VIDEO: Singer Charlotte Church tells of encounter with bleeding man at Doncaster "toilet" pub gig

Singing sensation Charlotte Church has revealed the funny moment she encountered a fan with a bleeding head wound as she prepared for a gig in a Doncaster "toilet" pub.
Charlotte Church performing at The Leopard in 2012.Charlotte Church performing at The Leopard in 2012.
Charlotte Church performing at The Leopard in 2012.

The Welsh star revealed the anecdote in a television interview with Scouse comedian John Bishop, which aired on digital channel W last night.

Charlotte recalled her bloody encounter with a Doncaster fan with comic John Bishop. (Photo: W).Charlotte recalled her bloody encounter with a Doncaster fan with comic John Bishop. (Photo: W).
Charlotte recalled her bloody encounter with a Doncaster fan with comic John Bishop. (Photo: W).
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The pair were discussing the imminent closure of the Houses of Parliament for multi-billion pound repairs when the Liverpudlian host quipped: "They should move it temporarily around the country - if Prime Minister's Questions was taking place at Doncaster town hall they'd have a different view of the country."

The mention of Doncaster prompted Charlotte to recall a gig at Doncaster's Leopard pub four years ago when she had broken away from her "Voice of an Angel" choirgirl persona to sing and play experimental rock music in smaller pub venues.

She told Bishop: "I played in Doncaster. Did you play the Donny Leopard?"

When Bishop replied: "I wasn't that good," Church said: "It was amazing. I played the Donny Leopard when I was doing the Indie Toilet tour.

Charlotte Church tells John Bishop of her encounter with a bleeding man in Doncaster. (Photo: W).Charlotte Church tells John Bishop of her encounter with a bleeding man in Doncaster. (Photo: W).
Charlotte Church tells John Bishop of her encounter with a bleeding man in Doncaster. (Photo: W).
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"We went to the Donny Leopard and met the promoter outside and he had no teeth! He was like 'just go in through the back, through the beer garden.'

"There was a guy in the beer garden with a pint of beer bleeding from his head. I was like...OK, this is going to be an interesting one."

The promoter she was referring to is local music mogul Stewart Black who said: "It was me. I had a tooth missing at the time."

She added: "It was great. They were lush."

Charlotte Church backstage at the LeopardCharlotte Church backstage at the Leopard
Charlotte Church backstage at the Leopard

The singer played at the bar in West Street in August 2012 and autographed the wall of the pub which has also welcomed the likes of Snow Patrol, Travis and Kasabian.

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Reviewer Jen Foster, who attended the gig, wrote at the time: "Many of Saturday’s crowd at The Leopard were probably there because of her name and back catalogue - with several letchier exceptions clearly there for a bit of a gawp.

"But no-one knew quite what to expect. Walking onto the stage with her dishevelled, bleach-blonde hair and a see-through white dress, she didn’t have to open her mouth to get across the message that this was a major reinvention.

"Being far from the shy, retiring type, Ms Church laid down the rules from the get-go.

The message the singer scrawled on the pub's wall.The message the singer scrawled on the pub's wall.
The message the singer scrawled on the pub's wall.

"There would be no opera, no Pie Jesu and nothing from her brief foray into pop. “You can ask for Crazy Chick all you like, sweetheart, but it’s not going to happen, ” the mum-of-two told the crowd.

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"There was no air of the swagger you might expect from someone whose sold ten million records, she seemed down-to-earth and looked extremely at home with her new look and new sound.

"Though the majority of the songs were unremarkable on a first hearing, her voice and her superb backing band gave them a well-polished edge. There were a few anti-tabloid quips, with the Leveson Inquiry, Rupert Murdoch and the Daily Mail all getting an uneasy mention and song Judged From Afar not especially subtle in its anti-tabloid venom.

"The crowd were quickly under Charlotte’s spell and they went wild for her last song, James - the catchiest of the set-list. She told the crowd she doesn’t do encores because she feels stupid waiting in the wings.

"Whether it’s a tactic to leave the crowd wanting more or not, it works. It was undoubtedly a hugely successful gig - and, in the most unlikely of places, she found herself a whole new following."