So, we've done the tour thing again, here's a summary from my point of view. These opinions and views expressed do not represent the group consensus of Bastion, they are merely ramblings of someone with little better to do at 00:28 on a Saturday night.
Friday 3rd - K Town Rocks
So we set off from the offices of EDF energy in three bridges, and drive to the Fighting cocks to the sweet sounds of Cochise by Audioslave, in fact we only last the opening epic riff before giving into Chris Cornells warbling and put some other music on. I did actually start to log our car stereo choices, before giving up on day 3 and losing the bit of paper, ah well. It's academic.
Anyway, the gig itself, cheers and thanks to Tony Dead Beat (better stop calling him mercies now) and anTony Fink / Dead Beat and Timmy for sorting this out for us, and for Tony for putting us up in his ladpad afterwards. legend. The night was awesome, rambled to Josh on the bar and the lady who does an amazing job with the sound every single time, whose name has just eluded my eroded brain, sorry. Imelda done an amazing job with taking some photos for us (a couple below, more on our myspace page) cheers for that. We played okay I think, yet again Entrapment was played shambolically, but this time we got Jon El Guapo to sing for old times sake, he seemed a little reluctant but I hope it didn't destroy his soul too much! The Dead Beats first ever show was great - lots of people raved about them, Cardinal Fink were ace too reminded me a little of Guided By Voices in places, Colt Seavers were intense, and amazing moustache. Just Panic blew me away again, bastards. lovely bastards. Drank more at Tonys and admired his organised CD collection. SLEEEEEEEEEEEP (and spooned Iain in his sleep apparently, ooops...)
Saturday 4th - Thee Olde Trap
Wetherspoons breakfast, coffee, drive to nottingham. Lots of tunes included the Cut Ups and Future of the Left from memory....
Get to the venue tres early, go and look at the Castle and drink in the olde trap, the oldest pub in the world/england? had a little explore and then went and peered through the windows of that classy establishment Hooters, decide that maybe going inside with all the suited holligans of Nottingham is not the wisest move ever, head back to venue with tail between legs.
The venue at this one was ace, a little dungeon style practice room, BYOB - we did. Lots of booze, drank beer and then much rum, mainly to keep warm - but the effects were lethal. We played pretty okay, watched Just Panic 'rip shit up' again, and also the Human Targets who dedicated their song Temporary to me, as I like it, which was nice. Good lads, cheers Fraser.
It all got a bit hazy after the rum, and I woke in the morning in a bed in Alun Just Panics houseshare - apparently after disapearing to go to the toilet. Thankfully I didn't wet the bed. (2nd night in a row I slept in my clothes hmmmm...) Nothing too shameful though. A great night all in all.
Sunday 5th - Southend-on-Hell
ESSEX! Back to my roots this one, stayed at my folks - so relative luxury, stocked up on food and then headed to the longest pier in the world TM, and more excitingly £1 bowling on the seafront. Was hungover as hell on this day.....this was pretty much the high point for me, Dave won bowling I think....we have photographic evidence which I'll add once Dave uploads (same with other days generally)
The show itself wasn't our greatest moment ever! Not the promoters fault as I hassled him to let us jump on the bill, but all the other bands were much more screamy and hardcore than us, some to me was just noise - but thats because I'm untrendy and old I guess. Anyway, we got told off for feeding back into an amp, and the crowd generally smoked outside whilst we played - probably for the best, but thanks to my good friends Wes, Ian and Sally who make the journey down and all of Wes mates, at least we played to a few people - and we met a nice person in Markovsky who had some nice musical moments, though still a little screamy for my personal tastes. Thanks to the other bands who let us use their gear n that, and I do like the Sunrooms as a venue I must say.
Got depressed and drunk and rambled shit for hours after this show - and couldn't open door and had to wake folks up to let us in - not my greatest moment, but still. A show's a show eh?
Monday 6th - Crack: Moreish, apparently.
Bristol, now Daves hometown for a visit - Jak (suicide bookings) had sorted us out on short notice after we lost another show so thanks loads to him for this. Stayed at daves house - was epic. He had turtles and a remote control helicopter. After the show I made a pizza from scratch and put more chillis on it that really necessary - sorry Steve who was Just Panics mate. A burning ring of fire indeed. We had a BBQ the morning after show, and many beers into the early hours whilst Just Panic showed us some sick stuff on the WWW. SICK it was. *shudder*
The show itself, well - turn out not so good, but given Jak had a week to promote not his fault, and the barman/soundman was a legend. nice chap, and well funny. Killed By Hollywood were grand stuff, Just Panic played 3/4 of their set as well as ever whilst we sang along, and then did some amazing covers impromptu - where is my mind by the Pixies I think was one of them, I forget, and sweet home alabama which prompted the best Killed by Hollywood rap one could ever care to see, wish I'd videoed this. We probably played a fairly tight set, but alas to noone!
Oh yes, and then the smackheads came and caused shit, thus causing police to stop the show and us to get the hell out of there before we were stabbed with needles. Fantastic, Just Panic never got to end their set - sucked. Then more accident/diversions/police pressence added 30 mins to our journey back to Daves. Funny old night, but Jak was a grand chap so thanks for the show dude.
Tuesday 7th - Who doesn't like Brum?
Birmingham now, courtesy of Laughing in the Face Of's Steve Lowry AKA Easy Target. We arrived in the Brum, feeling frankly shattered, very very shattered. The venue didn't seem an obvious place for a punk show to begin with, but by the end of the night had had a great time. Easy Target did his acoustic goodness which I enjoyed muchly to begin, nice chap to book. Duller in Colour followed us, and were slightly more poppy, but also more angular than us - not straight ahead punk, but totally tight and great and what they do - and very nice blokes to boot, Lars in particular, and the guitarist who name escapes me. Good stuff. Just Panic headlined and yet again played all their songs note perfectly, Bastards. I think we were okay, but a little under the weather and lacked a bit of energy at this show, also big cheers to G and his mates who came down and gave their support, I did an inapropriate dedication to Gareth, but he can take that shit like the manbitch he is, so all okay on that front. We slept as much as possible forseeing much booze in swansea, we weren't wrong....
Wednesday 8th - S-Town also rocks.
Swansea! Awesome, got there - minced about for a bit and then bowled. I kick the others asses. Sorry lads, but it's a fact. I felt sorry for the alley girl who had to take our shoes to exchange for bowling shoes as at this stage they were frankly rank.
Rhys Arteries and Trev AKA the Swansea Collective sorted us out this show, so cheers for that dudes. Trev cooked and amazing curry for us, and then got wrecked like a champion, we stayed at Rhys's after a heavy night of Mohito's and Bucket Cocktails.
The show itself - The Groundnuts and Independents kicked everyones' asses again with their great S Town punk rock n roll. Singalong stuff, and they played very very tightly considering their alleged lack of practice. Admired Greg Groundnuts new emo hairstyle which was apparently due to lack of quiff-effort. The punkrock quiz by pugs was pretty fun, though we clearly know shit all about punk, and if it was not for Trev's help would've scored a big fat zero. We played okay I think, a few drum problems from the prima donna that is Dave ;) but we got through a decent enough set in the end and a few people said nice things, which was, nice. Met Nigel and a chap from the Symptons whose name eludes me again (I should write this when not so tired) who were all sound as. Oh, and great to see Ryan of Heroic Doses original member 'Fame' and his new fiance (congrats again)....Basically a top top night.
and I snored Z Z Z Z!
Thursday 9th - The End of an beERA.
After a long drive with some ipod DJing back from Swansea, we arrived back in Brighton late afternoon and popped home for quick showers before heading to the Hobgoblin to set up and greet bands arriving. I was a dead man walking by this stage, truly exhausted and not really looking forward to the prospect of another eve of 'fun'. Especially as I made an amateur promoter error of booking TOO MANY FUCKING BANDS. I really need to know how to say no / be more sensible, a lesson learned one could say. I was a proper snappy stresshead and also kept faffing about with the running order to 3/4 of Bastions dismay, but heyho it all worked out ok in the end.
Those nice chaps AKA Those Damn Owls opened proceedings with their take on 1990's style pop punk, music maybe american in sound, but the vocals give them a great authentically british edge so they don't sound like they're just copying 90's bands like Rancid/Green Day. Grand set with lots of energy, they need to get out Brighton at some point though, the lazy gits ;)
Laughing in the Face Of returned the favour next, really amazing techical skate punk - totally not fashionable, and all the better for it - aside a technical hitch played some amazing stuff. Finally chatted to them a bit more after sharing a couple of bills together in the past - nice blokes.
Just Panic played next - seriously great as ever, and loads of people told me how much they enjoyed them which was really cool to have people agree with our opinion of how good these fellas are (sorry for the arselicking, but people really do need to check them out)
You Me & The Atom Bomb played an earlier set due to transport commitments, they were as good as you'd expect from them - I'm really sorry that due to my logistical clusterfuck they played a shorter set than we'd all have liked. Great band, and v.understanding of my fucking dire time management.
Poison Heart from Belgium up next, a fast and furious set from them - melodic hardcore with a crazilly energetic frontman named Manu. Was pissed off that it wasn't a bigger crowd for them after travelling such a long way. Played a belter of a set and also cut it a bit short so we could manage to squeeze a short set in the end.
We played last as I thought best all the other bands definitely got to play in case we totally ran out of time - we played for about 10/15 minutes in the end and fitted in about 5/6 songs - but I did enjoy this 10/15 mins, and people were really nice and cheery, which was unexpected and really cool. Thanks to all the other bands who stuck around also.
Wasn't a total disaster in the end, which was a cheeky bonus! Thanks to all our mates who stuck around to the very end, and those who tried to cheer me up.
Anyway, that's an overview with epic detail of the tour, a huge thanks to everyone who came and watched us, bought a CD, gave us a show, put us up or offered to, drank with us, to Just Panic and Steve for being totally nice blokes and getting to watch them SLAY each night. Bands that lent us gear and nice sound/venue people, parents and relatives whose houses we abused all generally all that jazz.
More photos will be added to this once Dave has uploaded.
I will never apologise for length or width.
Bowden
The England/Wales Bridge. Ooooooh exciting.
Dave BBQ'ing in a Bottle at his parents house in Nailsea. Good times!
The Oldest Pub, in the world in Nottingham. Thumbs aloft!
Just Panic do their thing in Bristol.
More Just Panic Rock Action
There were more people on the stage than in the audience at this show! Doh!
Southend (is) Pants.....
Southend on Mud, The Longest Pier in the World, Later in evening, the longest set in the world (it felt like it anyway...)
'Arty' Picture of Dan in the Car thinking about girls and stuff.
Alun Just Panic with his face and drums. Nice T-Shirt too.
Frank Just Panic trying not to look freaked out by the singer of Citizen Erased who played this show too. She had some stage atire.
Iain disrespecting Robin Hood.
"The Drunken Dave Party Pointy Rum Dance"
Screaming my head off in the Room of Doom, Nottingham.
One of the many, many pit-stops in service stations. 
Just Panic in action in Kingston.
Southend (is) Pants.....
Southend on Mud, The Longest Pier in the World, Later in evening, the longest set in the world (it felt like it anyway...)
'Arty' Picture of Dan in the Car thinking about girls and stuff.
Alun Just Panic with his face and drums. Nice T-Shirt too.
Frank Just Panic trying not to look freaked out by the singer of Citizen Erased who played this show too. She had some stage atire.
Iain disrespecting Robin Hood.
"The Drunken Dave Party Pointy Rum Dance"
Screaming my head off in the Room of Doom, Nottingham.
One of the many, many pit-stops in service stations. 
Just Panic in action in Kingston.
