Ben Miller Band kick off August/September tour of Europe tomorrow!

There is very few bands out there that are able to go beyond the boundaries of Americana so convincingly - without disowning their origin - than Ben Miller Band on Choke Cherry Tree. The second album for New West and the fifth in total. Ben Miller and his gang show the true 'pioneering mentality' that has not been seen for a long time. Certainly the new line-up - in fact the duo Tyrannosaurus Chicken was swallowed up in its entirety - contributed to this.

Choke Cherry Tree introduces a retooled Ben Miller Band lineup, with Miller and fellow founding member Scott Leeper joined by new additions Rachel Ammons and Smilin' Bob Lewis. The pair's multi-instrumental skills bring added authority to Miller's rootsy new compositions, while maintaining the high energy level (complete with homemade instruments constructed from broken and discarded axes) that originally endeared the band to its fans. 

The hard-working unit first won a regional fan base through old-fashioned ingenuity and an unstinting work ethic, generating a national buzz and a high-profile tour of Europe with ZZ Top, thanks to the patronage of avowed BMB fan Billy Gibbons.

The Ben Miller Band's early D.I.Y. approach extended to the lo-tech, largely self-built, instruments that the members still play on stage, including Miller's thrift-shop guitars and banjos and Scott Leeper's one-string washtub bass. The band's use of offbeat instrumentation, however, shouldn't be misunderstood as a gimmick.

In August and September the band will be over for a European tour:

25-AUG: Herselt (BE) @ Gevarenwinkel Festival
26-AUG: Rotterdam (NL) @ Rotown 
27-AUG: Hamburg (DE) @ Logo 
28-AUG: Düsseldorf (DE) @ Pitcher 
29-AUG: Afschaffenburg (DE) @ Colos-Saal 
30-AUG: Jablonec nad Nisou (CZ) @ Eurocentrum 
31-AUG: Hannover (DE) @ Bluesgarage 
01-SEP: Tegelen (NL) @ Bluesrock 
01-SEP: Amsterdam (NL) @ Paradiso 
03-SEP: London (UK) @ O2 Academy 2 Islington *
04-SEP: Glasgow (UK) @ Broadcast *
05-SEP: Cardiff (UK) @ Clwb Ifor Bach * 
06-SEP: Oxford (UK) @ O2 Academy2 *
08-SEP: Lauchammer (DE) @ Real Music Club 
09-SEP: Altlandsberg (DE) @ The Buchholz Saloon 
10-SEP: Berlin (DE) @ Quasimodo 
11-SEP: München (DE) @ Backstage Club 
12-SEP: Prague (CZ) @ Cafe v lese 
13-SEP: Selestat (FR) @ Le Tigre 
14-SEP: Utrecht (NL) @ De Helling 
16-SEP: Oostende (BE) @ Leffingeleuren Festival

* w/ Ruby Boots