single
Stuff The Mangledwurzels in front of the
local TV and press.
The
Official Press Launch Party took place at Bath Pavilion with the
ITV West cameras filming the launch for the local news. Other press
coverage, including Mendip TV will also be promoting the release.
Sadly
Nick Toms (RABI regional representative) was unable to attend the
launch as his car broke down halfway from Plymouth and he only got
as far as Exeter Services before having to be towed back down the
M5!
 It
was also a first chance for the general public (and indeed the band)
to view the 12 Days of Christmas video
which had been filmed and edited with animation by the students
of Frome Community College. The video has now been uploaded
to YouTube for everyone to enjoy!
Meanwhile
Mangledwurzels fans had already snapped up pre-release copies of
the single at the The Mangledwurzels gigs over the weekend. An plea
has already gone into our suppliers to press more copies!
The
single release is aiming to raise money for the Royal Agricultural
Benevolent Institution (RABI), a UK registered charity
(no. 208858).
Stuff
The Mangledwurzels EP is now on sale on CD and Download
from our online store to
be shipped in time for Christmas.
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Stuff The Mangledwurzels Press Launch
10th December [posted 4 December 2007]
The
Mangledwurzels have announced that their charity Christmas
single Stuff The Mangledwurzels will be
released on Monday 10th December.
The
Official Press Launch Party will take place at Bath Pavilion (North
Parade, Bath, BA2 4EU) on the afternoon of Monday 10th December
(between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.), with the intention of inviting press
and media representatives along to hear the tracks, see them performed
live, and the video being shown on screen. Any members of the press
(TV, radio, printed press or websites) who have not already been
contacted, and who wish to attend should email
the band.
Fans
wanting to hear the songs will get an advanced airing of
the songs at The Mangledwurzels gigs at Shepton
Mallet (Friday 7th December) and Sherston
in Wiltshire (Saturday 8th December) where they will be able to
get their hands on a copy ahead of its release!
The
single release is aiming to raise money for the Royal Agricultural
Benevolent Institution (RABI), a UK registered charity
(no. 208858). The band has invited Nick Toms (RABI regional representative)
along to promote RABI and its cause, a representative from the NFU,
and lecturers and (permission pending) some of the students who
were involved with the video to represent the Frome Community College.
Copies
of Stuff The Mangledwurzels EP can be
ordered from our online store
ahead of its release, to be shipped as soon as the single hits the
street.
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The
Mangledwurzels Support Keep Cadbury's In Keynsham Campaign
[posted 1 December 2007]
The
Mangledwurzels will be providing their support for the
Keep Cadbury's In Keynsham Campaign. The
campaign, backed by the Bristol
Evening Post, the TGWU
and all
65 councillors on the Bath & North East Somerset Council
calls on Cadbury's to reverse their decision to close the Somerdale
factory - and save 500 jobs.
Workers
at the Cadbury's four UK plants (Somerdale, Bournville in Birmingham,
Chirk in North Wales and Marlbrook in Herefordshire) will be converging
on Keynsham for a protest march and rally on Saturday 8th December.
The
event is planned to start at 11am in Keynsham Park with a march
to the Somerdale, and back to the park where there will be speeches,
and The Mangledwurzels performing a 30 minute set - including two
Wurzels songs with new lyrics for the campaign (written by the workers!)
- to keep spirits up.
You
can add your support by coming along and marching with the workers.
You can also add your support by signing the online petition at
http://www.petition.co.uk/cadburys,
and pass the link on as far and wide as you can to encourage others
to sign up.
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Stuff The Mangledwurzels For Christmas! [posted 16 October
2007]
The
Mangledwurzels - having been in liaison with the National
Farmers Union - aim to raise money for the Royal Agricultural
Benevolent Institution (RABI), a UK registered charity
(no. 208858) using the proceeds from their forthcoming three-track
Christmas single Stuff The Mangledwurzels
EP.
Most
readers will be aware of the problems that British farmers have
been plagued with recently, specifically, the Foot & Mouth and
Blue Tongue outbreaks – with subsequent restrictions on movement
of livestock - and the knock-on effect to the farming community.
These have taken their toll on UK farmers and their families and
RABI (since their formation as a charity in 1860) have been there
to help farmers, retired farm workers, and their families who have
fallen on hard times (for further details please visit www.rabi.org.uk).
The
Mangledwurzels will be recording some suitably festive tracks at
Handsome Llama Recording Studios in Frome at the
end of October. One song will then be made into a video by students
from the Media Department at Frome Community College
which will be posted across the Internet to help raise the profile
of the campaign.
Keyboard
player Jethro Tool said: “We are all country boys at heart,
and it upsets us to see so many farmers struggling to keep their
businesses afloat through no fault of their own. Foot & Mouth
is bad enough – I remember the 1967 outbreak vividly; I was
a little kid at the time, but you never forget the fear across the
whole community. But this new Blue Tongue disease could be even
worse! So, we felt we should do what we can – and a charity
single with all the profits going to RABI seemed the best option.”
The
band has chosen three songs for the EP – Santa’s
Coming To Somerset, which is a self-penned song which
always goes down well at the band’s Christmas gigs; Lonely
This Christmas – the 1970s Mud classic with
‘mangled’ lyrics; and The 12 Days Of Christmas
(Farmyard Version) – with new lyrics and the
video by the Frome College students.
Stuff
The Mangledwurzels will be recorded on 28th October
and is due for release in November. The band is currently looking
for major sponsors to help boost the charity coffers. Anyone interested
in making a donation should email the band.
Check
the Stuff The Mangledwurzels
pages for updates and background information.
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The Mangledwurzels at 13th Holt Music Festival! [posted
2 October 2007]
The
Mangledwurzels have been confirmed at the opening act on
the Marquee Stage at the 13th Holt Music Festival in Wiltshire on
June 2008.
With
something for all ages, the Holt Music Festival is not just a day
for music lovers. The event is split into afternoon and evening
sessions and as well as live music there is a wide range of entertainment
including fairground rides, bouncy castles and tractor rides. There
are puppet shows and other entertainment for the children, while
the adults can take advantage of the licensed bar. There are also
traditional stalls, a tea tent and hot food available. It is music
that is the pinnacle of the day, however, with acts from across
the country and the world providing fantastic live entertainment.
Musical entertainment starts at 2pm for the afternoon session. The
evening session starts at 7.30pm.
The
13th Holt Music Festival takes place on Saturday
7th June 2008. The event starts at 1pm, and The Mangledwurzels take
the stage at 2pm for a one hour set. Ticket prices for 2008 are
to be confirmed, but the 2007 prices were £12.00 for an all
day ticket, £10.00 for evening tickets and £3.50 for
the afternoon session only; all accompanied children under 14 get
in for free.
[picture
and details from the This Is Wiltshire website]
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2nd Bath Cider Festival Confirmed! [posted 16 September
2007]
It's
official! The 2nd Bath Cider Festival will take place at the Bath
Pavilion over Valentine's Day weekend 2008 with The
Mangledwurzels playing live at all three sessions.
After
the success of the 1st Bath Cider Festival at the Pavilion earlier
this year in February, organiser Chris Lilley has arranged the follow-up
event at the same venue. Full details have yet to be confirmed,
but there is likely to be over 60 ciders and perrys at the bar,
and a food stall selling hog roast and hot dogs.
The
festival is the first 2008 cider festival to be announced by CiderFestivals.co.uk,
the brainchild of Bath Pavilion Catering Manager Chris Lilley. Following
the outstanding success of the 1st Bath Cider Festival at the Pavilion
in February 2007, Chris arranged four similar festivals across the
country, with more to be announced for 2008. The Mangledwurzels
have proved to be an integral part of the festival much appreciated
by the festival goers; and the band has already signed up to any
future events.
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New Cider Festival Announced! [posted 26
August 2007]
The
Mangledwurzels have been booked for a special one-day Autumn
Cider Festival at the Bath Pavilion on Friday 7th
September.
After
the success of the 1st Bath Cider Festival at the Pavilion earlier
this year in February, organiser Chris Lilley has arranged a special
Autumn Cider Festival at the same venue. Full details have yet to
be confirmed.
The
festival is the latest in a series of cider festivals run by CiderFestivals.co.uk,
the brainchild of Bath Pavilion Catering Manager Chris Lilley. Following
the outstanding success of the Bath Cider Festival at the Pavilion
in February, Chris has now arranged similar festivals at Brighton,
Frome and Norwich. Further festivals are being planned for 2008,
although nothing can be announced yet. However, The Mangledwurzels
have proved to be an integral part of the festival much appreciated
by the festival goers; and the band has already signed up to any
future events.
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Mangledwurzels Invade Wales! [posted 3 August 2007]
The
Mangledwurzels have been booked to open the inaugural
Mumbles Cider & Pork Festival in August 2007. Featuring
over 80 ciders & perrys plus local wines, a hog roast (or several!)
and a selection of Welsh cheeses, the event takes place at the Ostreme
Centre, Newton Road, Mumbles, just south of Swansea. This is also
the band's first ever appearance in Wales!
The
festival takes place over the August Bank Holiday with live music
with each session including an appearance by cult 70s Welsh rock
band Man. The line-up is as follows:
- Friday
24th August - The Mangledwurzels (£4.00
all tickets)
-
Saturday 25th August - Dave Cottle Band and The
Aces (£4.00 all tickets)
-
Sunday 26th August - Man (£10.00 tickets)
-
Monday 27th August - The Contenders (£4.00
all tickets)
Tickets
can be bought in advance on 07788 122132, or on the door. Doors
open at midday, and last orders will be called at 11pm (Fri &
Sat), 10.30pm (Sun) and 7pm (Mon). The ciders are being provided
by CiderFestivals.co.uk.
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Go
East, Young Mangledwurzel! [posted 2 July 2007]
Fresh
on the heels of the Frome Cider Festival, The Mangledwurzels
headed east to Norfolk for the Norwich Cider Festival.
This two day event took place at the prestigious St Andrew's Hall
in the heart of Norwich over the weekend of Friday 29th and Saturday
30th June.
Over
600 cider fans turned up to partake in a selection from over 60
ciders and perrys at the bar - and to be serenaded by Hedge and
the lads. Between shows, the band enjoyed themselves wandering around
the city centre, handing out flyers and generally bemusing the weekend
shoppers!
Unfortunately,
due to the rather puritanical restrictions on the noise levels at
the venue, the band were forced to play a more subdued set than
normal to avoid the power being cut to the stage. The audience were
harder to restrain and as a result there were unexpected 'unplugged'
elements in the sets, and slightly longer gaps between songs to
allow for the power to be re-set after particular raucous applause;
but the band and audience united in their determination to enjoy
themselves regardless.
The
festival is the latest in a series of cider festivals run by CiderFestivals.co.uk,
the brainchild of Bath Pavilion Catering Manager Chris Lilley. Following
the outstanding success of the Bath Cider Festival at the Pavilion
in February, Chris has now arranged three similar festivals at Brighton,
Frome and now Norwich. Further festivals are being planned, although
nothing can be announced yet. However, The Mangledwurzels have proved
to be an integral part of the festival much appreciated by the festival
goers; and the band has already signed up to any future events.
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 Frome
Cider Festival 'A Success!' [posted 15 June 2007]
Friday
15th June saw The Mangledwurzels provide the entertainment
for the 1st Frome Cider Festival held at the Cheese
& Grain. Over 300 cider fans filled the venue to
partake in a selection from over 60 ciders and perrys at the bar
- and to be serenaded by Hedge and the lads who performed a top
class set on the night. Organiser Chris Lilley pronounced the night
'a success', and insiders report that there is a good chance of
a 2nd Frome Cider Festival taking place in 2008.
The
festival is the third in a series of cider festivals run by CiderFestivals.co.uk,
the brainchild of Bath Pavilion Catering Manager Chris Lilley. Following
the outstanding success of the Bath Cider Festival at the Pavilion
in February, Chris has now arranged two similar festivals at Brighton
and Frome, with a fourth planned for Friday 29th and Saturday 30th
June at St. Andrews' & Blackfriars Hall in Norwich. The Mangledwurzels
have proved to be an integral part of the festival much appreciated
by the festival goers; and the band has already signed up to any
future events.
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From
Bridgwater to Basra! (A Wiltshire Tale) [posted
31 May 2007]
 A
few weeks ago Gus, a Fijian British soldier based at the nearby
Buckley Barracks, was in the Rattlebone Inn in Sherston, Wiltshire
with his wife. The locals had got to know him and some other Fijian
soldiers from the barracks, as they play together for Malmesbury
RFC - and often retire to the Rattlebone after the games.
Gus was down in the dumps as he was off to Basra in the morning.
As he loves his scrump, Rattlebone landlord Jason gave him a copy
of The Mangledwurzels CD 'Get Orf My Land'! Gus was over-the-moon,
and to be truthful a little emotional at this gesture (although
he had been in the pub for a fair few hours by this stage!). Suffice
to say, The Mangledwurzels are pleased to learn that 'The Rat Song'
and others are now being blasted at the insurgents in Iraq!
The
CD will be replaced behind the bar when The Mangledwurzels make
another trip to Sherston to perform in the Village Hall Field at
the 22nd Annual Sherston Boules Day on Saturday 14th July.
Thanks
to Martin Rea for that tale.
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