Bleeding Hearts (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bleeding Hearts | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Genre(s) | Folk Punk Rock | |
| Years active | 1995 - date | |
| Label(s) | Own label | |
| Website | http://www.bleedinghearts.co.uk | |
| Members | ||
| Steve (Foxie) Brown
Nick Gibbs Gaz Hunt Gel Newey |
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| Former members | ||
| Paul Miller
Nigel Joiner Pete Cook Gordon Macguire Simon Bayliss |
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Contents |
[edit] Bleeding Hearts - Fiddlepunkinrocknrollrebellion
Bleeding Hearts are a unique band, playing a blend of folk punk rock, mixing thrashing guitars, forceful drums, and screaming fiddle with a hefty dose of political awareness.
[edit] History
Bleeding Hearts were formed in 1995 by Steve (Foxie) Brown. After a few lineup changes, the band has been touring in its current form since 1999.
As well as producing a number of critically acclaimed albums, they are also a spectacular live band, playing regular tours of the UK and Germany, and festivals such as Glastonbury, Glasgow Mayfest, Taubertal, Terschelling, Out In The Corn, and the Sunshine Coast Festival. They have played to crowds upwards of 5,000 people, and have a strong regular following. Always guaranteed to get a room (or field) on their feet and dancing.
Bleeding Hearts have played support for a number of big names, from the Levellers to Shane McGowan, the Damned, and the Darkness.
The band follows a strong tradition of agit political punk folk, typified by such bands as New Model Army, the Pogues, Men They Couldn't Hang, and the Levellers, but somehow avoid sounding like any of them. Incredibly versatile, they can go from power ballad to punk in a matter of moments, while always remaining unmistakeably 'Bleeding Hearts'. This is folk with attitude; with a contemporary modern edge relevant to society today.
Their songs address many issues, such as war, terrorism, unquestioning patriotism, the surveillance society we live in and vacuous modern culture that blinds us to the real issues in the world today. However, there is also has a more reflective side, looking at love, loss, and the daily struggle of just getting through life.
In a world of empty unthinking reality TV and homogenous manufactured pop, we should be thankful that there are still bands out there making their own way, free of record company influence, shouting about the issues that really matter in our society, and imploring us to “wake up, stand up”.
[edit] Members
Steve (Foxie) Brown – Lead vocals, guitar
Outspoken, strongly principled, a firm believer in trade unionism, and with a healthy contempt for 'New Labour', Steve was the founding member of the band.
Nick Gibbs – Fiddle and keyboards
The only qualified musician in the band, Nick played with Bristol Ceilidh band Pigs In Clover for a number of years before moving on to find the perfect accompaniment to his fiddle in Bleeding Hearts. Described as the 'pin up' of the band.
Gaz Hunt – Drums and vocals
Gaz is not only an excellent drummer, and the voice behind a number of songs such as 'Fear of the Dark', but is also responsible for the band artwork. He toured as a session drummer before joining Bleeding Hearts.
Gel Newey – Bass and vocals
Gel was previously seen sporting a fine Bon Jovi style perm in bands such as Ark and Press Darlings, and has also been spotted in a glam rock tribute band. The comedian of the band, he has a large selection of terrible jokes which he likes to share as widely as possible.
[edit] Previous Members
Paul Miller - Fiddle 96/97
Nigel Joiner - Bass 96/97
Pete Cook - Drums 96/98
Gordon Macguire - Bass 97/98
Simon Bayliss - Bass 98/99
[edit] Discography
All material released on their own label.
[edit] Out of Print Recordings
Siren Songs (1996)
Screaming EP (1997)
- Thingymajig
- Caravan Song
- Screaming
- Conspiracy
Sacred Cow (1998)
Demo Album (1999)
Losing My Faith in You (2000)
“Bootlegged” in Salzburg (2000)
[edit] Current Recordings
Fly In The Face of Fashion (2000)
- Fly In The Face of Fashion
- Democracy
- Caravan Song
- Russian Girl
- Little Bit of Love
- Sacred Cow
- What You Gonna’ Say
- Hardly Anything
- Hey Hey Hey
- Losing My Faith In You
- Screaming
- Don’t Call This Living
- Conspiracy
Anarcoustica (2002)
- One Life
- Away
- Growin Up
- For Another Day
- Whale Song
- Setting of the Sun
- Siren Songs
- The Promised Land
- Conspiracy
- Caravan Song
Merchants of Propaganda (2003)
- Wishing the World Away
- Third Eye
- My Country
- She Brings Sun
- So Glad 2B Alive
- I.N.S.T.R.U.M.E.N.T.S. of the State
- Propaganda
- Promised Land
- For Another Day
- Brand New State
- Black Country Bomb
Böse Liebe (2003)
- Queen of Happy
- Böse Liebe (aka Some Kind of Love Song)
- Million Miles
- I Wish I’d Never Met You
- Requiem
Politics and Love, Sex and Understanding (2005)
- War on Terror
- Patriotic Crap
- Anxiety
- Fear of the Dark
- Something Good 2Day
- Kings of Evermore
- Bones in the Cupboard
- Love is Someplace Else
- Politics and Love, Sex and Understanding
- Stupid People
- The Damage You Do
- Palestine
- Bad Choices
- Beam Me Up Scotty
- The Attic in Berlin (hidden track)
Time, Change and Continuity (2005)
- Dulce Et Decorum Est
- Secret Agent
- Thingymajig
- Caravan Song
- Screaming
- It All Looks So Different
- Losing My Faith In You
- Democracy
- Hardly Anything
- Whale Song
- Setting of the Sun
- Glad 2B Alive
- For Another Day
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Manifesto FM
- Requiem
- Soul
- Another World
- My Country
The band has produced a video to accompany the track ‘Glad 2 B Alive’, featuring footage of their performances across Europe. It is available from their website.
Bleeding Hearts are currently planning a new live album, to be recorded this may.
[edit] Solo Recordings and Side Projects
Steve Brown has released a solo album, Lament (1999), which was described by Rock ‘n’ Reel as “ambitious and successful” and by Blag Zine as “effective and atmospheric, clever and deserving of your attention”. This album is sadly no longer available.
- Soul
- Another World
- Bridge to the Rainbow
- Medicine Man
- Screaming
- Whale Song
- Did You Know
- English Nightime Cowboys
- Everytime
- Setting of the Sun
- Lament
Foxie and Gel also perform acoustically as the ‘Long Knives Project’.
[edit] Quotes
'Fly in the Face of Fashion', thirteen tracks of passion, justification, revalation and revolution. Songs that pull no punches... suggest an agenda for free thinkers and entertain..... Yes it's true, you can have it all. (Simon Jones, Folk Roots)
Celtic flavoured Punk energised power pop with superb melodies and perfect gritty vocals (Rock 'n' Reel)
Raw Punky Folky Anarchy etched in your face music. Highly Recommended (Organ - U.K. no. 1 fanzine)
Energy, power, melody, beat, dance to it, listen to it, cant ignore it.... perfect festival band (Blag zine)
Essentially a rock band with well intelligent and inspiring lyrics, the style ranges from quality rock anthems to beautiful folkish ballads, with raw vocals, violins and guitars, they truly have defined their own style (Colony One Magazine Ireland)
combining catchy choruses, melodic vocals, violins and classic rock n roll guitars into an up-tempo punky melodic rock-sound. (Strutter Magazine Germany)
Indecently brilliant with an electrifying live show (Mark Freeth, MCP Press)
Incredibly powerful grab you by the balls music (Zeitgeist webzine)
