Wednesday 27th May 2009

It was just great to be back at the Cheese and Grain at Frome - big stage, lights, good PA, terrific sound courtesy of the inestimable Will Angeloro of Handsome Llama fame. There was an excellent crowd there, who’d mostly come to see the Strawbs, of course, but who gave us a very generous reception. We played pretty well after a few early nerves. A brilliant, memorable night.

It’s actually been a busy few weeks. After a longish Christmas break, we resumed gigging in March with a great night at the George in Bradford-on-Avon, a proper music pub who’ve kindly given us a sort of residency - three more gigs there this year, and three in 2010! (And a big shout-out to MGB, who played a great set there a few weeks later.) Tim realised a lifelong ambition to say ‘Hello Glastonbury!’ into a microphone when we supported the egregious Boothill All-Stars at the Rifleman’s Arms there. (Funny thing, but their drummer could be Colin’s twin.) And we’ve been back to the Wunderbar in Midsomer Norton and Scally’s in Weston-super-Mare for the third time each.

On top of all that, we’ve been back in the studio - a fine gent by the name of Pete Lamb has converted a corner of Wiltshire suburbia into a superbly-equipped recording studio, and we’ve started laying down a few more tracks that will eventually get put up on the songs tab of this website. Early, rough mixes sound promising.

And finally - a quick round of iPod randomiser - you put the old pod on shuffle and see which five tracks come up first - AND NO CHEATING! Mine says:
‘A Dustland Fairytale’ – the Killers
‘Hold On’ – John Lennon
‘Shiva Descending’ – Comsat Angels
‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us’ – Sparks
‘I’ve Got a Feeling’ – the Beatles

Not bad!

Russ