(As reported by Jonathan Kay, London correspondent)

Dalsey was true to his word, and within a few months ArnoCorps booked passage on a container ship to England. Dark times were brewing in the British Isles, and ArnoCorps were not to receive a warm welcome. Upon arrival at Southampton dock, the freighter which brought Holzfeuer and his band to these fair shores was searched by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, with the crew and its passengers confined to their quarters. Someone had notified the authorities to the possibility that the ship may have been carrying illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe. Sure enough, huddled together in the freezing cold of the ship's belly were some two dozen Romany Gypsies. The British tabloid press was enraged: 'Send these worthless scroungers home' railed The Sun, 'No room at this inn!' The Evening Standard insisted. As armed Customs officers herded the confused and terrified Romany families onto a bus destined for the Asylum Seekers internment camp at Oakington; Holzfeuer could remain silent no more. 'Can't you see these people aren't terrorists?' All they want is food!' The police, customs and coast guard were unrepentant however, and these poor innocents were to become another entry in the grim legacy of the EU's brutal 'Fortress Europe' immigration policy.

Dalsey too was deeply disturbed by these events, but being a most canny of operators he saw within it potential for a PR coup. He immediately called a press conference. ArnoCorps, being EU Nationals were of course granted free entry to the UK, but Holzfeuer was enraged. Speaking to the British press he pledged that the Romany's plight would never be forgotten, and that he would do everything in his power to raise awareness of the danger these 'running men' were in. Holzfeuer was reminded of a legend of the Kimbern, a nomadic group who avoided annihilation at the hands of the Romans in 100 BC by fleeing into the high Alpine valleys, where they have lived ever since. The same people have passed down much of the heroic tales through generations, leading to the very existence of ArnoCorps. This was to form the basis of the intensely personal 'Running Man' which the band wrote whilst touring the UK.

The press conference was indeed a master stroke by Dalsey, and when ArnoCorps hit London, the streets were buzzing with their name. Their noble defence of the Romany refugees had garnered them political kudos with the more liberal members of the British media. Their first gig, at London's Camden Underworld, was described by TimeOut as 'not just our pick of the week, but in fact our pick of the year so far. If you go anywhere on Friday night, go to this.' Timeout's readers were to be disappointed however, as the London alternative scene had stolen a march on the mainstream, with the tickets having sold out long before it went to press. On that evening in Camden the streets were awash with the followers of Arno. Lined up outside the venue were punks, hardcore kids, Soho shmoozers, and no doubt many representatives of the capital's music industry and press. In the dark and smoky environs of the Underworld, the crowd began to chant 'Arno-Core, what I came here for!' They were not to be disappointed. Taking the stage to abarrage of pyrotechnics, ArnoCorps launched straight into a blitzkrieg set that left the locals stunned. Poignantly, ArnoCorps finished their show with Running Man, leaving the crowd both exalted and informed.

The reviews were unanimous in their praise. 'ArnoCorps are Europe's most exciting band right now,' wrote Simone Wilson in the Observer, 'and ArnoCore is it's newest religion.' Music Week were similarly impressed, saying 'The fact that this outstanding act have not yet been snapped up by one of the majors adds to their unique appeal, but beggars belief none the less.' Bootleg recordings of the show soon circulated, and are now extremely rare and collectable items. As a result of this the band formed a lasting friendship with the UK punk band Dagobah. The two groups were to play together several times at various venues throughout the UK, culminating with a final show in Dagobah's home town of Grantham. The unlikely venue of The Nobody Inn, a small pub in this very small town, saw one of the most memorable ArnoCorps performances to date. Several members of the audience had to be treated for shock at Grantham District Hospital after witnessing the unbridled power of Arno in such an intimate setting, such was the ferocity of their show. Sadly this was to be the last time that this incarnation of ArnoCorps would play in England, despite Holzfeuer's determined assertion upon finishing their set that 'we'll be back.'

Next: Tragedy Strikes Again