Back to school

After the excitement of Christmas, New Year and local derbies, it was back to business as usual for the Balustrade boys this week. Arriving for the new term, Matthew was all spick and span with his neatly pressed shirt, pencil case brimming with all new pens and pencils (including a very shiny new protractor) and his name tags sewn into his gym kit. Lex on the other hand was frantically trying to get the last of his christmas homework done and was still scribbling song lyrics on the back of his new McFly ring binder right up to the very last minute all the while trying not to get ink on his new stripy christmas jumper and failing miserably!

With the unsuccessful attempts by the boys to play live before Xmas behind them, it was with renewed vigour that they revisited the set for the first run through of the new year. As well as playing through the old favourites, some even older favourites, such as The Wolf and Rivers were brought out of deep storage, dusted off and given a new lease of life and will soon be finding a place on the album alongside new smash-hit, West Country Blues - a song Lex worked on while making his way back from Dorchester and took shape during a particualry long lay over at Westbury for the trains from London-village to make their way through this sleepy little junction. Whether these songs will feature the musical plinking and plonkings of Carter's rather spiffing new mandolin is a surprise that you 'Strade fans will just have to wait to hear the album to find out - however for now we can scotch all rumours that the boys will be looking to do an alt.westcountry version of Maggie May any time soon!!