25th April was an early summer Saturday road trip to Manchester's Studio. The key for this gig - in a marvelous, packed, 200 capacity, central Manchester club with a great sound and crew - for me, was the Jagermeister that Jamie made me drink two seconds before going on stage.  Like Cash at St Quentin, a highly- charged set of Foot Tapper, Bonfires, Thursday, Magnolia and Stage Fright were dispatched in about two minutes and getting back home was a unique challenge...Thanks to Jamie Russian Linesman & Liam & Ollie Made of Leaves for keeping us entertained on the journey there and back - bus wankers!!

Immediately after this 'overseas' triumph, we were offered a small victory at home - an acoustic show at The Rescue Rooms, or rather the bar of the Rescue Rooms.  In front of a small but appreciative rainy Monday night audience we reprised the Manchester set but in vaguely acoustic form (but still with Stage Fright's vocal delay set to stun). 

A great show back in the comfort zone on 30th April at The Maze with our lovely Doledrum Promotions chums and with Frontiers and Made Of Leaves.  A stella cast and a good turnout were dealt Foot Tapper, Bonfires, Thursday, the brand, brand new and still wet with mother's milk, Wailing Wall, Magnolia and Stage Fright.

We were thrilled to be finally asked to play our first Bodega show on 1st June.  We Supported Blackbud with the ace Alberto Veto.  Once the soundcheck 'disco' (thanks Rach) had stopped we played the same set as at The Maze and I think we pulled it off.

On 13th June, the next full day of summer after Manchester, we had a Live Aid planet- straddling two benefit shows in a day - the first at the community fundraising Lenton Festival and then later for the daft I'm Not From London's bonkers 'local scene' film (more of which later). We played the festival set largely by sense of smell but it is possible the sound out front was good for Foot Tapper, Bonfires, Thursday, Magnolia and Stage Fright.  The evening show at Seven was, I reckon, the best we've ever sounded and we re-introduced Wailing Wall into the set, as a result, after Thursday.

A one-off on 26th June saw Los Trios Herdos support Fat Digester at The Maze. We played Jazz-Funk versions (well acoustic really) of Foot Tapper, Bonfires, Thursday, the forgotten yet remembered Catching Time, Magnolia and Stage Fright.

The 6th July was a big one and perhaps, the pinnacle hitherto.  We played at The Rescue Rooms with That Petrol Emotion and for the first time had proper tickets and proper advertising and a monitor engineer and everything - hell we were even allocated our own dressing room and channels in the PA!  Our highly impressive Tuborg rider allowed us, in front of over 100 paying punters of both persuasions to give it some Foot Tapper, Apple, Thursday, Bonfires, Magnolia and Stage Fright and Dean (our stand in Bassist for the night from 'Made of Leaves') did us all more than proud.

Since that huge high we're been mainly on film and playing the lucrative restaurant circuit!  Really!

We met the lovely Zoe, from The Nottingham Evening Post, in Stealth on 22nd July for their This Is Live video showcase.  We filmed an acoustic Stage Fright and a soft porn- referencing interview, not in that order, due for release on the Web around mid September so watch this space!  I think this will also appear in the paper - we'll let you know!

We repeated this televisual feast on Saturday 25th July in the well-ordered company of Phil, Danny and Will for I'm Not From London's ace scene movie!  We performed an astonishing full on electric maelstrom version of Stage Fright to the cameras. We hope we make the final cut!....The afternoon at Loggerheads reminded us of those great Loft days with Curtis Whitefinger and Joey Chickenskin and all and the evening reminded us too of those long acoustic sets we used to play there...We were gutted to pull out of the evening gig at Loggerheads - but Guy was unavailable so we though it was best to pass on the gig.  However, the day after we pulled out we were offered a paid acoustic gig as Shaw's (which we decided to give a go as a reduced Herd)

At a well meaning and well attended Shaw's Restaurant that night we played our longest set ever, in two parts and for you train spotters, featuring the debuts of more than one tune and many old and new covers rarely played nowadays...

25/7/09-
Set 1 - Green Is The Colour (Pink Floyd) / Three Ring Circus / If (Pink Floyd) / Country Feedback (REM) / Girl In The War (Josh Ritter) / Kite (with Rach's new verse) / When the old Cricketer leaves the crease (Roy Harper) / Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead).
 
Set 2 - Magnolia / (the brand brand new kickin' and screamin') At Times Like These / Bonfires / Wailing Wall / Foot Tapper / Catching Time / Country Feedback (again) / Thursday / Stage Fright.

Out of our comfort zone, that one, but it was nice to be amongst friends by the end!

Thanks for reading this, chums and thanks for all your support.  Following all of the above madness we're Herding out now for a little bit but we"ll see you soon.  We're back playing live in September supporting the awesome Luxury Stranger at The Running Horse. xxx