(lyrics inspired by the ROBERT PITT photograph entitled 'Sherwood Forest') http://www.myspace.com/seepics
'Lay Low' - written and composed by Joe Beagle performed by Cute Baby Monster
As dark as the soul who'd rob a crypt at midnight stand thin young trees with lifeless limbs silhouetted by the brilliant beaming sunlight in which the forest swims.
Storming clouds of brittle rusty-coloured dead fern fill the silent forest's floor. A ghostly mist fades away into the distance. A new day begins, once more.
Cast in an arc, the seeds of daylight look like the roaring surf on breaking waves, waves that crash and splash feet of invading soldiers and a land of undug graves.
With rhetoric and holy incantation the spell of war's been cast again. War paid for by those left behind with unjust taxes, and the lives of simple men.
The world can't see these innocent imprisoned wretches caged and lain on bloodied straw buried deep within the darkest dungeon for the crime of being poor.
Their comrades flee this misery and persecution while the world looks overseas hopeless souls mingle with the ghosts of freedom to lay low among the trees
lay low lay low, lay lay, low lay, low low lay low lay low
Joe Beagle is an award-winning songwriter who lives in Nottingham. He spends a lot of time writing good songs. Roj Whitham is a musical genius who lives in Lincolnshire. Roj Whitham's amazing and imaginative ideas on guitar and brilliant harmonies make good songs sound great.
The new songs were all written to be performed live by Cute Baby Monster (Joe Beagle & Roj Whitham) with just two guitars and two vocals. Some of the songs are really quite simple, some are rather intricate, some have strange time signatures, some have unfamiliar chord sequences and yet all of them possess that original acoustic Cute Baby Monster sound and have been skilfully crafted to be as accessible as possible.. Joe Beagle & Roj Whitham have twelve songs written, structured, arranged and ready to record for the first album "Shadows & Rainbows". They have twelve songs written, structured, arranged and ready to record for the second album and, of course, their second set.
Formed in February 2004, Cute Baby Monster are Joe Beagle & Roj Whitham and their first concert was at The Third Annual Belvoir Castle on Saturday 17th May 2008. They really enjoyed playing their music in such a nice place in front of such nice people and hope to play there again in 2009. Because of other duties and commitments, Joe Beagle & Roj Whitham plan to perform three or four gigs a year so they hope to make them special. Having written two album's worth of original songs, they plan to record both albums before they gig with two full sets of original material. Joe Beagle & Roj Whitham plan to do a couple of open mics in 2009 in perhaps, Nottingham, Lincoln, Lough, Leicester, Derby and/or Loughborough.
Eventually Joe Beagle & Roj Whitham hope to have both albums recorded and to then go out and play them live at amongst other places The Green Festival, The River Trent, The Pyramid Stage, Sherwood Forest, Lochness, Stonehenge, and Later with Jools Holland. Joe always wanted to play in New York and Paris.
Joe's mum says he weighed 7lb 8oz when he was born. Joe, a founder member of Nottingham Songwriters International, is an award-winning songwriter who has performed his own songs on local & national TV & radio, as well as at many parties, gigs & festivals. His first recording Black Colours by The Flying Brix, was a limited edition 9 track 7" D.I.Y. E.P. of original songs released in 1982 distributed by Rough Trade, played by John Peel (BBC Radio One), and now highly regarded as a classic of its ilk and sought after by DIY connoissers worldwide (currently valued at $50+ on the international market). Renditions of Joes later original songs recorded by The Flying Brix new line-up at Rockfield Studios, South Wales received critical acclaim from (amongst others) Allan Jones, Melody Maker Editor. Joe won the first British National Songsearch Competition, judged by Sir Melvyn Bragg, Victoria Wood, & Jake Thackray with his song 'Home is where the heartbreak is' which he performed solo live at the finals held at the Kendal Folk Festival, Cumbria, UK. This song was also included on a compilation album of the finest songs. A video of his song 'Oh no, here come the goodguys,again!' was included in the music documentary 'Barry Island Rock' and featured on S4C & Channel 4 UK. The BBC produced a video of him performing a solo version of his song 'et tu brute' which was broadcast nationwide. He performed his songs 'Oh no, here come the good guys again!', 'Nightrider', & 'Fergie's Song' with his band 'No-one' on BBC TV. His song 'Up & alive', was recorded by his band 'Champion The Underdog', & included on the anti-racist compilation 'NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!', and he performed his song 'I've turned into a fish!' live on Channel 4, UK, with his band 'The Beagles'. Videos of six of his songs were also later featured on the "Beaglemania" CD-ROM. The Beagles also did the 20 gigs in a day fundraiser for Nottingham Mencap and had a 3 month residency at The Filly & Firkin playing exclusively Joe's songs (NO COVERS!). Audiences continued to go "bananas!" when Joe went on to form 'Awful Racket' who gigged around Nottingham and performed at the Green Festival playing nothing but Joe's songs. Joe then went on to demo six new songs when he joined up with his brother Tom to form 'My band - we're great - we do our own stuff'.
Roj is an accomplished musician, guitar teacher and singer songwriter with a solo project Switchbacks and whose experience includes such genres as Melodic Pop/Rock, Industrial Metal, Dark Ambient, Sludge Drenched Doom, Retro Funk, Computer Game Soundtracks & Punky/Reggae Party Music. He has worked on TV, Radio, Video & live European appearances with (amongst others) Champion The Underdog, The Beagles, Skin Limit Show, Watershed, The Scream, Tide and The Kindred. He is currently working on Forgotten Ruins, The Kindred, Feast of Sins and Switchbacks as well as Cute Baby Monster.
Roj has atmospheric soundscapes from his project Forgotten Ruins available to download free at myspace.com/forgottenruins.
C u t e B a b y M o n s t e r
It's not really hard work as we both enjoy seeing each other, making great music together, and drinking nice whiskey. We have fun. Always focussed on the quality of the songs and the performance, we believe great music should be a joy to make. There's a chemistry there when we play live which is why we intend to record the albums live and refrain from overdubbing. As a wise man once said "If something is this special, you don't dilute it! You keep it neat." BRILLIANT!!
'great tunes!'
- eddy o'dwyer (The Music Of Eddy O'Dwyer)
'like your stuff'
- The Acoustic Harry Turner
'Sounding good, keep in touch and give me a shout when you gig.'
- Stu Rose
'i had a good listen to your stuff and liked it!'
- Martin B from 'The Habits'
'great stuff guys, roll on 2008 and getting LIVE!!! YEAH COME
ON!!!! WOOOOOOO!!'
- Fizzy50
'your songs sound decent'
- Del (Very Gandhi)
'Nice to hear your songs.'
- John, Jan & Mike (Apache John)
'Really Like what your doing, great Music'
- Pete, Sarah, Simon, Andy & Al (A N U B I S)
'listened to your music, nice, keep in touch'
- mick (trilogy)
'great tracks up on your page, especially 'Space to Shine' and
'Whatever Happened'...great live sound too!'
- Captain Steve (The Sledge Dogs)
'Enjoyed your songs alot..'
- Eskimo