Playing in a war zone isn't for most people': the British band braving drone strikes and pneumonia to tour Ukraine

"It is late October and, 10 kilometres from the frontline in Donetsk, east Ukraine, the inhabitants of a reconditioned ambulance are completely lost. While opening your phone and logging on to a maps app might appear the obvious solution, this would be extremely unwise here: Russian drones are overhead and hunting for any signals. Inside the van are a motley crew: an 81-year-old Irish music industry veteran; a 72-year-old Texas rocker; an Australian keyboardist; a Ukrainian saxophonist; and three twenty-something musicians from Carlisle, Cumbria."

"Dave Robinson, the Irishman, likens the wayward nature of the tour to when he was managing Jimi Hendrix in 1968. Joe King Carrasco, the ebullient Texan, compares it to playing for the Sandinistas in Nicaragua when they were fighting the Contras. For the younger, less experienced inhabitants of the ambulance, though, it is a mighty long way from Carlisle and Melbourne to this bleak, chilly no man's land."

"Hardwicke Circus toured war-torn Ukraine in June of this year, the only British musicians to have done so. The experience made them determined to return, thus their late October-early November trek. The band didn't undertake these tours to generate money all proceeds were donated to local Ukrainian charities nor as a publicity stunt. We once toured British prisons, says Foster, for the same reason: we believe music is both entertainment and art, and all people should have access to it."

In late October a reconditioned ambulance carrying musicians became lost 10 kilometres from Donetsk while Russian drones hunted for signals. The group included an 81-year-old Irish music industry veteran, a 72-year-old Texas rocker, an Australian keyboardist, a Ukrainian saxophonist and three younger musicians from Carlisle. Their destination was a military base where they would perform for Ukrainian troops. Experienced members compared the journey to past risky gigs, while younger members felt excited to help. All proceeds were donated to local Ukrainian charities and the tour was not a publicity stunt.

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