As you know last summer Chris and Nick decided to call it a day and concentrate on their All the Kit business which is going very well.  Coincidentally around the same time Amy was hugely pregnant and unable to play anyway for a while.  So the search started for a new drummer and keyboard player while the rest of the band took a rest. 

Tim, Neil and PAul performed a couple of acoustic gigs and when Amy had sufficient breath she joined in.  The trio of Neil Paul and Amy (Hanging on the Hoo) also took a forced break for a while. 

Tim, meanwhile consolidated his other band Indecision, (more cheese less sleaze) whilst Neil desperately searched for the right people to join the rock'n'roll chaos that is Turtleshed, hoping more than anything that it wouldn't all fold. 

Late October last year Amy gave birth to a baby boy and then put her jeans back on the next day.  

A few auditions tok place with some great musicians, with Neil's son Lewis often helping out on drums.  They were all great, but talking to Grant on the phone, Neil immediately knew he was perfect for the job. Previously in a Jam tribute band his heritage was spot on.   

MArtin plays keys in Indecision and was busy in another band till that folded and expressed an interest in the Sheds; This opportunity was immediately taken up by the band as MArtin is a fantastic keyboard and piano player.  Hopefully he'll be joining a couple of songs with second guitar too, as he is a man of many talents. 

So rehearsals started in earnest (well every now and again) at the amazingly accomodating Stagepost in West Lavington.  Whilst essentially the same, Turtleshed has benfitted with the new guys who have brought their own swing to the band and they are all now cooking on gas.   

So the future hopefully will be a few more pubs in between the private party bookings. Hope also they will be getting a few more upto date recordings to place on the website and a couple more original songs are plans. 

So that is where the Sheds are, having fun jumpin and jivin (except for Tim who following a second knee operation has been on crutches for a couple of months) and looking forward to a full return to the scream of gigging.

 There is a charity / benefit coming up on 30th MAy at the Moonrakers in Devizes.  This is in memory of Paul Parker, and friend of Neil's who died recently of Cytic Fibrosis at only 27 years old. More information on this will be posted soon. This will be a ticket job but only about £5 as it is for a fund raiser. Hopefully this will be well attended, but hopefully the band will be playing a pub in between. Keep checking the site.

This has been Sam Clegg

Keeping THE faith.

Happy Easter

Sam

11th April 2009