Ballboy – in session for John Peel – BBC Radio 1 – January 30, 2000 – broadcast March 21, 2000 – BBC Radio 1 –
Ballboy in session for John Peel to kick off the week. Recorded on January 30, 2000 and broadcast on March 21st of that year, their first of several sessions the band did for Peel.
Originally comprising Viv Strachan (vocals), Gordon McIntyre (guitar), Nick Reynolds (bass), and Alexis Beattie (drums), Ballboy played gigs around Edinburgh for a few years, and recorded tracks for the Edinburgh indie compilation it’s a life sentence…, released by the newly formed SL Records label in 1997.
By 1999 Gordon McIntyre, the band’s main songwriter, had taken over vocal duties. Katie Griffiths had joined on keyboards, and Gary Morgan had taken over the drums. The band signed to SL Records that year, and released a series of EPs. The tracks from these EPs were collected on 2001’s Club Anthems. The band toured the United States in September / October 2002 and McIntyre’s journal of the tour was published in The Scotsman newspaper.
Their “proper” debut album, A Guide for the Daylight Hours, was released in November 2002, featuring artwork by Glasgow-based artist David Shrigley. This album was followed in 2003 by the acoustic, and often melancholy, The Sash My Father Wore and Other Stories, virtually a solo record by McIntyre.
In 2004 Ballboy returned to full band mode, with a new keyboard player, Alexa Morrison, and their third album. The band continue to play live occasionally and released their fourth studio album I Worked on the Ships in August 2008. Gordon McIntyre has begun work on a side project, ++Money Can’t Buy Music.
From their early releases, the band were popular with the late DJ John Peel, and had several tracks featured in the Festive Fifty charts. They recorded several sessions for his BBC Radio 1 show, including a Christmas special live from Peel Acres, where McIntyre recorded a duet with American country singer Laura Cantrell.
In Autumn 2008 McIntyre composed the soundtrack for the Traverse Theatre Company production of Midsummer [a play with songs] by David Greig. Midsummer performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, from 24 October to 15 November 2008.
Sit back and enjoy – and venture over to their site and grab some vinyl (or maybe a CD).
