Scotch Egg!

High Barn is a very special venue. It’s on the edge of a picture perfect Essex village called Great Bardfield (yes, there’s also a Little Bardfield) and it is a 400yr old timber barn, beautifully restored and fitted out with the best sound system I’ve ever heard reproduce acoustic Bruise. The atmosphere of the place is amazing and the audience responds accordingly. We were there to play the Unplugged night for the second time and, like last time, the place was sold out. The lights, the sound, the bar full of my old mates – we totally rose to the occasion and played a blinder. Back down the M11 and, believe me, there’s nothing as tasty as a well deserved scotch egg at the wheel of one o’ they ford vans. Jim x

Hope Festival

Once a year the hippest happninest inhabitants of south east London get in their cars and decamp to east Sussex, near Bodiam Castle for Hope festival. We’ve played there for 8 years in a row now and it is a very special weekend for all concerned. This year Bruise were asked to open the festival in the Piano Bar and frankly we felt like we were back in Glastonbury with the mud and the mayhem. It was a total luxury, Maxine had given us the stage for the whole evening, we played for 3 hours, the Ukelele made it’s first festival appearance, Jim warmed the place up with his piano tuning skills. We were surrounded by friendly faces, glasses were raised, I didn’t pay for a drink the whole evening, those people know how to make you feel at home alright. Unfortunately we had to head straight back to London so there was no jolly camping for us but with talent like The Cosmic Sausages and Glen Tilbrook lined up for the rest of the festival you could bet your last £30 that that weekend was a BLAST!

BBC Radio Cambridge

Strictly speaking this wasn’t a gig but I do want to give shout out to BBC Radio Cambridge and their evening show DJ Sue Marchant. Sue had chanced upon us playing the Bun Shop in April and generously extended an invitation for us to appear on her show. Of course we were keen and Tuesday 27th of May was the day. We piled into the studio at 8 and talked about life the universe and Bruise for a full 45 minutes, Sue played “Silvertown” from the second album and Jim and I did live versions of “Don’t Make Me Wait” “Alright” and “Nobody Else”. We had a super time, she was a wonderful host and if you’re ever in Cambridgeshire, Essex or Hertfordshire between 7 and 10 on a weeknight tune in, you’ll be in for a treat!

Bruise Deliver!

Straight back from Liverpool we motored down to New Cross for our first gig at The White Heart. Hosted by the fabulous Tich Turner and The Catapult Club I was blown away by this secretive, vibey stage they’ve got tucked away. You walk into this grand old pub and round the corner and down the stairs there’s a groovy little stage, lined with mirrors and doing a very good impersonation of a tiny amphitheatre. There were three bands on, the first were our good friends Dune Lake (Sophie and Dave) blowing us away with some soulful guitar and vocals and masterful keyboard work, what a lovely start to the evening. Then we were treated to some ska from The Scaredy Cats and Bruise finished up the night. Now this wasn’t our usual line up because Bob Kelly was still up in Liverpool guesting with Rinaldi sings, so Jim and I were going out as an electric duo. I was trembling at the thought but we dived in with gusto, the set went…

Miss Bigfish
Silvermachine
Alright – something really lovely started to happen at this stage, there were a troop of locals in the front of the pub watching the big screen boxing, and from this point onwards those lovely people started to come through to catch us play, we had topped the pay per view entertainment that Sky were laying on – ALRIGHT!
Blueline
Little Victories – Jim and I had been routeening this all week, rearranging it for the electric line up and this was it’s first time out in this format. It felt fantastic and we got a rip-roaring reception.
Mr Rat – more locals pile in to catch the show.
Don’t Make Me Wait
Stranger in You – another new song which sent a sinister chill down my spine and we seemed to have the crowd hypnotized.
The Northern Line
I Don’t Like You – it was our last song on the list and folks were up and dancing, Sophie from Dune Lake and Lucy (happy birthday toooo yoooo!) and more bopped about the perfectly proportioned dance floor and put a smile on my face I couldn’t wipe off.

We got an encore and played Silvertown, this was a true welcome back to our home territory, a thank you to all who were there. I must repeat what Tich had been using as promo for this event, he said…
“The finest 3-piece you’ll ever see BRUISE deliver powerful haunting vocals over a richly woven fabric of wicked rhythms and masterful lyrics, completely superb.” Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Isobelx

International Pop Overthrow

May saw Bruise back in Liverpool for the 6th annual International Pop Overthrow, Hurrah! The IPO takes over every venue in Mathew Street for a ten day Power Pop extravaganza. It’s always a total blast ‘cos the three of us me, Isobel and Bob Kelly, are also Kelly’s Heels (showcasing Bob’s songs and vocals with Isobel on Bass, me on Drums). So that’s four gigs in two days – two each at the Cavern Pub and two each at the Cavern Club. The Cavern Pub is a fab little basement venue. A low stage, vocal PA (exciting, in ya face sound), loads of great rock detritus all over the place and the crowd is always totally up for it. Initially not sure what we were all about (it’s a Power Pop Fest remember), a couple of tunes in and folks were loving it. We gave ‘em a feisty 20 mins (The Game, Coldburn, Silvertown, The Northern Line, I don’t like you) then chatted with the locals and drank the bar out of Staropramen ‘til it was time change our trousers for Kelly’s Heels. We played the big stage at the back of the Cavern Club the next evening and, although it’s quite not as vibey as the recreation of the old Cavern at the front of the venue, the gig was still a belter. It’s always wonderful when people sing along with a track they’ve never heard before. The Northern Line is becoming a real live show favourite. Better get it on the next album, eh?

Jimx