Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Working in the West Country


The whole thing started for me on Jan 2nd when I travelled down to Bath. I've been here ever since, only managing one trip home in mid-Jan. We have a house here that we rent and live and work in and it's fabulous...very isolated but also within easy reach of the city and of course the ubiquitous local pub where we've eaten our way around the menu and have become mates with the landlord and lady...they seem to like the collection of reprobates who drop in from time to time and who get animated in the corner about the music they're writing...

Bath is a great place to drink and eat...some of the old pubs that only the locals know are superb and hark back to simpler times where you just sit and strike up a conversation in a real bar with whoever happens to be there, without crap music or annoying children with names like Cassius and Amelia running around...and of course our beloved Tuckers Grave is only few miles away too...I even went to the rugby too...not my thing but a great day out...oh man... The view of the city from the top of the hill where we are is breathtaking and the local wildlife make their presence felt with owls,foxes and deer paying visits from time to time...I even heard a Nightjar the other night..(anyone know what one of them is?)

It's a lovely place and very conducive to work, which is just as well because we have masses to do... We're currently writing for a new album which will be released next year...we're also rehearsing for the Black and Blue tour in March...and next week our old mate Neil Sparkes from The Temple of Sound is coming to stay with us for a week to rehearse for some acoustic dates we have in Holland and Belgium in April...busy times...

The original stuff we're coming up with is,in our opinion,some of the best ever and there's a chance some of it will be aired live in March...it's an oft forgotten process of playing new songs before they're recorded,and we're keen to develop some of the stuff in the good old fashioned way if we can...by road testing it...keeps you on your toes too...As always things can change so don't quote me on it,but if we feel like it we'll do it...

The set for the March tour is proving to be a total joy and we'll hopefully moisten a few eyes (and maybe other things too...)with our choice of songs...we've had a blast rehearsing it all and as ever expect the unexpected...saying no more about it except I'm really looking forward to meeting Wilko and just being on the road again...see you all very soon...

Baz/9th February '11

20 comments:

  1. Looking forward to it all! Cheers!

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  2. I lived in Bath in 1980 /81 on the Paragon. a great place full of interesting people & music. Loved a band at the time called Alarm Clox.

    Can't wait for new tunes to be aired on the road - this is what a "Real" band is about - not like many manufactured identicates of today.

    Looking forward to the MiBs on stage again

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  3. Great stuff Baz! Can't wait for the tour and to possibly hear some new material.

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  4. bring it on boys,looking forward to it...

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  5. Nice one Baz. Looking forward to Hammersmith on the 11th. Any chance of putting Princess of the Streets in the set? One of my favorites.

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  6. Any chance to see you in Paris ?

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  7. Please no-one spoil the anticipation of it all by 'leaking' the set list.

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  8. great hearing from you baz exciting times ahead cant wait.........kevin roberts

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  9. Yep, do know what a Nightjar is .... unfortunately, they are in Africa at the minute as they only come here in the summer .... looking forward to the tour

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  10. I cannot wait!
    see you guys at Portsmouth.

    Bertie Chattell

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  11. I'm currently a drunk individual who read that post and became very happy =D I cannot wait =D

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  12. Hi Baz,

    Booked for 4 of the UK gigs and very much looking forward to them.

    Lost contact with you via e-mail, but hopefully catch up somehow soon.

    All the best,

    Steve

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  13. Might see you in the Southgate Shopping Centre sorting out a new black shirt for the tour then!

    Andy

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  14. Great stuff Baz.I can't wait for the tour.Im in training to get my Black Belt in Kick Boxing and busy with my own band at the moment.I love the band more than ever.If there is one song that would make the tour for me it would be FOUR HORSEMEN.Please drop golden brown though and peaches.I think they need a rest.Although i know some people expect to hear GOLDEN BROWN.I will be going to london,portsmouth and maybe manchester.I have a feeling this will be one of the most interesting sets for a long time.Roll on the lads in black.The Stranglers really are one of the best bands if not the best to ever come out of this country.30 years after my first gig i still get as excited as the first time i heard the walzinblack intro.My parents said to me i would grow out of it,i never did.Matt still wearing black most of the time.Ps on a nature note I bet no one knows what a HONEY BADGER is.

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  15. Cheers for the update Baz, i can definately appreciate your views on modern pubs playing shite music ( i type this with the brits on in the backgrpound man its appalling) Baz tell the lads to have a go at Baroque Bordello class track hardly heard since its release, well whatevewr you do i'll be happy.

    Vininallslortsofcolursbutmailnlyinblack

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  16. Great piece Baz. So good I nicked some of it for a piece I have done in today's Bath Chronicle following an interview with JJ, Hope you don't mind!!!

    http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/best-Brits-8211-based-Bath/article-3259726-detail/article.html

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  17. Just secured a ticket for the Oxford gig. Really looking forward to it and excited about what you're getting excited about!

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  18. Where oh where have my Stranglers gone?
    Can we get you guys back to North America?
    You know the shows would be well attended.
    Fly Straight With Perfection...

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  19. Great to hear that work is underway on a new album and looking forward to the Convention in November. Although my children Cassius and Amelia have said that they want to have a few words with you when they see you in the bar... Also any chance of going back to Dubai, I fancy a nice holiday?

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  20. Having just returned from the brighton show, just feel i have to say how much i enjoyed it, so good to hear the likes of 2 sunspots, baroque bordello, dead loss angeles. I didn`t catch the name of the new song, but i really liked it and look forward to hearing it again.
    Brighton,as you said made 4 old blokes very happy, 4 blokes made all the people in the dome very happy. Thanks.

    NCP (national car parks) should also be very gratefull to you all, well at £20 for 4 hours parking, i bet they made a tidy profit........thieving bastards!

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