A lot of my LA friends are bummed because we’re taking the FC tour thru the UK and Europe and not thru LA (yet) but I tell them to take a chill pill already!. I’m sure it’ll reach LA in due time. But it’s great that the first 11 or 12 shows have been announced. Anyone who saw the show in Stockholm or Copenhagen (Roskilde) can testify to the compitence and reverence the 8-peice Swedidh ensemble displays. As a matter of fact, I’m gonna look for their names so you to can know who these musicians are. they deserve respect…

There, I think, 1 trombone, 3 violins, 1 viola, and 3 trumpets. 6 guys and 2 women, although one of the women was about 8 months pregnant at the time so you gotta figure the kid is about 3 mo. old now and will be 6 mo. old by the tour’s beginning so we’ll count her out for now. The SINGER dedicated “Orange Skies” to her at the Swedish show back in June (or was it May?…no, it was May…I’m losing it…). So, soon, we shall all know their true identities, these very talented Swedes…

I was sitting on the porch last night around 1 am and it was so cold I had to wear long sleeves…funny, it’s almost November and the weather has been very nice…(ok, I ‘ll stop rubbing it in…)…um, I was joking a bit with the politics in the last diary… Freedom Man noticed, and wondered if I was getting too political… I hope no one thinks I am choosing sides (BUSH SUCKS!!!!) or just using the diary to forward my own point of view (IRAQ=OIL!!!!) So please excuse me if I go a little too far…

Got a nice fan letter from a guy in Buffalo who went to the Show back in early August when our Toronto show had to be re-routed thru Buff. He wants us to come play Buffalo again, soon. Really. And he’s getting his local club promoter to try and put it together. See what happens when people love music…

Now, from my experience and I try to stay out of this stuff there’s a club booker, a club promoter and a club. And everybody takes a cut off the top, know whadda mean? I’ve talked to people and their assessment is that we, and in WE I mean the band/management, are cleaning up. Our mission is to come to your town, give you our best show, shag the locals (ONLY JOKING!!!!!!!) and rest up for the next town. We don’t really have time to audit the Liquid Room or some place way up near the north friggin pole. We came to rock. So, if tix seem high or the venue doesn’t suit your taste, take it to upper management and demand a better club! It’s your neighborhood and city, so it oughta be your club as well… is all I’m sayin…

Life is kinda hectic…working on the new stuff for the next 5 or 6 weeks and then it’s FC rehearsals for 5 weeks till we split for Milton (gulp) Keynes.. now if I could only get to Vegas…I think I could make some Quid on the World Series…ya think Scottish Keith blessed the “city” with a little “luck of the Scottish.” Wait, or is that the Irish? Oh, for fux sake, I mean, if it ain’t the USA it might as well be Iraq, huh? Whups, getting political again…my bad.

Mike Randle