GO GO GADGET CAPO...

Like a dodgy non-league left-back feigning injury in the last minute in order to waste time when 1-0 up away with thirty seconds to play, Balustrade have made a miraculous recovery to announce another live outing. Once again it’s nothing more than an open mic night, but the boys don’t care.

Monday 28 February is the date, the Porter Cellar bar the intended venue, Ramshackle the name of the open mic night and the lads will turn up at about 8.15ish and take it from there. If you’re in the Bath area on the day, come along and do your best to pretend that they were better than some of the other acts…

This time last week it was looking touch and go as Carts suddenly started to lose his voice during a rather passionate version of We’ll Play It Again (Some Other Day) but the larynx has recovered and all should be well, as long as the lads remember to turn their chords. And don’t forget the words.

So, I don’t care how you get there, just get there if you can… and if you can’t there will be TWO full reports put up next week: one from Lex’s and one from Cart’s perspective.

Until then, my chums, stay cool and – in a vague attempt to return a favour – why not visit the website of our dear Darfordian friends Thelonelyband at www.thelonelyband.com They won’t bite.

carts

Ridin’ thru tha country

What is it about Mondays?
For the second week running, the ‘Strade have holed themselves up in one of the deepest crevices of the Alpine Studio’s cavernous rehearsal rooms and studio complex and emerged with a perfectly honed slice of country-rock cake, drippin’ with sweet honey and glowing with something toxic that they’d rather not talk about…
Having completed work on Zaire in less than – ooh – twenty minutes or so last week, the new song ‘We’ll Play It Again (Some Other Day)’ was a slightly tougher nut to crack, but it’s a good’un. I’ve (Carter) been toyed with the lyrics to this particular song for months, yet without any kind of structure or chord pattern screaming at me. Until last night, when Lex came up with a simple chord progression and the song flowed out of like we’d just eaten raw chicken.
What’s it about? Well… I’m not going to tell you. It’s about whatever you want it to be about. But, to paraphrase David Frost (something I’ve been wanting to do for ages) listen carefully, because… the… clues… are… there… Loyd… it’s… over... to… … … … you

So, where is the muse coming from? Could it have anything at all to do with the fact that the ‘Strade boys have been listening to a lot of Willy Mason, Matt Sweeney & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Bright Eyes, Six Organs of Admittance, Mojave 3 and Girls Aloud (that’s Lex’s favourite BTW – along with the solo stuff by that bloke from Busted (ask him – he can’t deny it.))

Until I can next be bothered to put fingers to keyboard, this is Carts signing off. I’ve got to polish my spurs and get ready for the Hoe Down.
Yeeeeeee Hawwwwww