From Balustrade to Lambridge to...Mexico?!

Another week, another practice at The Batch. Alas I (Lex) wasn't allowed to drive to Carter's for some unknown crime of a domestic nature (probably weeing on the loo seat! - Carts) and so we once again set about appeasing the Goldfish JukeBox Jury and Carter was forced to take the bus from out to the mighty Batch.

After last weeks succesful return to form it was back to the song-writing this week with a need to get the album underway. Therefore we decided to continue work on 'In The West Country' as well as write a new song for the yet to be named, Tuesday Splinter Group (which wouldn't be a half bad name at all!).

After perfecting 'In the West Country' to a suitably dirgy country blues swamp song, (until we record it and add some percussion) we decided to try and pen a quick country song. Using everyone's favourite chords (G, C and D - but no capo this time) we soon created a little ditty about taking the train through America to Mexico and in true British fashion we can still find time to grumble about the weather. We also managed to squeeze in Michale Stipe-esque litereary reference to Lex's most recent read Jack Kerouac's On The Road - a good job he wasn't reading Bog Bodies for Beginners or who knows how the subject matter would have changed.

Anyhow, Joe and Leo (the other goldfish) both seemed impressed with the new song and so we will have to wait and see how this new Balustrade epic will continue to develop. Perhaps we will have to develop our regional accents and become the West Country's answer to the Arctic Monkeys - I bet that you look good at the barn dance!!

Fishin' For Compliments

Ah, 2006 – and Balustrade are back! The Batch at Batheaston was the venue for the first Balustrade practice session of the new year, and the lads had their own critical audience this evening as they prepared for the up-coming recording sessions for the debut album. Two belligerent fish (named Joe and … I forget… they’re not my fish…) were witnesses to this momentous occasion.

In the annals of music history, it has been well documented that fish have played a massive role in shaping modern music – indeed, who can forget the notorious story about Elvis Presley’s first version of In The Ghetto, which was a seventeen-part opera sung entirely in Flemish until The Colonels faithful fishy Fred told Elvis exactly what kind of Christmas the poor kids would be getting if he released that pile of rancid guff… the rest, as they say, is history!

Anyway, the two fish who were witnesses to Balustrade this evening are most certainly discerning types who’ve got the blues in their blood. “Foolin”m “In The West Country” and “West Country Blues” all went down very well indeed, and found the watery twosome chasing each other round their tank and generally having a whale of a time. Indeed, when I flopped out my organ (mouth organ, that is) they positively tried to leap out of the tank and howl at the moon. Which is a good thing!

However, during the embryonic future b-side “Song For A Sixth Form Poet”, both fish hid behind their bridge. Fair enough. Neither did they like the folksy/whimsical “Love Songs For Travelers” or Idlewild cover “Goodbye”. Oh well, you can’t have everything.

Suffice to say that it’s good to be back, and we promise to keep our blog a little bit more up to date from not on…. Chack back regularly and make sure you read our separate “Albums Of The Year” colums which we posted over Christmas… honest…

Carts Gonzales.