I got an e-mail from a LOVE fan in Philly who was asking when we’d come thru his neck of the woods again. I told him I wasn’t certain but that September looked like a good bet. I mean, we haven’t played Texas or the south yet and quite frankly, I haven’t seen a southern girl in quite some time. I’m sure a lot of cows have been milked since my last visit. No matter where you are from, no matter what country, you have no idea what it feels like when someone says to you, “Y’allz band rocks!”, like someone once said to me and Daddyo. Truly special.

So I told Philly Guy that, ain’t no way we’re playing the North Star again. This club is the goofiest little sh*thole you’ll ever be unlucky enough to find yourself in. But if you smoke crack it’s perfect, as there’s a crack dealer RIGHT OUTSIDE and appearentyl he keeps long hours. Nothing like a hard working American in action. One thing some of these clubs don’t seem to understand (and the Coal Exchange is a good example) and that’s AIR CONDITIONING. Simple, 20th century concept that, when turned on, improves everybody’s quality of life. Cardiff was a nice place but the venue was WAY suspect. Not only was it hot in the venue but the employees were stealing beers and food from our dressing room. BLATANTLY. No shame. And they were coming in and out of the room asking the Singer for autographs. And there wasn’t a toilet for performers. How can you have a venue that fits 600 people and not have this stuff taken care of? I know I’m bitching but, someone gets paid to make sure this kind of stuff don’t happen and YOU pay for it with part of your ticket. You deserve better. So, in a way, I’m going to bat for you. The Singer feels the same way. He doesn’t want you uncomfortable.

Now, whenever we play the Royal Festival Hall or Queen Elizabeth Hall (both in London) we get treated like royalty, which is the way I PREFER to be treated. Imean, you don’t have to cut my toenails or nothing like that (though it wouldn’t hurt), but at least have a bottle opener in the room. The problem with the music business is you have too many people on staff DOING NOTHING and getting paid for it. In England it’s easier in that it may be harder to make someone redundant (er, GET FIRED is what I mean to say). But in the good ‘ol US of A, you can get canned for burping. People still drag their feet but, in the red white and blue, there ain’t no safety nets. You fall, tough sh*t. And unless you got 7 kids, you aren’t gonna get any assistance. The streets of every major american city is littered with thousands of people sleeping on streets and every last one has a hard luck story. With that in mind, I really try to do my job right.

So, from what you can gather, next time we’re in Philly, we WON’T be playing the North Star. You know, since we’re being honest, I never liked the Whiskey. The days of Mario and LOVE and the Doors on strip are gone. Mario sold it and now it’s crap, taking up space. I’d rather go next door, to the CAT HOUSE, and listen to POISON cover bands. Ok, so that’s some of the best and definitely some of the worst!

Mike Randle