I was writing a song in my room, getting nostalgic about people I’ve never met caught up in the melancholy of it all… and it snowed – when I poked my head out of the window to smoke a roley – it looked all serene – and it fitted and was euphoric. Like the weather was in tune….it was about the only thing in tune recently as I fight the singing demons stuck in my abdomen ….

Anyway the song that came was called Black Cadillac and I’ve posted it for you to hear. Its live and still a demo really –ron added some BVs and strings afterwards –. I don’t really know why but I keep listening to it expecting something to be different each time….bye then,

rick

Rick and Pete are currently in LA at Huntingdon beach!

We plan on driving back accross the US for our show in NYC on 23rd Oct.

If anyone can offer us a place to park the RV – some shelter from the storm – and maybe some food –

we’ll come play a gig for you!!!!- anywhere!!!

who knows what route we’ll take but message us back if you want us to come via you!!! or even if you just wanna hang out and show us your town!!!

lots of love,

Rick + Pete

PART 1 If you wanna follow our journey we have our little hand held video camera and are gonna try to film as much as we can and add videos along the way. Here’s our latest webisode…

On the way…

PART 2 The other bobs join us in new york….

PART 3 More goings on…

PART 4 Ron’s Tour Diary special…

PART 5

PART 6 The long drive from Denver to San Fransisco…

PART 7 Our first day off…

Hello there,

Just a quick note to say that we’re incredibly excited to be touring with James in the US and Canada! My first experience with James was on a camping holiday when I was about 15 to a campsite in Barmouth, Wales. We took a tape machine in a black bin liner (to keep the sand off) to these sand dunes beside the sea around the back of the campsite. Everyone was tripping and rolling around in the sand, looking at stars, the sea, etc and listening to this band called James and an album called Laid. It was an amazing backdrop to a very blissed out time which I can’t help but think of with misty eyes. So, to tour with them in the US and Canada will be amazing for me- I’ll do my best to make them play five-o…

I’m really looking forward to the next few months too- which is weird cos for so long we seemed to be in limbo waiting for this label or that label telling us we should reconfigure the first record or re-release this or that – I’m not having a go at anyone because I think we are better for our experiences and right now the ball feels like its back in our court again and we’re poised to smash it harder than ever.

We’re working on album number 2 – you can never really tell how well things are going but I think its ok – you might have heard So Sorry and Satellite from our myspace – which have set a kind of benchmark. Other new songs include Into Your Arms, Bad Dream, Lost at Sea, Woah woah woah, Don’t put your heart in my hands, Let it go… the list keeps growing – some of these songs will hopefully make it onto an EP (to precede the album) which we plan on releasing when we hit the US and Canada with James.

As always, please send us a message via myspace or the forums – we love to hear what you think about what we’re doing.

Peaceout

Rick

x

Hi there,

First off, I’d like to say thanks for the massive response we’ve had to our Myspace tour poll and subsequently our tour fund. Thanks to everyone who has commented, messaged, donated, etc etc. We’re very grateful, and can’t wait to get going with it all. So far we’ve booked a show in Toronto (NXNE 12-15th June) but there will be more to come in the next few weeks. The exact locations are as yet undecided -our agent over there is sorting out the best routing. But, after a meeting with our manager yesterday, I think we’re going to try to get across BOTH east and west coasts! Man, the US is massive!! We’re used to touring in the UK where anything south of Birmingham you can drive home every night and sleep in your own bed! Hahaha

As far as the band is concerned we are starting to rehearse again now following 3 months of not very much music, partly down to fatigue on my part from the last tour, and partly cos we didn’t know what the hell we were doing. I’m very glad to have some direction, some good people working on it and for it actually to be happening!

Today I read about the La’s re-releasing THAT album complete with all the different versions from over 3 different producers. That is one seriously long, drawn out process that probably still isn’t right in the eyes of the maker. But selfishly it does serve to make me feel better about the length of time my band takes to do things. “The closer you get to perfection, the closer you get to imperfection” said Mr Mavers. I’m not saying we’re anything like the La’s or perfect but things do take time…. Personally I’d rather release 1 good album than 10 ok albums, but that’s just me…

In my spare time I’ve found work as an EXTRA on films. What an odd bunch they are sitting on that bus all day long, talking shit, walking around in the background of films –Its like a cocktail party for out-of-work comedians, producers, actors, full-time extras, film buffs, me – where nobody knows each other – but you do get paid …

Anyway, here is a picture from my lastest film “Me and Orson Wells” where I co-star with Claire Danes and Zac Efron. Hollywood here I come……

Rick

x

Success, Haircuts and Fine Food

It’s a dog eat dog world aint it?? I met a guy in the pub tonight that I hadn’t seen in ages tonight, he clocked me and I clocked him. Last time I met him he mentioned “Where you guys been you just seemed to fall of the music radar?”. I assumed this was the reason I had to approach him; I regretted it when I did as he asked “Where do I know you from?” Hmmm don’t worry about me I said I’ll just return to the rather more unsuccessful rock from which I came. But I didn’t.

I’m getting my haircut tomorrow and it’s f***ing expensive. I always used to get my haircut for free of this Turkish geezer called Ercan (pronounced Ershan) but since a few key relationships ended my link has been severed somewhat its been kinda difficult to get a response. I guess he knows why I’m calling but we always have a good crack and a few beers and I go home with a great new barnet. Last time we spoke, inbetween trying to get me to go to the boxing or the dog track he mentioned he was trying to write a book about religion; encompassing everyone from the beer swilling, bacon butty eating Muslims to the straighter laced “by the book” types. I’d like to read it. There are always different degrees of something, be it religion, murder or success.

My new hairdresser is Giovanni from Turin he cost £34 can u believe it? I used to be able to get pissed on that back home in Glasgow and now I can’t even get my haircut for much less. He’s the first hairdresser I met that keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t “talk and cut” I think that’s why I pay extra. I also get good coffee.

I’m finally going back to Scotland for the first time in ages this weekend. I didn’t go back for Christmas or New Year so I’m cooking my Old Dutch dinner for mother’s day. I’m cooking scallops and chorizo to start, seafood paella for mains, and chocolate mousse for desert. I find myself with champagne taste and a beer income on a regular basis.

In conclusion, if you have also been in the pub and had one too many golden elixirs and feel like telling the world something tell me this….

1) How much was your last haircut?
2) What was the last swanky meal you cooked? And none of that frozen cheesecake shit!
3) How much does a pint of Staropramen, a Jack Daniels and coke, and a shot of Sambuca cost in your local. Does your barman look like a highwayman?

Till next time

Stuart xx

Hello, Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year and managed to survive the worlds most depressing month January. I think the 21^st Jan is the biggest day for suicides I dunno where I read that maybe its rubbish. (It’s the 22^nd, I just googled it.”Blue Monday” they call it, officially designated by a psychologist too….)

It’s funny when the New Year comes around and everybody decides “I`m gonna change my ways”, stop smoking, stop drinking, lose weight the list goes on…endlessly. I have noticed this most at my local gym, the sudden influx of red sweaty faces all huffing and puffing away, or straining like Elvis on the toilet seat trying to lift some ridiculously heavy weight. I would just like to say to you all now…..STAY AT HOME. You guys are messing up my schedule in the gym. I can’t get on any of the machines and I was doing this long before you even thought about it. Thank you.

As we’re on the subject of exercise, my manager phoned me up the other day and asked me if I wanted to play 5-a-side football with him, I think he’d had a few vino`s. After 10 minutes or so of his famous Jedi mind tricks I had agreed. I hadn’t played football seriously in a decade or so and the idea was filling me somewhat with slight unease. With none of the apparel I visited a friend who gave me some shin pads and footy socks. My old man used to play professionally but I wasn’t really the protégé he had hoped for I think. Music is more my game.

Everyone that turned up on the night apart from me and one other was kicking forty and there was no “keepy-uppies” going on…..my confidence grew slightly. It was a 6-6 draw in the end and I had a good time running about like a headless chicken “making play” if you can call it that. My attempts at goal verged on the ridiculous, like a ricocheted bullet going in unexpected directions or when you see those angry golfers slice their ball into the rough. I spent most of the second half in goals like when that machine fires tennis balls at you. It’s taken me the best part of a week to recover and I have bruises all over me from diving onto wooden gymnasium floor but it was a good laugh. Will I be going next Wednesday hmmmm….. Jury’s out on that one.

I’ve been enjoying quite a musically creative streak recently, its great when that happens; it allays the fear that you will never write a song again. I’m using a computer out of the ark to record stuff on but it’s pleasantly limiting as there aren’t so many choices to make. I’m three songs in so far and showing no signs of letting up. What I’m going to do with them is another matter completely.

I hope you are all well and in good spirits. If you’re not, I just read that “Blue Monday” article I googled. A psychologist at the University of Warwick recommends spending 15 minutes trying to write down three reasons why you should be grateful. Great idea!!!!! Instead of going to my gym try some “gratitude exercises”, failing that the pub is always just round the corner.

All the best

Stuart

Hello, Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year and managed to survive the worlds most depressing month January. I think the 21st Jan is the biggest day for suicides I dunno where I read that maybe its rubbish. (Itís the 22nd, I just googled it.ìBlue Mondayî they call it, officially designated by a psychologist too.)

Itís funny when the New Year comes around and everybody decides ìI`m gonna change my waysî, stop smoking, stop drinking, lose weight the list goes on …endlessly. I have noticed this most at my local gym, the sudden influx of red sweaty faces all huffing and puffing away, or straining like Elvis on the toilet seat trying to lift some ridiculously heavy weight. I would just like to say to you all now … STAY AT HOME. You guys are messing up my schedule in the gym. I canít get on any of the machines and I was doing this long before you even thought about it. Thank you.

As weíre on the subject of exercise, my manager phoned me up the other day and asked me if I wanted to play 5-a-side football with him, I think heíd had a few vino`s. After 10 minutes or so of his famous Jedi mind tricks I had agreed. I hadnít played football seriously in a decade or so and the idea was filling me somewhat with slight unease. With none of the apparel I visited a friend who gave me some shin pads and footy socks. My old man used to play professionally but I wasnít really the protÈgÈ he had hoped for I think. Music is more my game.

Everyone that turned up on the night apart from me and one other was kicking forty and there was no ìkeepy-uppiesî going on …my confidence grew slightly. It was a 6-6 draw in the end and I had a good time running about like a headless chicken ìmaking playî if you can call it that. My attempts at goal verged on the ridiculous, like a ricocheted bullet going in unexpected directions or when you see those angry golfers slice their ball into the rough. I spent most of the second half in goals like when that machine fires tennis balls at you. Itís taken me the best part of a week to recover and I have bruises all over me from diving onto the wooden gymnasium floor but it was a good laugh. Will I be going next Wednesday hmmmm …. Juryís out on that one.

Iíve been enjoying quite a musically creative streak recently, its great when that happens; it allays the fear that you will never write a song again. Iím using a computer out of the ark to record stuff on but itís pleasantly limiting as there arenít so many choices to make. Iím three songs in so far and showing no signs of letting up. What Iím going to do with them is another matter completely.

I hope you are all well and in good spirits. If youíre not, I just read that ìBlue Mondayî article I googled. A psychologist at the University of Warwick recommends spending 15 minutes trying to write down three reasons why you should be grateful. Great idea!!!!! Instead of going to my gym try some ìgratitude exercisesî, failing that the pub is always just round the corner.

All the best

Stuart

Ron is upstairs trying to piece together all the footage we took from touring with the Proclaimers into some kinda tour diary come live DVD thing, so to celebrate 500,000 plays on MySpace and the end of another year I’m doing another blog. It’s also far too cold to venture outside for more than 10 minutes and I don’t really have any winter clothes either. A t-shirt and a thin jacket don’t really cut it at the moment.

We came back off tour about 3 weeks ago now and decided to go back into the studio while the band was playing well and put down some new songs. I don’t know about other bands but it’s a pain staking process in this one. Everything seems to take forever or we are re-recording something. I guess it’s like a pint of Guinness???it takes time. We left the studio with anew version of “Satellite”, two songs called “Into your arms” and “Don’t Let Me Down” and another tune that surprisingly went from conception to a final master mix in about 7hrs called “Lost at Sea”. Whether these tunes become part of our next album, an EP, or in a reworked version of sugar and spite who knows???

Hey there all,

Tad from UB here, we know we haven’t been doing proper blogs for awhile but we’re trying to get in the habit again, so here we go!

We went back to our roots and played the ‘Oran Mor’ in Glasgow this week. Although we had quite a few technical issue’s (Rick’s guitar strap broke during first song, Geoff’s laptop died, Stuart’s Guitar fell over and went out of tune) the gig went pretty well and we had a friendly audience (one shouted ‘Welcome back to Glasgow!!’) and we had a great time after although I’m never going back to a club called ‘Campus’ ever again.

Next time you see us live you may notice something different, I’ve finally been dragged into backing vocals, so if you hear some horribly out of tune singing going on then its probably me (but buy me a drink for trying ;P)

This week we’ll be playing the re-scheduled ‘TRUCK’ festival praying for good weather, then our final head-line show in London at the Water Rats in Kings X before we go on our epic 40 date UK tour support with the ‘Proclaimers’. After that is over we go back to the studio to record some new material including a full band version of ‘Swans’.

Some news for U.S. and Canada fans, we are planning on coming to you guys at some point in the new year, whether or not we get signed, this year we had to wait ’til I was legally allowed to drink over there but now its fine

well there you go everyone, hope the next blog isn’t too long away

lots of love

Tad and the Bobs
x x x x x