Steve Ignorant

Finally getting around to posting these photos.

Then we got to Chicago where we got a taste of Illinois hospitality. A great sound and another great bunch of people. I got a sore throat from talking to everyone but it was so wonderful to be able to hang out and have some beers with people. We even got interviewed by a puppet rat called 'Ratzo'. Don't ask. I dare say you'll find it on a cable t.v. thing called Chic - a -go - go. Only in America. And again, another brilliant night, special thanks to Vito and to Frank and his crew. Thanks Chicago.

Special thanks to Vito for looking after us.

Cheers.

Steve

28th April

Last night in Seattle was just great. Started off with a question and answer session in this brilliant bar called Comet that was like an old English boozer. Everyone there was really friendly and we all had a really nice time. Dodgy old law in Seattle though, if you're onstage you can't drink, but the audience can. Work that one out. The gig was brilliant. We were really up for it and so were the audience. Seattle made one hell of a noise last night. Thanks you lot for a great time.

Thanks to the great folks at the venue in Seattle especially Alice and Chris and Jeff who really made our night easy.  And thanks to everyonef or coming out.

Cheers

Steve

Our third gig was in Toronto at a beautiful old opera house venue, we had a great time.

After a Question and Answer session at Hits and Misses Record store it was on to the venue for a night of nights. We were helped out on the intro to 'Big A little A'  by Rory, and helped out on all the other songs by  everyone else. Thanks Canada. It was hard to leave you, and we'll never forget you.

Thanks again to Noel and Tony and James and everyone in Toronto for making us so welcome, it was a great night.

Steve.

And still it goes on. Mile after mile after mile leading straight to a far horizon that you never seem to reach, on either side the beautiful great plains rolling along beneath vast cloud laden skies. And here I sit, bleary eyed and bus - lagged, staring at it all when suddenly I realise we're going through a town called Rosebud and crossing a river called Tongue, both of which a Native American called Black Elk mentions in his book 'Black Elk Speaks'. If you get a chance, read it, but have some tissues ready for your tears.

I get Matt, our driver - top bloke - to pull over and I stand where surely Black Elk must have, and as a sign of acknowledgement/respect I bury a bit of tobacco. A private and moving moment for me. Back of the bus and head on towards Seattle which'll take us three days, and I'm endlessly thinking of his book and how he witnessed the Custer battle, and bugger me, there it is, the site of the Little Big Horn. With a K.F.C. and a casino on it. Yep. Only in America.

The first time ever in Canada and it was just amazing. A great turn -out of great people in Montreal that made us feel so welcome. Great night, great gig. And here's the proof.

A view of the crowd from upstairs. Amazing audience that night.

Rival Tribal Rebel Revel. That's John Loder up on the screen behind us.

Beautiful smiling faces.

More lovely people. Thanks to you all for coming out.

Me and the band really appreciate the support from everyone who turned up.  Special thanks to David, JF and John for looking after us and inviting us to Montreal and such a beautiful venue.

Steve.

View from the bus window

And it goes on and on into the distance with no signs of stopping, you look out the side windows of the bus and you think someone's playing with your head because you look out the window an hour later and the scenery is just the same.

You get off the bus for a while and you find yourself wobbling about and you think maybe you're hung over but you're not, you're experiencing 'Bus Legs', which I've not even had from being on the lifeboat. But it is an amazing thing to be doing,

I've never seen this in real life before and I'm really enjoying it. I'm looking at places where those braves, women and children roamed in freedom before they got fucked over and I'm just getting a whiff of the scale of what must have happened - I'm not being depressing or preachy but no book or film can prepare you for the real thing.

Yours truly, in South Dakota.

And at the end of this vast flat land is a place called Seattle where there are people to see and meet, and I'm really looking forward to it. Plus there's no gig tonight so I can have a few quiet beers without feeling nervous. What a lovely Easter Sunday.

On the train from JFK with all our gear.

We've been so busy we've hardly slept, but we've got the first three gigs under our belt now.  Everyone has been really terrific and we've enjoyed every minute of it.  We'll try to post some pictures up of every gig so keep checking here.  Hope to see some of you at the gig in Chicago tonight, we're just rolling up to the venue.

The first show of the tour goes off with a bang.

Happy faces at the Europa.

Many thanks to these two nutters and everyone else who came to the gig.

Special thanks to Joanne and Zibby, Lukas and Phil and everyone at the Europa for looking after us.

Steve.

We're here!  We're knackered.  No sleep til Brooklyn.

Rehearsals in Norwich

Just a quick one to let everyone know who is playing with us at all the shows.  Really looking forward to playing with Goldblade, who are doing all the shows, and all these local bands.

Really looking forward to meeting everyone in the States and Canada.  Please do come up and say hello - I'll be around the merch stand before the show and by the bar after.

Plus here's a photo of our last rehearsal in Norwich.  We always manage to have a laugh.

>>> Goldblade are supporting us on all dates... plus the following bands will play!
Brooklyn - A.P.P.L.E, Thulsa Doom, Dog That Bites Everyone
Montreal - Skull and Bones (featuring members of Inepsy and Hold A Grudge)
Toronto - Class Assassins and The Terminals
Chicago - currently no support
Seattle - The Estranged
San Francisco - Goldblade
Pomona - Fox - Aztlan Underground, Terezodu
Pomona - Glasshouse - All Of Nothing HC, Informal Society, Holokaust
Arizona- Vegetable, Nightgain
Austin - Wild/Tribe
Atlanta - In Ruins
Baltimore - Final Conflict
New York - Santos - Cult Of Youth and Primitive Weapons

Thanks again

Steve

Right, it's real, it's really happening, we're going to be in America this time next week and yesterday it really hit me. Dry mouth, sweaty palms and a stomach that won't settle. Can't eat, having trouble sleeping and generally bricking it. I know it's going to be great, but I feel there's this extra pressure to really DO IT for you lot after that cock-up with the authorities. These nerves are nothing new for me, it gets me every time before we do a tour, but this is serious nerves - I can't stop my hands trembling at the moment, I know it'll pass and I can't wait. I can't wait to be on stage belting those songs to you instead of them running through my head endlessly and driving me up the wall, I can't wait to meet loads of you in person and share some time, I can't wait, my American and Canadian brothers and sisters to give you the best present I can possibly give. Get ready. It's a pressure cooker ready to blow and when it does....see you all next week.