Well, last night my friend (and guitar tech, Dave “Cookiehead” Jenkins) and I went to the MINT (on Pico and Crescent Heights) to see “The LIKE” and “JACKSHIT”. It was one of the most fun shows I ever saw. First off, the LIKE are 3 teenage girls that play bass, guitar and drums and play em GREAT. They had really good songs and put on a good show. They kinda reminded me of (Aussie band) The Clouds and Wings.

Not surprisingly, the girls were the offspring of several other great musicians (some of which play in JACKSHIT). The drummer is the daughter of (Elvis Costello and Crowded House producer) Mitchell Froome, the singer/guitarist is the daughter of (Michael Penn Producer, former Geffen and Virgin Exec) Tony Berg and the bassist is the daughter of (Attractions drummer) Pete Thomas. I bought their really good 3 song e.p. and I don’t know if they have a website but I’d look up THE LIKE if I were you, ok?

After their short set (they played 6 songs, I think), JACKSHIT came on and played an unbelievably fucking good show. on guitar is Val (Bo Shit). On bass is the newest Attractions bassist, Davey (Shorty Shit), and on drums was original Attractions member, Pete Thomas (Petes O’Shit). I have to say right here and now that Val is gotta be one of the best guitarists I ever saw in my life. I would even say he’s better than BIG AL ANDERSON, and before all you NRBQ nuts scream BLASPHEMY (gee, there’s that word again!), you gotta see Val in person and you’ll agree. And I almost forgot, Mitchell Froome plays trumpet with them as well!

At a certain point of the show, the band asked their friend, Jackson Browne, to come up and do a song with them. he was introduced as “Jackson Shit” and they did a beautiful version of the Eagle’s (which Jackson co-wrote) “TAKE IT EASY” Everyone loved it and after the show I really felt that I got way more than the $10 I paid to get in. On my way out I talked to Jackson Browne a bit and he asked about Arthur Lee and how was he. I told him about all the touring we’d done since May 14; pretty much playing nearly 60 shows in 3 1/2 months in about 50 different cities. Jackson was really happy for the band and promised to come down to the next show we play in L.A. Then we talked about the blond gibson ES-335 that Jackson had sold me back in ’99; He hated the guitar and couldn’t imagine anyone getting anything out of it. I told him it was my main ax and that it was the most versatile guitar I ever played or owned. He seemed happy to hear that. One man’s trash…

And as we are now only 11 days from our flight to London, more ends are being tied up. The Forever Changes production will have the band, as you know, but also the sound guy that normally does the Pumphauset in Copenhagen, KOSE (pronounced, “Koe-zuh), will be the sound guy for the entire tour so expect a really good mix on yer boots (just kiddin’) and a really swell show. He also did our Roskilde show as well.

Although we are using some of the musicians from the Roskilde show and the Stockholm show, the following people will be appearing on the Forever Changes UK winter tour 2003; Anna Landberg (cello), Andreas Forsman (violin), Ketil Solberg (violin), Caroline Valdemarsson (violin), Malin-My Nilsson (violin), Par “Pelle” Stromberg (violin), Erik Holm (viola), Thomas Ringqvist (viola), Fredrik Oscarsson (trumpet), Stefan Persson (trumpet), Bjorn Samuelsson (trombone), Karl Olandersson (trumpet). (Our guitar tech/roadie is Scottish but I don’t know his name yet.) And of course, the Orchestrator/conductor is Gunnar Norden, the genius who wrote all those charts out BY EAR when it was found out that Elektra had lost the original sheet music. Keep that in mind when you listen to those arrangements…

All the best,

Mike Randle