As previously reported, CRADLE OF FILTH are currently on tour in Europe in support of their new album, Thornography.

The third of an ongoing series of tour updates can be found below:

"Wednesday, November 15th - Brussels, Belgium, AB Box

NB. Before starting today's diary I just quickly want to mention something very silly that amused Dani, Sarah and myself yesterday evening, as dusk settled about our marooned buses. From the window of our hotel we were able to pelt the crew bus with all manner of wet, soggy missiles in order to breach the open sky-hatch below where people were sitting. Once we had exhausted two toilet rolls and a box of bathroom tissues, the roof of their bus looked like a messy artillery campaign with only twelve soggy lumps finding their way through the slit of a target.

It might sound totally childish but this was the most fun I had all day, despite an afternoon's intensive shopping spree and two very soapy showers with what I bought.

Anyhoo...

Today started well.

Not!

Practically had my head torn off alighting from the bus outside the venue, when it decided to pull off again, thrusting me into the path of a passing van which just missed squashing me into paste. I decided breakfast and a shopping trip were the perfect remedy for this momentary lapse of dignity, so I accompanied Dani out for a few hours of window browsing around the beautiful city of Brussels. This was marred only by the presence of Polish football fans who were crowded around the old district drinking and marking their territory, usually by insulting passers-by. Fortunately on our return journey we had a small Police escort as one of Gendarmes (who was coming to the show that evening) recognised Dan, which proved welcome relief from the wolf-whistles and yells.

There were some great shops scattered about, Manga stores, comic shops, one selling old French prints, a great vinyl metal store and loads of chocolate shops. I was in Heaven. Dani took me for a coffee in a really old building near the La Bourse stock exchange which was decorated with all manner of sylph and nymphs, satyrs and fauns and a great big cheery looking Bacchus looking very pleased with his semi-naked array of female admirers. We stopped here for about half an hour before heading back to the venue (where we met Charles and Sarah chocolate-shopping on the way) to check out today's festivities and to grab a nice hot shower. Dani was waylaid by fans at the door and disappeared off to view yet another metal store with some old friends, whilst i was left to my own devices (and i had brought a few with me, and yes, they were also destined for the shower!).

The Ancient Belgique is a fantastic venue, very clean and modern with a wide fan of dressing rooms at it's epicentre and some great in-house cooks. The food here is exquisite and it's seemingly available all day (I'd get such a fat cow by the end of the day if it weren't for the huge amount of steps to keep walking up and down, back and forth to the stage and such...).

As per most afternoons, today passed pleasantly and i was able to haunt the wings watching the stage preparation and harangue whatever band members I could find scattered about the labyrinthine corridors. About five, sound-check blew a hole in the fabric of time and space and then it was interviews for the band and dinner. Band manager Fay and booking agent Paul Bolton appeared during the meal so I sat and chatted with them before stage time crawled around once more with a quick backstage photo-shoot with photographer Cindy Frey (who also took some very nice snaps of me!).

The band were definitely on form this evening, the day-off ironing out any of the rough patches that may have started to creep in due to fatigue (it takes a few days to get adjusted to an hour and a half set played at full fucking pelt) seems to have paid off in style. Highlights of the set tonight definitely being 'Dusk And Her Embrace', 'Under Huntress Moon' and the encore tracks, which were blisteringly intense, like my hair conditioning session in the showers earlier on.

Again the night wound down with some of the band smoking in the dressing rooms whilst the others made it out with me to a packed bar to drink and mix with the fans. I especially liked tonight as i had all the drinks i could handle bought for me by some very sexy admirers as well as receiving many compliments on my new little black dress, replete with tutu and ripped up fishnet tights.

Returning to the bus (just a little tipsy) we then faced the onset of the zombie pack, a huge group of people who were waiting for us like scavenging ghouls in the shadowy confines of the medieval street, to claim their photos and autographs. When we arrived Dani and Paul were both backed up to the door having forgotten the code and were being swamped, but obviously not for their brains. A diversion was called for with me waving my skirts and shouting blue murder whilst the gruesome twosome made their escape. Those two lucky fuckers owe me big time!

One of the last things I seem to remember about the night was the coffee cup that came from nowhere and smacked Dan on the head and then Charles getting in Dave's bunk (whilst vacant I hasten to add) to smear his genitals on the pillow as revenge for something terribly anal.

All very gay sounding I must admit.

And with that disturbing image in mind I drifted off into slumber only to be woken by the sound of grating metal as the bus hit something that sounded exactly like the underneath of a bridge..."

Remaining dates on the tour are as follows:

November

24 - Heineken Hall in Madrid, Spain
26 - Alcatraz in Milan, Italy
27 - Volkshaus in Zurich, Switzerland (TBC)
29 - Boogaloo in Zagreb, Croatia
30 - Petofi Hall in Budapest, Hungary (TBC)

December

1 - Planet Music in Vienna, Austria
2 - Novesta Hall in Zlin, Czech Republic (TBC)
4 - Live Music Hall in Köln, Germany
5 - Georg Eiser Halle in Munich, Germany
7 - Alte Reithalle in Dresden, Germany
8 - Progresje in Warsaw, Poland
10 - Markthalle Klosterwall in Hamburg, Germany
11 - Train in Aarhus, Denmark
12 - Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway
13 - Amager Bio in Copenhagen, Denmark
14 - Karen in Gotheborg, Sweden (TBC)
16 - Antwerp, Belgium at Hof Ter Lo
17 - Manchester, UK at Academy**
18 - Birmingham, UK at Academy**
19 - London, UK at Astoria**

** with SABBAT