The Gentle Infidels

Thank you so much Berlin! We had an amazing time – expect a post about our adventures coming soon!

Until then, you can catch us at Gerry Clipperton’s house party with Fraser Mackenzie on November 26th. Details can be found on the facebook page.

Only a short time until we embark on our European tour and vacation. It’s a much needed break from work for all of us and a great opportunity to share our music with a new audience. We have several gigs booked in Berlin so if you know anyone local, please extend the invite to come see us!

October 16 – Dada Falafel – we will hang out with Classical Revolution Berlin for their chamber music jam – Linienstraße 132

October 18 – Intersoup Schliemannstraße 31

October 19 – Joe’s Bar – Schonhauser Allee 157

October 20 – Max Fish in ACUD with Noel Maurice Veteranenstr. 21

October 22 – WABE Danziger Straße 101

Please keep up with our twitter feed @gentleinfidels for all of our on the road (mainly in the air, actually) updates. Photos, videos and more as often as we can find an internet cafe.

Well folks, you helped us kick off a great long weekend in Vancouver. The weather was hot and the crowd was even hotter.

First, we played our 3rd year in a row at the International Pop Overthrow Festival at the Railway club. Thanks to Dave Bash and his indomitable organizing.

The next night, we played at Cafe Montmartre amid a forest of Tinker guitars (including one new addition), special family guests and Dave Gannett.

Saturday gave us Franklin Fest – an East Van backyard party at its finest. Nathan Pike’s 4th outdoor show (and 10th of the festival in its entirety) was a hot and dusty and full of great bands and dancing audience members. It went till the wee hours of the night and also featured Ferdy playing in the Belushis and Chris playing in the Creaking Planks.

If you missed this amazing weekend, fear not! We have a lot more psychedelic folk rocking to go around:

September 11 – Vancouver Art Gallery – 12:05pm – for the Zeitgeist media festival
(update – it was super fun to play outside on a huge stage, thanks to the organizers for inviting us)

September 24 – Kranky Cafe (228 E 4th St & Main St) – 8pm

September 28 – Cafe Deux Soleils – 9pm

…cos the Gentle Infidels are coming your way!

We are pleased to announce that plans are in the works for a short musical adventure in one of our favourite cities. Your friendly neighbourhood prog-folkers will be in Berlin from October 15-22nd.

Our first official gig is at the Max Fish located at Veteranenstraße 21, Thursday October 20th.

More music is in the works as well. We plan on dropping in on our friends at Classical Revolution Berlin for their Sunday night jam, and a few other shows around town. Right now, we’d love to connect with some other bands in the city. Maybe you’d like to play on one of our booked bills, or maybe we can jump on to one of yours if you have need for a tasty opening act!

Watch this space for more information, darlings!

Please enjoy this video from our show at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse. What a great room to play.

We also have some merchandise, especially t-shirts in ladies black or men’s brown ringer, available by donation. Drop us a line or come see us at our next show to grab one!

Your fair webmistress has been neglecting her duties! We have a ton of photos and video from our fabulous show in Gibsons coming soon!

Our next official show is September 1st but we’re always interested in a few more, drop us a line.

nce upon a time, in the fjords of the East Kootenays of British Columbia, lived a young boy named Ferdinand. Named so after his Father, young Ferdinand retained a proud Nordic heritage, which could be seen in his deft adventuring through the rocky terrain of his homeland, his fondness for pickled foodstuffs, and the bright glacier blue of his eyes that pierced into the souls of men like a falcon seeking prey.

Young Ferdinand knew only vaguely of his lineage, but deep within his chest as he grew, his small hummingbird heart began to beat with the steady rhythm of his forefathers: the Pantheon of Valhalla.

Ferdinand always felt that he was different. As he reached manhood he would astound and frighten his playmates with feats of accidental might. A boulder exploded from a wayward baseball; a young maiden’s bodice rended in twain by a careless caress. Cracks in the earth formed when he stamped his feet in anger and mighty Douglas Firs trembled at his mournful bellows.

The villagers of Cranbrook were nervous around his strong young man, but found solace in his kind heart. Ferdinand routinely saved small children from drowning in local water sources (wells, lakes, etc). He opened a free range puppy rescue farm on his parent’s land, and enthralled elderly ladies with his courteous manners and charm. On summer evenings he would build bonfires and tell epic tales in a low, smooth voice, of distant castles and six legged warhorses, never knowing their true origin.

One crisp winter night, Ferdinand was walking alone in a field, contemplating the meaning of life. “Why am I here?”  he called to the stars overhead, “I feel trapped between two worlds. There must be a greater meaning to my existence”. Suddenly, a crack of thunder emanated from the clear night sky, and a bolt of lightning landed directly at the young man’s feet. Without flinching, Ferdinand looked up and met the steely gaze of a gigantic man swathed in furs, wielding a giant hammer.

“My son”, said the Viking, “Child of my Bloodline. Seek no further for your purpose, for you have been put on this earth to continue my legacy”.

Ferdinand was stunned, but hardly surprised. “Great Thor, my will is yours”, he bowed low, “what is it you will have me do, in your honour?”

Thor looked downcast, “my people have forgotten me. In this new age of technology, where macbooks doth reign, music of the heart is being lost. Where are the battle anthems? Where are the epic cries of the warrior as he shreds his guitar till he bleeds? Where are the great twenty minute long drum solos that shake men to their very core? It all just sounds like ‘bleep-bloop-bloop” to me…kids these days…” he trailed off and unwrapped a pickled venison hard candy.

“Thor, uh, sir, if I may…” started the emboldened lad, “…this is the music I feel deep within my bones. But…I have no instrument to share it with the world”

The mighty god straightened back up to his full towering height and bellowed, “No instrument? That is exactly why I have come to you this night, boy. Take hold of my hammer”

Ferdinand reached out and together, he and Thor held the hammer Mjollnir. He could feel the power of the weapon surging through him, making his hair stand on end. A bolt of lightning struck the hammer, and with a bang, the hammer was transformed into a super sweet Fender Jazz Bass. Ferdinand’s eyes grew as wide as saucers.

Thor chuckled, “yes, my Son. This is now your weapon of musical enlightenment. Take it and play it, and you will find that basslines of all genres flow easily from your fingertips. Join as many bands as you can and spread my message throughout the world!”  He drew up his cloak, about to depart, and then added, “you should probably also listen to lots of music to increase your repertoire – of course, vinyl is the best medium, so don’t settle for anything less…” and then the great god was gone.

From that moment onwards, Ferdinand Richard Belland became a bass guitar legend. He joined every band in existence and infused them with his dark Viking magic. He broadcasted on radio, made records, composed epic poetry, and traveled far and wide, spreading Thor’s message of music that comes from the heart and bones. When Ferdinand strikes notes on his bass, whether it be a 5 string fretless, a jet black stand up, or a rough and tumble beater, the power of Mjollnir is directed onto the unsuspecting crowd. When he plays a bass solo, women’s clothing spontaneously combust, and grown men weep with joy. When he holds down the low end of any band, every member is inspired to greatness.

Tonight, we celebrate the man as he enjoys his fortieth trip around our sun with a show so loud, so proud, and so full of ferocious, heart stirring, soul shaking musical joy, that the Gods in Valhalla themselves will stand at attention, and emit a mighty, “Fuck yeah.”

Happy Birthday Ferdy!

Tonight, come join us at the Railway Club (Dunsmuir @ Seymour) from 8pm onwards for a great lineup of musicians:
REMOVAL: www.myspace.com/removeallmusic
FORD PIER: www.fordpier.com
THE BELUSHIS: www.myspace.com/thebelushis
THE INVASIVES: www.invasives.ca
GENTLE INFIDELS: www.gentleinfidels.com
SYLVIA JUNCOSA: www.sylviajuncosa.com

and help celebrate Ferdy Belland’s ROCK OF AGES!

Last week we had to lose an hour of time, which made it hard to get up and face our daily jobs. However, it also means that spring is right around the corner, always a bonus! Soon it will be time to stop and smell the freshly sprung flowers.

We have several upcoming shows to speak of – Ferdy’s fabulous Fortieth Birthday clusterfuck of amazingtimes at the Railway Club on March 26th, the Helm of Vancouver on March 30th, wherein both Chris and Ferdy will delight you all with their experimental and classic solo stylings, and April 15th at Cafe Deux Soleils in the heart of Commercial Drive.

Stay tuned to this space, Ferdy only turns forty once, and I think he needs a tribute…

Well well, we Gentle Infidels have dusted off the winter lethargy, mopped up the jam space from New Years Eve and a flood of epic proportions, and are back in the practice saddle, ready to bring you a 2011 sized dose of progressive rock!

How’s that for a run on sentence?

We’ve been busy bees in our personal lives with lots of guitar building, day (and overnight) jobs, higher learning and moonlighting with other local bands. There are some great events being planned for the remaining winter and into Spring, so please check our shows page often!

For this upcoming red themed holiday of love and expensive greeting cards, we have a show at the Fraser Legion. The event details are on the facebook, and we hope that you don’t let the “49th ave” bit keep you away! Vancouver is one of those big cities that is actually pretty small and easy to navigate – to get to this newly refurbished venue, you can take the #8 from downtown and you will be there in less than 20 minutes. Maybe the $3.50 drinks will sway you? Perhaps the promise of romantic tunes by Brave by Numbers, Jive Talk, little Darjeeling and Gavos along with your favourite Infidels? Give your lover the gift of moody live music and a CD to take home and make smiles to.

Ah, enough with the marketing speech. We just miss playing shows – a month off is too long -  we miss your smiling faces and your tapping toes. See you there!