PLAYLIST: Bonfire Nights pick their European Tour Playlist

Load the van, and hit that dusty trail for a European road trip tour. Load ins, soundchecks, photos, show time. Sounds good yeah ? But what about the endless hours in the van as you drive from venue to venue , not really knowing/caring where you’re going, just so long as you get there. What do you do to pass the time? As personal as the cassette/Cd compilation you made for your first true love, every band has one. Play loads of music, and eventually come up with the definitive playlist for the time away.

We collared Bonfire Nights ahead of there final, homecoming gig of a month long tour, to find out a bit about their latest, rather enchanting video, and the what and why behind their European Tour Playlist…

“The video was shot on a beach on the Isle of Benbecula” Ruth tells us, “The weather is absolutely wild up here – our first few days were spent sheltering indoors from the storms and gale force winds. When there was a break in the weather, we ventured out to a nearby beach. There wasn’t another soul to be seen for miles. We set up our camera and just started shooting, with only a few loose ideas to guide us.
I climbed on the rocks and danced on the sand, letting the wind whip around me. There is an unseen force here, something that allowed us to harness the melancholy of the song.”

Taken from the bands debut album, Entopica Phenomica, Hearts to Blame perfectly embodies the more mesmerizing, psych fueled side of the band.

Bonfire Nights European Tour Playlist:

“This is our first European tour and there’s been long stretches of driving between each city. Our car is old and slow and struggles to make it up mountains (which was a bit scary driving through Switzerland). We have been listening to loads of tunes and podcasts to help break up the long periods of monotony in the car, so we thought we’d put together a short list of our favourite tracks on the road.

Speedway – Morrissey

Suzie: Don’t listen to it when you’re having a hangover blue day. Just don’t. Any other day Morrissey is always a winner – plus driving duh.

Gjort Bort Sig – Dungen

Leon: Only just discovered Dungen and they’re quickly becoming my favourite band.

I’ll Cut You Down – Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats

Ruth: Sleazy rock n roll. Shits all over Wolfmother.

The Four Horsemen – Aphrodite’s Child

Steve: This song is a real mix of sounds, a bit of world music and prog rock. It came out in the early 70s but could have easily been released last year.

Whitest Boy on the Beach – Fat White Family

Suzie: What we are all going to be when summer comes.

Night Witch – Wolf People

Leon: The Guardian said Wolf People sound like Fairport Convention meets Black Sabbath & this song sums that statement up nicely.

I Feel Love – Donna Summer

Steve: Initially this song sounds like a disco track, but the underlining beats and arppegiated synth lines feel more like a krautrock number.

Drive Your Car – L.A. WITCH

Ruth: We played with these guys last year at the Shacklewell Arms and fell in love. Obviously a great song to blast in tour van.

Contraption/Soul Desert – Thee Oh Sees

Leon: Loud and fast which is what this band do best!

In The Midst – sir Was

Suzie: You can sense the seasons changing now – this feels like opening your windows wide on a Berlin summer day.