THE Bulldog Bash is BACK!

"The Bulldog Bash is in a league of its own, easily ranking among the best festivals in the world, if not actually taking that crown and sticking a nitrous kit on it to see how fast it will go." Nick Ruskell, Kerrang! August 26th 2006.

Status Quo and The Damned have been confirmed as headline acts at the 21st Annual Bulldog Bash which takes place August 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th at the Shakespeare County Raceway, Long Marston, near Stratford On Avon, Warwickshire.

Status Quo, who have sold over 118 million records worldwide, recorded 63 British Hit Singles and had more hit albums (32) in the UK album charts than any other band apart from the Rolling Stones, headline on Friday August 10th. Status Quo have notched up 22 top ten UK singles since their first, ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’, reached number 7 in the UK chart in January 1968, and promise a plethora more of unforgettable rock’n’roll anthems such as ‘Paper Plane’, ‘Caroline’, ‘Down Down’, ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’, ‘Whatever You Want’, ‘The Wanderer’ and ‘In The Army Now’.

Commenting on their sole UK festival appearance in 2007, Rick Parfitt says "The whole band are looking forward to the Bulldog Bash at Long Marston. Hopefully we'll have a nice hot August day and we can really get the place rocking. I'm going to find some time to have a look at all the bikes and gear too."

Website – http://www.statusquo.co.uk

The Damned, featuring original vocalist Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible, headline on Saturday August 11th. The Damned were the first of the London punk bands to release a single - ‘New Rose’, on Stiff Records, in 1976 - and have subsequently scored six top 40 hit singles out of 17 top 100 chart entries, let alone half a dozen top 40 hit albums. The Damned, who are still defiantly challenging audiences, promise an amazing live show - rock at its messy, wonderful best. The Damned, also famous as pioneers of gothic rock, are edgy, loud and sinister. Their most recent album ‘Grave Disorder’ (2005) shows the continuing power of the group that produced ‘Neat Neat Neat’, ‘Smash it up (Part 2)’, ‘Feel the Pain’ and ‘Eloise’. Their amazing live shows combine full-on rock energy, a stylish sense of performance, and humorous deadpan cool.

Captain Sensible comments "It's the first time we've been on the same bill as Quo and I'm very much looking forward to it. Whenever they played the Croydon Greyhound in the mid 70s I was there.... and it was refreshing to see a band in the bar having a drink with their fans - which the Damned have also been known to do occasionally. In this day and age of X-Factor, Simon Cowell and all these plastic celebrity karaoke shows on TV we have seen our audience figures swelling, which we reckon is a reaction to the lack of decent live bands these days. You just can't beat it - a thrashing drum kit.... a cranked up guitar.... the front man going beserk blurting out some anti establishment lyric or other. Great stuff indeed - and the UK punk movement as led by the Pistols, the Clash, the Stranglers and ourselves was a pretty wild time when the UK was at the forefront of global musical trends.... whether Mike Read or Phil Collins liked it or not! I reckon The Damned deserve medals for our services over the years but I'll settle for the fact that we're still out there having fun onstage up and down the country in 2007 after a wonderful career lasting 30 years so far. And I wouldn't have predicted THAT in 1977.... otherwise I might have chosen a better stage name than Captain Sensible I can tell you!"

Website - http://www.officialdamned.com

A host of other acts are currently being finalised to appear at the Bulldog’s 21st annual Bash, which will be rammed with more things to do than you can shake a stick at.

American V Bike Magazine stated as far back as 2003 that "The Bulldog now boasts one of the very finest custom shows, certainly in Europe and perhaps the world" and it has been getting bigger and better ever since. As well as the massive custom bike and car show, top jet cars and rocket bikes will hurtle down the drag strip all weekend, punctuated by the ever popular ‘run-what-you-brung’ sessions and top stunt bike and car performances. All-comers wrestling bouts take place all weekend alongside a massive village of trade stalls selling all kinds of biking and alternative lifestyle kit, let alone a host of tattoo and piercing parlours. Among many other highlights promised are the ‘Wall Of Death’, the ‘Topless Bike Wash’ and a fairground full of ludicrous white knuckle rides.

Tickets are available by post, priced £45 (until June 30th and £50 after July 1st) from THE BULLDOG BASH, PO BOX 5026 EAST READING RG6 1ZQ. (Sterling only) cheques should be made out to ‘The Bulldog Bash’ and all postal applications must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Tickets can also be purchased from credit card hotline 08713 100000 (booking fees apply) and will be available via www.bulldogbash.com soon.

http://www.bulldogbash.com