We first started playing with Arthur back in 1993. And since that time, we’ve done 4 trips to Europe (5, if you count our next trip in August) and played a few out of town shows in the states (lots of shows in Los Angeles, plus a short west coast tour w/ Spirit in ’93, a terrible show in San Fransisco in ’95 with Dave chapple and myself and a drummer from the audience… a kid named John Kent, and 1 show we did in Chicago in ’93). But LOVE has never really been represented with US in America. Now, he played some shows on the east coast in ’93 with Das Damen, who are a good band. I’ve heard some boots from those shows and, if anyone remembers what Arthur sounded like BEFORE he played with us, well, you get the picture. now, if you want to hear Hendrix covers and long jams, I’m sure Arthur made the english fans happy in ’92.

Now, the older male LOVE fans can’t get enough of these types of shows and swear they’ve seen the second coming of christ afterwards. Of course, you hear the boots from these shows and you wonder hoe lonely people get, out there in the west country of the united kingdom. But, next to the sheep, I suppose it does come off as a hell of a good time. But many of the younger LOVE fans seem to be able to tell the difference between a E7 chord and a C#maj9, but maybe that’s cause the kids have been hearing a lot of new groups that site LOVE as an influence. And NO BODY except the Dave Matthews Band is jamming on the radio anymore. But this is what we were up against going to the UK to do those shows. A guy actually asked me, in Liverpool, if we thought we could top the last time Arthur was here, in ’92. Well, Arthur had a great time in ’92…and the guys he played with, Shack, are nice guys-they came to Liverpool and manchester and hung out backstage at both. But, I had to tell the guy, we didn’t come here to compete, old boy. We came here to play you songs you won’t hear any place of. And give you a show you won’t see any place else. And have Arthur take his act to a level you won’t experience any place else.

But England was great and showed up to every show. Now it’s America’s turn. We are making this tour even better than the last, adding more songs this time, so, when we get back to Scotland and England (Aug 22 on…), it’s gonna be even more fun. The whole point is for everyone to enjoy themselves, enjoy the music and be a part of something that, this time last year, was unfathomable.

Mike Randle