Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd news

9th June 2009

With the Band making final preparations for their trip to Worms for the show on Friday, I have been doing some research into the way individual promoters advertise our shows. You are probably aware that there are times when promoters, for whatever reason, decide to omit the fact this is "featuring Les Holroyd". We have certainly received some flack for this over the years and rightly so, although sometimes you can rant and shout at people but it makes no difference and certainly, once an advert appears in a printed publication, it is there for all time.

So, in the course of my research, I noticed that John Lees' Barclay James Harvest are doing some shows around the place. Great news for all Barclay fans who now have the opportunity to hear the full spectrum of BJH music played live. Particularly good news for UK fans as this will be the only chance this year to see either band as we will not be touring the UK this year and certainly not before the release of the new album.

Most, if not all of you who read this, are aware of the existence of both bands and will know exactly which band is being offered at any event. For the minority out there, however, you should check that you are not going to be disappointed in any way if you see "Barclay James Harvest" advertised and expect (a) the original line-up; (b) Les Holroyd; (c) John Lees but get something else. For instance, a UK promoter (The Gig Cartel) advertised in last Friday's Daily Mirror that Barclay James Harvest are appearing in Holmfirth in October. I have written to The Gig Cartel explaining the misleading nature of their advert but they have not responded yet. If any of you see any of our shows incorrectly advertised, I shall be grateful if you could let me know about it. Emails can reach me at alex@barclayjamesharvest.co.uk

I see that John is to appear at a free open-air in Homburg, Germany on the 15th August. This is a strange one as we were offered that some time ago but had to decline as the show is too close (in distance) to one of the Orchestral shows we are doing in October. It is strange because the October Promoter was worried that his ticket sales might be affected by playing a show nearby. However, what has happened is that the general public, most of whom have no idea about there being two bands and these are the likely members of the audience at a free event, will see BJH playing a show in August and back with an orchestra in October. Fans of the band who are likely to buy a ticket for the orchestral show would not be put off doing so because of a show two months previously.

For those of you who are waiting for ticket ordering information for the October tour, I hope to have some information coming through next week. As ever, the details will be posted on the website as soon as I have them.

You can find a link to John's activities from the Fan Club website

On another topic, I recall some time ago that there was some discussion on the Fan Club Forum regarding some so-called BJH fans who had been contacted on their MySpace profile with an invitation to become a "Friend" of BJHFLH. The gist of the discussion was "how dare they?" ask them when they have no desire to be friends with this band. Interesting then that it appears those who run the MySpace site for John have asked certain people connected with members of BJHFLH who are "Friends" of the band to become friends with John. Included in the list is the Partner of Ian Wilson. She thought it was very amusing that John or those who work for him are trawling through our MySpace site looking for likely candidates to add to their number of "Friends".

On a positive note, it seems sales of tickets for the Excalibur show on the 25th July have sold well enough for a second show to be added. If you want more information, please visit the Excalibur website here The Anne de Bretagne shows are similarly selling well and there has been talk of adding a third date. Again, please visit the Anne de Bretagne website here Les is performing two songs (not BJH) at each event.

Thanks for reading this and thanks for your continued support.

Alex

17th May 2009

The BJHFLH MySpace now has a new look with links to the YouTube site.

About time ... and where's this new album!!

2nd May 2009

Highlight of the week has to be Colin and Mike being asked by a young German airport official "Are you Led Zeppelin?"

Mike replied "Yes ...yes we are!"

Colin is Fred Zeppelin

24th April 2009

Thanks go to Dr MBH for all his Sterling efforts getting our videos on YouTube. If, like Willy, you are a little OCD when it comes to latency problems, there are more chances to see the real thing, in the flesh, as it were and with fewer latency problems (hopefully) than you will get on YouTube. Yes, more dates confirmed for October with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

Two more shows in Germany, two in France. Click here for the Live Dates page.

More dates when I have them.

Alex

What ...Willy in the flesh ...EDI Alert!! Butty stands behind him too ...!!

22nd April 2009

Well after buggering about with various compression formats and after Willy (Virgo/OCD) Wilsonholme pointed out a slight latency problem, the bods in the BJHFLH IT Dept decided to go for MPEG-4 with MP3 audio. However YouTube insist on converting this to a flv file ...Flash 7.

So no matter how much care one takes YouTube decide how it looks. Get your Codecs sorted YT!!

73

Dr MBH BSc (Hons) G3GXI

You can't say 'buggering about' on a website BJHFLH Legal Dept

20th April 2009

BJHFLH on YouTube

12th March 2009

More shows added to the Summer schedule. The 12th June show in Worms is with the Leningrad Cowboys and Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash. The show in Calw on the 27th June is with Eric Burdon & The Animals and Ten Years After. All dates on the Live Dates page.

Alex

11th March 2009

We have just confirmed three shows in October 2009 in Germany with the Philharmonic Orchestra. This will be a small tour, so if you want to see the band and orchestra again, or for the first time, be sure to get your tickets early. Les is working on some surprises for the shows including more from the new album. Check the Live Dates page for details.

Some of you may like to know that Les will be appearing (without the band) in the Rock Opera by Alan Simon entitled Anne de Bretagne in Nantes on the 29th and 30th June. Details can be found on the production website at www.annavreizh.com.

Les will also be appearing (without the band again) in the Alan Simon production Excalibur at Kaltenburg Castle in Germany on the 25th July. Details can be found at www.excalibur-show.com.

More when I have it.

Alex

Thanks to Thomas Hinz at Rock Pictures for sending a link to their site and for putting up pictures taken at the Rock of Ages show 2007.

Click here for the pictures.

Also, thanks to Jennifer at Die Grafikschleuder for the pictures taken in Mengerskirchen in September 2007.

Click here for her pictures.

And a special thanks to Alan Perry for the fabulous pictures he took at the Robin 2 in Bilston in 2007.

Click here for his pictures.

Alex