News: The Bad Shepherds announce new album and UK Tour

March 24, 2013 Off By Jon
The Bad Shepards

The Bad Shepherds announce new album and UK Tour, “Mud, Blood & Beer”.

After an extended hiatus during 2012, Adrian Edmondson’s celebrated folk-punk outfit THE BAD SHEPHERDS, have announced details of their return with a album and major 24-date UK tour. Both will be entitled “Mud, Blood and Beer.” Ade tells the story in his own words…

“The Bad Shepherds’ last performance was at The Union Chapel towards the end of 2011. We’d been going since 2008, made two albums and done hundreds of gigs. We needed a break, to get a fresh perspective on things as much as anything else. I had some TV shows to make, and a side project called The Idiot Bastard Band with Phill Jupitus and Neil Innes. Troy was going on a year-long world tour with the Finnish prog-metal band Nightwish, and Andy was starting a new band, Ducie. Knowing how the balls can sometimes drop forever when you stop juggling I wasn’t really sure that we’d ever really get back together.

The Bad Shepards

That night at The Union Chapel was quite an emotional event. It’s a funny feeling, knocking something on the head when it’s going well. I’ve done it a few times before, most obviously with The Young Ones and Bottom. But there’s always a fear that what you’re doing is going to get stale, and that it’s best to get out when you’re at the top.

Bizarrely, last year there was a move to revive Bottom. I wasn’t quite sure about it from the start. I’d called an end to my working relationship with Rik in 2003, a) because I thought we’d peaked, and b) because there were lots of other things I wanted to do in my life, music being one of them. When the idea for the new Bottom series came we met and worked on it for a while, but pretty soon I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do – it felt too much like treading the same path again.

I came to realize that what I really wanted to do was get together with The Bad Shepherds again. Why? Because I am in love with the band. Because I love the sound we make. Because I love being with Troy and Andy. Because the best gigs I’ve ever done in my life, in any art form – in terms of excitement and connection with an audience – have been with The Bad Shepherds.

And on top of that I’d begun to write bits of lyrics and tunes for completely new songs. Our set list up until now has been full of radically re-arranged covers of punk and new wave era songs, mixed with traditional jigs and reels. But I was eager to get together with Troy and work on these new self-penned songs. Songs that take their inspiration from who we are as people and as a band, and how we’ve got to where we are through all the MUD, BLOOD and BEER.

The Bad Shepards

We’ve arranged an extensive UK tour, and we’re working on the new album right now…more on that soon!”

UK Tour Dates, Winter 2013

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Wed 13 Nov Gateshead 0191 443 4661 The Sage
Thu 14 Nov Glasgow 0844 477 2000 O2 ABC
Fri 15 Nov Sale 0161 912 5616 The Waterside
Sat 16 Nov Liverpool 0844 477 2000 O2 Academy 2
Sun 17 Nov Leeds 0113 243 0808 City Varieties
Wed 20 Nov Bath 0845 293 8480 Komedia
Thu 21 Nov Birmingham 0121 345 0603 Town Hall
Fri 22 Nov Exeter 01392 667 080 Phoenix
Sat 23 Nov Falmouth 0871 220 0260 Pavilions
Sun 24 Nov Southampton 023 8055 5366 The Brook
Wed 27 Nov Cardiff 0871 220 0260 The Globe
Thu 28 Nov Gloucester 01452 503 050 Guildhall
Fri 29 Nov Corby 01536 470470 Corby Cube
Sat 30 Nov Farnham 01252 745 444 Maltings
Sun 1 Dec Brighton 01273 673 311 Concorde 2
Wed 4 Dec Colchester 01206 500 900 Arts Centre
Thu 5 Dec Nottingham 0845 413 4444 Rescue Rooms
Fri 6 Dec Holmfirth 0114 256 55 67 Picturedrome
Sat 7 Dec Clitheroe 0871 220 0260 The Grand
Sun 8 Dec Pocklington 01759 301 547 Arts Centre
Wed 11 Dec Folkestone 01303 858 500 Quarterhouse
Thu 12 Dec Oxford 0844 477 2000 O2 Academy 2
Fri 13 Dec Cambridge 01223 511 511 The Junction
Sat 14 Dec London Empire Shepards Bush Empire