The Ploughmen are a ragged-arsed bunch of middle-aged hooligans. 50% of the band are accomplished and versatile musicians. The other 50% is an accident looking for somewhere to happen. There are currently seven core members of the collective, all of whom are fugitives from other bands. With a collective age of several hundred years, these iffy characters have scarcely a full head of hair, or a full gob of teeth, between them.

The Ploughmen's raison d'etre is as impenetrable as the 'music' they produce. Live appearances are invariably shambolic and traumatic. The range of musical genres covered is wide, and unsuspecting audiences have been exposed to Irish and cockney pub songs, rock & roll, bluegrass, rock, reggae and ska, jazz, rockabilly, blues and folk songs - seemingly without rhyme or reason.

The most baffling thing about The Ploughmen is that the punters absolutely love them. So far, every venue they have played has invited them back to commit further offences . . . more

Guest of honour, HRH Princess Anne, looks on as technicians switch on the new Ploughmen website. July 2010