Wurzelmania!
News
Older
news items which have appeared in the Wurzelmania! website have
now been archived by year. Feel free to browse...

Wurzels
Valentine's Tour (posted 16 Dec 2008)
West
Country promotions company Midnight Mango have announced a four
day Wurzels tour for next year which takes the band across Devon
and Somerset over the Valentine's Day weekend.
The
Wurzels' management normally handle all their own bookings, but
Midnight Mango have consistently proved themselves a good promoters
for The Wurzels with their annual springtime shows (as well as having
an excellent reputation in the local music business as a whole)
- and 2009 sees them taking The Wurzels on a whistle-stop four-date
tour across the West Country.
The
tour - seasonally named the Love A Wurzel On The Valentine's
Tour (which I'm not sure actually makes sense - but we get
the idea!) - starts in Plymouth on the 11th February, and ends on
Saturday in 14th in Plymouth. And what better way to express your
feels to a loved one than buying two tickets for a romantic hoe-down
with The Wurzels?
Tickets
are on sale now priced at £12.00 in advance and £14.00
on the door; except for the Exeter date which is a snip at £10.00
in advance and £12.00 on the door. In saying that, I wouldn't
guarantee that there will be any tickets left to buy on the door.
And if that isn't enough to impress the object of your affections,
I'm sure that a Wurzels CD bought and signed on the night will do
the job!
Wednesday
11th February 2009 - The
Lemon Grove at
Exeter University
Thursday
12th February 2009 - The Palace Theatre, Bridgwater
Friday
13th February 2009 - Cheese & Grain, Frome
Saturday
14th February 2009 - University of Plymouth Students' Union
Support
comes from Peachy
Farmer (Exeter), Fizzy
Milk and My Name Is Ian
(Bridgwater), Who's
Afear'd (Frome) and The
Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (Plymouth)
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Wurzels
Guest On Bush and Troy's Christmas Single (updated 15 Dec 2008)
GWR
FM DJs Bush and Troy's have done it again! Their new Christmas single
is a parody of Wham's Last Christmas and features The Wurzels
on vocals throughout the song. Also appearing are regular show guests
'Spidey Man' and 'Jack Nicholson' and for footie fans there is some
lovely one-twos from Lewis Carey (Bristol City captain) and Stevie
Phillips (Bristol Rovers goalkeeper).
Breaking
News!!!
George Michael has given permission for Bush and Troy to use the
Last Christmas tune! This means that very soon you will
be able to buy Bush and Troy's 2008 Christmas song. All proceeds
will go to the GWR
Big Give campaign to raise funds for the Bristol Children's
Hospital. Watch this space and listen on air to Bush and Troy's
radio show on GWR FM for details of where you can buy the song.
The
chorus goes something like this:
Last
year we had champagne and wine, now it's twenty Scotch Eggs for
3.99;
This year, The Wurzels are here so we might as well all drink cider!
But
if you want to hear it in all its glory, check out GWR FM's YouTube
page, and the full lyrics on the GWR FM website
- or listen to Bush and Troy's radio show on GWR FM!
This
is Bush and Troy's fourth single - previous songs were the 2004
Christmas single
Feed The Wurzels (featuring The Wurzels),
the 2006 World Cup anthem Peter
Crouch In Lederhosen (also featuring The Wurzels)
and the 2007 Fairytale of Bristol (which sadly did not
feature The Wurzels at all!). And
we have just uncovered a neat YouTube video (well, audio only) of
the Feed
The Wurzels song.
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Wurzelmania!
Forum - new to the website (posted 13 Nov 2008)
We
are pleased to announce the addition of a Wurzelmania! Forum
as part of the Scrumpy & Western website. This means that you
can ask your questions, share your Adge Cutler & Wurzel memories,
chat with other fans of the band or just tell us what a good (or
otherwise) job you think we are doing.
I
have set up the Forum so that you can send messages as a guest
without needing to Register - although if you are a regular, it
would be nice to have a core of registered users. And if the board
starts getting too many 'difficult' guests, I may be forced to make
registration mandatory. So, be nice to each other!
You
can find
the Forum here.
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Wurzels
have the Monopoly on new Somerset game! (14th October 2008)
Monopoly, the great property trading board game
now finds its home in Somerset. You can now play the classic game
with the landmarks and locations which give the county its distinctive
appeal and character. And pride of place on the board are The Wurzels!
Yes,
where once there was a Water Works (£150), now you
will find
Tommy, Pete and the rest of the band. Now that's a good use of a
brownfield site!
Sadly
the picture (right) doesn't show it too well. The band are in the
top right hand corner in between the Yellow 'properties' of 'Cheddar
Caves & Gorge' and 'Minehead', and two places short of the 'Go
To Jail' square. But you
will have to shell out on a copy of the game to see them in all
their glory - and have your opportunity to buy The Wurzels! What
would Adge have said?
The
manufacturers, UK-based game firm Winning Moves, say of the game:
"In Somerset you will find a wonderful mixture of countryside
and coast. Inland there are many hills on which to stroll and numerous
areas of natural beauty. The Levels and Moors form a backdrop to
Glastonbury Tor, centre of mystery and legend. Not far from Glastonbury
is Wells, England's smallest city with a magnificent 13th Century
cathedral and a delightful market square. The nearby caves at Wookey
Hole and at Cheddar Gorge will transport you back to prehistoric
times while in Taunton Vale lies the town of Taunton. Somerset's
county town has shopping, entertainment and a famous castle, now
the home of the Somerset County Museum. In a County of such beauty,
you'll find few squares on the board you won't want to land on,
so give the dice a roll and see where the game of Monopoly takes
you in Somerset, The Jewel of the South West!" For more information
- including a list of all the new squares, check the World
Of Monopoly website.
The
Somerset edition of Monopoly was released today and is available
on the Amazon website priced at £24.99.
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Drink
Up Thy Cider - For Charity! (1st July 2008)
West
Country favourites The Wurzels will headline a popular charity night
near Bridgwater next month.
The
marquee event at Bullhorn Farm, Andersea, on August 8, will be supported
by comedian Phil Lowen and solo singer Scott Bench Taylor. The
spectacular show has been arranged to raise money for the Bridgwater
branch of Cancer Research UK, and all profits will be donated to
the charity.
One
of the organisers, Dave Stokes, said: "This charity is extremely
close to our hearts, and ever since last year's event we have been
asked whether we would do it again. Plans
are taking shape to ensure that this year's show will be the best
one yet."
A
grand raffle will also take place during the evening and organisers
are hoping that local businesses and organisations will donate raffle
prizes.
Tommy
Banner, accordionist and vocalist with The Wurzels, said: "Cancer
is a terrible disease, and we are only too pleased to play our part
in raising money for this worthwhile charity. It's
going to be a great night, and I look forward to seeing you all
there!"
Tickets
are £12.50 (including food), from Gary Stephens on 07711 446930,
Marie Howes on 07714 102731, Dave Stokes on 07909 567888 or The
Puriton Inn on 01278 683464. The venue address is Bullhorn Farm,
Andersea, Westonzoyland, Bridgwater TA7 0LU.
from
the 'Bridgwater Mercury' website
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Combine
Harvester To Get The Rap Treatment (30 May 2008)
Cider-swilling
pop legends The Wurzels are planning a rap version of their 1970s'
cult classic Combine Harvester, insiders revealed yesterday.
The
country-bumpkin rockers shot to fame with classics such as I
Am a Cider Drinker and Drink Up Thy Zider - all sung
in a thick West Country accent. But
now they plan to swap their farmers' favourites for trendy baseball
caps, baggy jeans, and "bling" jewellery, and re-release
a hip-hop version of their 1976 hit.
According
to record company insiders, the new version could be a chart hit
and harvest the band a small fortune. A source said: ''The original
version was, and still is, immensely popular all over the world,
so a rap version of it would be massive. It would sell tens of thousands
of copies and has real potential to snatch the #1 spot all over
again."
The
band formed in 1966 as a backing group for West Country singer Adge
Cutler, but re-launched as The Wurzels in 1974 when Adge was killed
in a car crash. Since then, the band has shot to fame with songs
about farming, cider making, rural villages and local pubs.
Yesterday
band manager Phil Wilcox would not comment on the single, but said:"I'm
not ruling anything out for the band's future."
from
the 'Western Daily Press' website
[Ed
comments: Considering that Tommy Banner writes for the Western Daily
Press, one might have hoped that the paper could have got more facts
and less speculation! 'Record company insiders' and 'a source' -
and, of course, Phil Wilcox (presumably Sil Willcox's less famous
brother!) Still, if it's true, it can't be a bad thing!]
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Wurzels
sign up to music festival (9 May 2008)
Preparations
are well underway for the Bradford Festival next month, with The
Wurzels booked to headline on the first night.
Sponsored
by the Wiltshire Times, the festival promises to be a great day
out for the whole family with events going on all day and well into
the night too.
The
event, which is now in its eighth year and held in the field behind
The Beehive pub, is run by Sparky Bloodworth and his wife Lynne.
But this year he has had some extra help to make the festival the
biggest and best yet.
Sam
Nash, who is helping him out, said: "This year it's going to
be running day and night over a whole weekend. It's going to be
more of a family event with rides and a circus skills workshop during
the day. It's also going to be a community event with lots of local
people doing stuff too."
On
Friday June 20, The Wurzels will be headlining with the Cleverly
Brothers playing earlier in the evening.
Then
on Saturday, Rolling Stones tribute act The Rollin Clones will be
headlining, with local bands Carnaby Street, The Bad Detectives,
Mike Eaton and the Young Leonardos playing.
advertisement
On
the Sunday, The Boghouse Boys will close the festival with Tom Rockcliffe
and Sonny performing earlier in the evening.
Mr
Bloodworth, 53, said: "Up until now it was only myself and
Lynne organising it but we could only do two music evenings, so
we've formed a committee to help take it to the next level and hopefully
it will get bigger and better."
Usually
the festival has tribute acts dominating the line up but this year
they have booked many more local bands playing original music.
The
daytime event is free but tickets for the evening events cost £15
in advance or £17 on the gate.
They
can be purchased from Bradford on Avon Tourist Information Centre,
the Wiltshire Times office in Duke Street, Trowbridge, from Sam
Nash on (01225) 764516 or online from www.bradford-festival.co.uk.
from
the 'This Is Wiltshire' website
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Wurzels
Confirmed for Glasto 08 (30 April 2008)
The
Wurzels will be playing on the Avalon Stage at this year's Glastonbury
Festival.
The
line-up for this year's Glastonbury Festival, taking place between
Friday 27th and Sunday 29th of June, has now been announced. As
promised the Wurzels have been awarded a higher profile slot in
the festival, having being promoted from headliners on the Band
Stand to a mid-afternoon slot on the Avalon Stage on the Saturday
(28th).
The
boys are fifth on the bill, which is headlined by The Proclaimers
and also sees Will Young, Alabama 3 and The Handsome Family playing.
The Wurzels follow Rachel Unthank & The Winterset, Bacalao,
Malarchy and One String Loose on stage; which should see them on
stage at about tea-time (timings approximate!). And I'm sure that
the fact they are not headlining the stage will be no chore, as
the band has a second gig booked for the same day in nearby Longleat
Estate!
The
Wurzels, of course, made national headlines for all the wrong reasons
last year when they pulled out of last year's Glastonbury Festival
after being offered a slot on the Band Stand (the same stage they
had played on at their Glasto debut in 2000). At the time, organiser
Emily Eavis promised the band a better slot in 2008, and seems to
have lived up to her promises.
And
it is not lost for any Wurzels fans who have not got their Glastonbury
tickets yet. The anticipated rush for tickets seems to have been
a little over-optimistic, and as a result there are still tickets
available - but get your applications in ASAP as I'm sure the confirmation
of The Wurzels on the bill will mean a last-minute rush for tickets!
Glastonbury
Festival website
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Wurzels
Go Back To School (12th March 2008)
Tommy
Banner and Pete Budd took time out from gigging to visit students
at Churchill Community Foundation School in North Somerset.
Students
studying A-level Product Design at the school had been given a project
as part of their course to design and manufacture items creations
based around songs by Adge Cutler & The Wurzels; and Tommy and
Pete were invited to come along and see what the results were.
The
twelve students had created a range of Wurzelly products - a 'Blackbird'
light which will shortly be migrating to the nearby Thatcher's Cider
farm shop to highlight their Wurzel-Me Cider, a tractor-shaped hen
house that will be donated to nearby Court Farm Country Park in
Banwell, a range of six bar stools that will be donated to pubs
in the local area, and two park benches that will be relocated to
Barrow Gurney and Easton-in-Gordano (both mentioned in Adge's songs).
One student also made a weather vane which is apparently mentioned
in one of the Wurzels songs, but I can't place which!
Their
visit included a guided tour of the school's high quality Performing
Arts department. Anyone who 'never went to school' doesn't know
what they were missing! Churchill Community Foundation School is
renowned for its support for live music, and is a specialist school
for the performing arts. It has specialist dedicated teaching and
technical performing arts staff, and plenty of top qualities facilties
including a 300-capacity theatre, a state-of-the-art recording studio,
a drama studio and rehearsal room, and new dance studio, music and
practice rooms and a music technology suite. And to show the benefits
of studying live music, Tommy and Pete serenaded staff, students
and visiting media with a couple of songs.
Churchill
Community Foundation School website
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Wurzels
Launch New Website (27th February 2008)
The
Wurzels have launched their brand new official website Wurzelworld.
The website was launched on 27th February and contains everything
that an official band website should have - band news, gig dates,
band biogs, discography, gallery, shop, and a forum. There is also
a mailing list for you to sign up to get the latest news from Wurzelworld
- sign up now and you get a chance to win a signed copy of the Mervyn
Hancocks book, 'Wurzels World'.
The
website announces that it has recently ‘rediscovered’
the two hand-written letters by Adge Cutler that are stored in the
archives of the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office in Trowbridge.
See the Wurzelmania! news
archive for 2005 for more information about these letters, and
how to get a look at them yourselves.
New
Wurzels website
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The
Wurzels Confirmed for Rock'N'Roots Festival (20th February 2008)
The Wurzels will be playing at the Rock'N'Roots Festival in Herefordshire
this August. Great family days out with three music tents, stalls,
craft displays, exotic foods, juggling schools and wine bar set
amongst the beautiful green fields of picturesque Herefordshire.
This
new eclectic festival is buried in the heart of ciderland, showcasing
folk, blues and rock'n'roots for all ages. Two Big Top marquees
and an outdoor stage will be hosting the music over the bank holiday
weekend. Marillion and USA legendary axe man Steve Cropper, alongside
reformed blues rockers Bad Company and Curved Air, will be featuring
amongst the hefty blues and folk roots line up.
The
Wurzels are booked to play on the bank holiday Monday 25th
August and will join Bad Company, blues guitar maestro Walter Trout
and the Radicals, Neck, Stan Webb's Chickenshack, Michael Chapman,
3 Daft Monkeys, Cheryl Beer.
The Rock'n'Roots Festival takes place at Rye Meadows, Much Marcle,
near Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2NL. Tickets
go on sale from 8th April 2008 at www.rocknroots.co.uk
(website not live yet!). Great family days out with three music
tents, stalls, craft displays, exotic foods, juggling schools and
wine bar set amongst the beautiful green fields of picturesque Herefordshire.
Check
the official The
Rock'n'Roots Festival for more information (official website
currently down - check Ents24
for full line-up).
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Wurzels
To Headline Buckland Beer Festival 2008 (11th February 2008)
The Wurzels have been confirmed as headliners at the 2008 Buckland
Beer Festival on Saturday 16th August.
Landlord
and festival promoter Jeremy Westcott (pictured right with The Wurzels
in preparation for the 2008 festival) confirmed that The Wurzels
will be playing on Saturday evening with live music all day building
up to their show.
The
Buckland Beer Festival takes place at the Buckland Showground, behind
the Bell Inn in Buckland Dinham (on the A362 midway between Frome
and Radstock). The festival takes place over three days - Friday
being the annual Blues & Rock Evening, live music all Saturday
culminating in The Wurzels, and Sunday being the annual Pirate Festival
& Village Day. Jeremy promises over 50 beers, lagers, ciders
and wines.
Tickets
cost £20.00 in advance for the weekend, £15.00 in advance
for Saturday, £10.00 in advance for Friday; Sunday is free
to everyone. Tickets include souvenier glass and first drink free
(exc. Sunday!). Onsite camping costs £5.00 per pitch per night
(motorhome, caravan or tent); limited to 250 so booking in advance
is recommended!
Buy
Your Tickets Here 
Check
the official Buckland
Beer Festival website for more information.
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John
'Jai' Howe Passed Away (6th February 2008)
It
is with great sadness that we report the death of former Wurzels
bass player Jai Howe.
John
'Jai' Howe was one of those rarities - a two-times Wurzels. He first
joined the band in the mid-1980s replacing Tony Baylis the band's
long-time bass player. Although he left not long after, he returned
towards the end of 2002 when he replaced Dave Wintour. Interviewed
in 2004 for Mervyn Hancock's book Wurzels World, Jai (then
57) hoped that this was a job that would last him for the rest of
his life. Sadly that wasn't to be, and in the autum of 2006 he left
the band for a second time, due to ill health.
That
illness turned out to be inoperable brain cancer, and sadly on Monday,
4th of February 2008, John 'Jai' Howe died surrounded by close friends
and family. Our thoughts go out to his wife Susanne and family.
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Wurzels
To Play Camp Bestival 2008 (4th January 2008)
The Wurzels have been added to the 2008 Camp Bestival line-up along
with the likes of headliners The Flaming Lips and Chuck Berry, Suzanne
Vega, Billy Bragg, Kid Creole & the Coconuts and The Cuban Brothers.
Camp
Bestival takes place at Lulworth Castle, Dorset on the weekend of
18th to 20th July 2008; at this time, we have no idea which day
The Wurzels are playing; but as you can only buy a weekend ticket,
it hardly matters!
Tickets
cost £120 for adult weekend tickets; £60 for children
(13-15), free for the under 15s; booking fees may apply. All children
under 16 must be acompanied by a paying adult. Tickets include free
camping for the weekend; Campervan Tickets are £50.00 per
vehicle.
Buy
Your Tickets Here 
The
Camp Bestival press release reads: "But remember Camp Bestival's
not just about the music - for us it's the first festival to fully
cater for people who love the whole camping experience, tailored
for families, kids of all ages and folk who are just as happy lolling
about in their own camp whiling away lazy afternoons or getting
stuck into one of the many options for fun and entertainment - from
Come Dancing dance classes, knocking up a scarf in the world's first
Knitting Tent, storytelling around campfires or performing your
own Spoken Word on one of our open stages."
Check
the official Camp Bestival website
for more information.
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