We found out a couple of days ago that unfortunately, we’re no longer going to be playing at the Welsh National Motorbike Show next weekend.
Apparently, the Dyfed-Powys Police decided that the risk of “Violence between Rival Biker Gangs” (you can read into that the Hells Angels and Outlaws) was too great and as a result, the show’s organisers have had their license revoked one week before the show was due to start.
Well, I have a personal message to the ‘authorities’ and that’s basically, “You’re full of it!”. I have attended the Welsh National Motorcycle Show (being a ‘biker’ myself) for 6 of the last 7 years, and I can honestly say that I have never seen a single incident of violence of any kind there. Despite everyone enjoying copious amounts of alcohol (and whatever recreationals might take their fancy). All I have ever experienced at this wonderful annual event is friendliness, a genuine family atmosphere and a lot of fun.
Steve Bennett, the show’s organiser is quite rightly considering legal action against these bureaucrats as his company, Welsh Motorcycle Shows Ltd (which organises the event) were not included in the discussions and were only told after a decision had been made. Hardly a free country then…
In my personal opinion, you’ve got more chance of being the victim of violence, or even witnessing violence of any kind, in any major UK town or city every single weekend evening as the pubs kick out than you have at a bike show and what really riles me, is that the decision ‘appears’ to have been made on the back of a single incident at the Bulldog Bash last year (which is actually run by and for Hells Angels apparently) and yet that event’s license for this year does not appear to be in jeopardy at all - so where’s the consistency.
We would like to offer our support to Mr Bennett and Welsh Motorcycle Shows Ltd and if there is anything that we can do to aid them in their legal action then we will gladly stand up and be counted.
Anyway - we look forward to the next time we get an opportunity to do a show for them as they’re all a great bunch of guys and gals and we love them all!
If you want to read more about this story, here’s some links from around the web:
- Legal Threat as bike show dropped - BBC news 15 May 2008
- Bikers found guilty of being bikers - Daily Post 15 May 2008
- Bikers angry at show axe over violence fear - Daily Post 15 May 2008
- Biker show axed over violence fears - icWales 15 May 2008
- Bike Show Axing ‘Discrimination’ - BBC News 15 May 2008
- Bike show cancelled by cops because of gang fear - BBC News 15 May 2008
And a couple of stories about the completely ridiculous (and contradictory) decision about the Bulldog Bash being allowed to go ahead - remember that this is the event that preceded a murder of a biker, by a rival gang, on a British motorway:
- Police bid to halt Bulldog Bash in Stratford - BBC News 14 May 2008
- Bulldog Bash gets license to go ahead - BBC News 15 May 2008
Anyway - that’s me done. I’ve said my peace. Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunny (hopefully) Bank Holiday, whatever you’re up to…
Peace!
You must be logged in to post a comment.