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Mike's Diary Last Update: 30. september 2003 ''I want to be Loved by You'' (September 10.) well, today is tuesday morning and we catch our boar back to athens in the late afternoon. i feel great this morning, as opposed to the all-day hangver i experienced yesterday! But the ocean is mumbling, with soft waves pushing up against the reef. The Sunset Internet Cafe (where i am), is only about 30 ft. from the water but this is where i've noticed most of the topless sunbathing. The women come to the exact same spot everyday so they must come early and stay late because they never seem to leave. Where we are is called SKALA, on this island called AGISTRI. Yesterday, Rusty and Daddyo took a boat over to the bigger island, Algina, while i hopped a motorbike and explored more of the island. If you ride all the way around, about 75% around, really, you get to MARIZA, which is a beautiful big-rock swimming area with reef and mountains. But my favorite beach was DRAGONERA, which is nearly halfway from Skala to Mariza, about 3 Kilometers away. You have to negotiate a steep downhill to get to it but it is most certainly worth it. But yesterday was the day to myself and i did it with the worst hangover. So i should say what happened the night before, huh? Well, the main bar we have been going to, ALTEREGO, which is owned by YANNA and run by her and her 2 daughters, VASSO (nickname: Shrimp) and KAITH (nickname: Katy or Goth Girl), was happening and, from my memory, i was drinking there at the bar and eating some food. I believe i had a large piece of roast beef with rice and greek salad. We were all drinking and i was especially drinking with this English couple and the night just kept rowing away like a fishing boat on a mission and i lost count of the drinks. At this point, Katy said, '' why don't you do some work. all you do is drink.'' Now, you have to know Katy to understand her serious face-humor thing she does to everyone on a regular basis. You would never know she was 20 years old if no one told you. So i picked up a rag and started cleaning off the tables. It got fun so then i started taking beer orders and bringing out coctails. everyone was having a blast. By the time it was nearly 2am and there were still 10 or so customers and Yanna never closes until the last customer leaves. So finally, it's 3am and the English woman suggest we go for a swim (by we, i mean her husband and me) but he is more interested in his drink-as he should be-but, being quite inebriated at this point and very close to out of my idiot, decided to give it a shot. Although the Brit had a swim suite under her clothes, Kaith and i stripped to our unders and took in a nice swim on such a nice night. After drying off, the time had crawled to 4am and so i said goodbye and walked up the hill back to my hotel, which is about a 2 minute walk. The sky was so beautiful with stars and the quiet roar of the waves, i decided to sit on the steps and take it all in. And that's where i fell asleep! i finally woke up at 6am and went inside and slept from 6am to 9am, when i was woken up by those guys getting ready to go to Algina. So, not being able to sleep and armed with a ferocious and unforgiving headache, i rode to Dragonera and went for a wonderful swim, wading in this wonder and funnily thinking to myself how nice it all was, even with a hangover! Afterwards, i walked back to the ALTEREGO bar and Yanna made me a deliciously fresh tuna sandwhich. See, on the opposite side of the island, there are big tunas everywhere, so, if you want a sandwhich, they simply pull some fresh tuna out and mix it with mayo and seasonings, toss on some salad and there you are; tuna salad. i washed it down with Coca Cola light (the word DIET does not translate in some European cities). Afterwards, Yanna said, ''Michalis, you need a nap. Go home and sleep for a few hours and when you return, you may have some Greek red wine.'' So, that's exactly what i did. I walked to the hotel and in the lobby i saw Anna, who no longer worked next door but now worked at our hotel. Anna asked how i was doing. I told her i didn't feel so good. She remarked that she saw me on the side of the road and that i was very drunk. I thanked her for her suberb memory and said,''that's wonderful. Now then, if you'll please excuse me, my bed is calling my name.'' and with that, i handed my room key to Leah, the hotel Manager, and excused myself to my quaters. It took awhile but i finally got to sleep, giving up on killing mesquitoes, realizing the impossibility of the situation; i was out numbered and they weren't hungover. But, while i was asleep i had a dream about Anna; we were drinking wine on the beach and she sang me a song that Marilyn Monroe made famous in a movie. Something that simple. But i slept for 4 hours and it did me good. i rose up and showered and dressed and was at the bar by 5pm. I left the key with Leah because those guys wouldn't be back before 7pm. So, now, after the nap, i am hungry again and feeling ready for that glass of wine. Katy suggests the greek salad and Yanna suggests the Flava bean soup. I take them both up on it and they are winners; the meal is right on. While i was eating, ARGIRIS (knickname; A-BOD), went zooming by on his motorbike, waving. I waved back. he was one of the good guys and was born on this island. he knew every inch of it. I took my last 2 bites of the soup and washed them down with the cold greek wine, a sort of ''rose'''. Around this time, the guys showed up. We all walked back to the hotel about 8pm and i ran a hot bath, which was soothing to the body and soul. I stepped out afterwards and realised the water had come up from the draina nd the entire floor was flooded. I dried off , dressed and went downstairs to look for a mop. I saw Leah reading a book and having a smoke. ''i have a problem. there's water everywhere on the bathroom floor. i think it's a problem with the drain. Can i get a mop?'' She looked at me with this funny smile, as if she KNEW it was going to happen. ''I will get Anna to come up and fix the mess.'' But i explained to her that i was capable of doing it but she would have none of it and so i went up stairs and lay on the bed and actually dozed off. Then the doorbel rang. it was Anna. I saw her earlier when she loaned me needle and thread so i could sew a button back on. i was too hungover to get the thread trhough the needle's eye so she did it for me. Now she was fixing another mess. ''where are your friends?'' She was part Russian, part Greek and her accent reflected both. They were on the balcony, i told her, reading books. She started mopping and we spoke while she did. She told me she was going back to Athens soon and the hotel would be closing till next easter, when tourism is back again. But each time she spoke, you couldn't halp but notice the look in her Jade eyes. You got the feeling that somewhere, somehow, at some point, someone had broken her heart. And now i felt like a jerk for having her mop up when i should have insisted. I was tempted to tell her about the dream, but wisely did not. Around 10pm, Daddyo, Rusty and i went back to ALTEREGO and ordered drinks and then those guys ordered food. Rusty had GRILLED Shark and i think Daddyo had the fried Calamari and they both shared a greek salad with lots of olives on top. I just nursed my beer while we listen to really terrible techo the bar repeatedly blasts from morning to night. The one humorous part, though, was someone's techo version of Supertramp's Logical Song. Very funny, that. So, Rusty and Daddyo took off around 11:30 to go back to the hotel where they had a full bottle of wine waiting for them. I promised to be along shortly but wound up staying till 1:30am, drinking beers with the English couple, Yanna and katy...AGAIN. i made it to bed by 1:45am, finally an early nightm, i thought to myself! I hit the hay and didn't wake up till 9:30 am this morning. I walked to my window and said hello to the sea. The weather was perfect, although a bit warm. I walked downstairs and into the lobby for a glass of strawberry juice. Anna was there cleaning. She looked up when she saw me, smiling, and said,''we are closing the hotel today for the rest of the year so there is lots to do today.'' I could tell she was happier now. Sh wanted to go home, back to Athens. Island fever had set in, i thought to myself, and she was maybe home sick. I wondered all these things about Anna, in my mind. She never knew i thought that much about things that were none of my business. She never knew about the dream. She didn;t notice me watching her mop, even though i was speaking to her i was looking at her like i was curious of who she was. Here i was downstairs drinking juice it was all on my mind. i decided to walk to the internet cafe because i wanted to get out of the hotel. I thanked her for the juice, dropped some change on the table and started strolling toward the road. I hadn't noticed but i was whistling a tune. Anna stopped me,'' How do you know that song? And why are you whistling it?, she asked. I thought for a second; what song was it? So i asked her,''what songs is it? it's familiar but i can't remember the words.'' By this time, she'd put the mop aside and was staring at me with a wide, gorgeous smile, one hand on her left hip adn the other leaning on the bar. ''You don't know that song?'', she asked, now laughing a bit. I told her i knew it but couldn't remember it. She then sang it for me, or one line of it. "I want to be loved by you adn no one else. I want to be loved by you, alone. Boo-Bah-Catchoo!" I nearly fainted. How did she know that? She looked at me with a big quizzical look. ''You don't know Marilyn Monroe's singing? She is my favorite! That's how i noticed the song, silly!'' She went back to the mop putting her back to me, turned halfway round and said,"It's a good song, no?'' I told her it was more than a good song. It was perfect. Mike Randle wow, i've been on this island for 2 days and i finally found a computer! Daddyo, Rusty and i are in a beautiful hotel, right on the beach, which was put together by the Greek promoter of the festival we played (which was amazing!). I gotta say, he sure picked it right. Let me just say this; i've gotten thrown out of one bar and closed another down last night. There are, like 4 girls per 1 guy on this island. Those are Vegas-like odds. The food is great, the booze is cheap, the girls are beautiful, the people are nice, the beach is clean and clear...i mean, this is paradise, if there ever was one. The girl who runs our hotel, Leah (whom Rusty Christened PRINCESS LEAH, but whom i now call PRINCESS), a cute young Greek girl, took us to her favorite resteraunt, where we had swordfish and wine and (of course) greek salad with delicous feta on top. then she took us to her favorite bar, i forget the name, but it's owned by a woman named YANNA and her 2 daughters wok there as well. one of her daughters, Katemaras (i call her Kathy), is kinda Goth. The other is studying the guitar and played us a song (the only one she knows). We all got very very very drunk...maybe it was the whiskey? anyways, Yanna suggested i go back to my hotel and get some sleep. it was 4am, afterall. the next morning, i went back to her bar because i thought i forgot to pay but it turned out that i did indeed pay so i settled for bloody mary instead. it wasn't half bad although it could have used a kick and there was way too much vodka in it. AFterwards, we rented motorbikes and rode to the other side of the island...which was breath taking...and then we found a beach and there was an absolutely incredibly fine ass woman sunbathing. i was like DAMN. i was temted to ask her her name but then i figured, when you are that gorgeous, you don't even need a name, huh? so after that, we left the beach and found a cafe and ordered some more fish
and beers. lots of beers. been pretty much sticking to Amstel. Also, Leah has a
frind...he's a body builder but his name is difficult to pronounce and it begins
with an A we Rusty knick-named him A-BOD. he's a funny guy and he rides his
motor cycle all the time. this place is tiny so you see everyone all the time.
There is another cute greek girl who works next door to the hotel names ANNA.
But she's very quite and pretty much won't speak to me. She did say i drink too
much. Very observant, that one. Ok, gonna go jump in the water now and do some
snorkling...from Agistri....and the beautiful Dionysis hotel.... Bristol diary from Mel "GOOD FOOD, GOOD HEALTH AND SUNSHINE IN BRISTOL" Today is Tuesday, September 3rd, and the last UK stop for this tour (and 2002
as a matter of fact) which ends in Bristol, England. From here we fly (really
early) to Athens for 1 show and then it's really over...
"HOW ABOUT YOU SET THE SCENE?" (September 2. 2002) I’m sticking to my proud record of managing to get lost every time I attend a love show.. But this time it was just driving round Birmingham city centre for an hour until my pride got the better of me and I asked some skateboarders. They were very nice and knew the way to the academy... but they gave me directions in skateboard language.. And I don’t speak fluent skateboard. "Just thru that gulley then you come to a long ramp..." they said. Not feeling confident I asked for landmarks. "Well first is MacDonald’s. Then threes a burger king. And when you get to the kfc then you’re nearly there!" he finished triumphantly. I embarked on my fast food chain tour nervously. Foiled at the first hurdle. No 'ramp' to be seen. I walked up the main pedestrians street, and it was only after a homeless guy gave me more directions that I realised I had been on the 'ramp' all the time. You see. To me it’s a pedestrian’s urban thoroughfare... or a street. But to them it’s a skateboard ramp. ah. Next time ill ask the homeless guy first. They were right about the fast food places though. Unusual to meet someone more obsessed with food than mike randle. And even though mike can only open his mouth less than a centimetre at the moment.. I can report that he can still do serious damage to a pizza. Anyway my own getting lost paled into insignificance once I heard of the band's navigational perils.. Glenn povey took an hour to drive them from their hotel to the venue. It was a ten-minute walk folks. The academy had some particularly stupid security people who almost insisted on searching my bag, (yikes!) and wouldn’t let mike backstage. "Yeah, but you just saw me onstage, right?" grinned mike charmingly at the dour short plump blond brummie woman. "Ahh.. But I've been on the door all night" she replied. With a you-aint-catching-me-out-sunshine look. The venue was one of those divey tiny dark rooms that I tend to dig. There were 600 people crammed in a place the size of my living room, with a tiny triangle shaped stage shoved in the corner. The crowd was predominantly and unusually young, and the cramped up sweaty vibe made it feel like some sleazy little punk gig. Which of course at times it was. The fans were wild and there was plenty of yelling various approvals after (and between) numbers. Arthur was really digging his reception and was in the best form I’ve seen him.. Getting off also I think on the bands great performance and doing his cute little Arthur dance with his tambourine and knee up in the air he was so fine. You couldn’t take your eyes off him. I couldn’t care less if he forgets the words to she come in colours. "nah,, we aint playing that one" he said.. after a second attempt ended in chaos. but they did.. and how. I could tell you more.. but after one number I was so overcome I forgot to clap... and that’s how ill remember it. Arthur teased us with signed dc leaving it right till nearly the end.. mr crowd control behind me was saying "he wont play it will he?". I assured him he would and passed him a joint to smoke during it when they finally did. I have to say mikes guitar solo in signed dc was fucking fantastic last night.. in fact mikes playing was nothing short of extraordinary all night. its nice to see people who haven’t seen the show before being amazed and blown away by the way the guys play the songs. oh yeah, back to "mr crowd control". now anyone who keeps passing me his or her bottle of navy rum is ok by me.. but he reckoned he had a well honed and practised skill, in that alone could dictate how any gig went... he could 'make it or break it' if you like. 'I know what to shout and when to shout it' he assured me.. and demonstrated for me. "see!!!" he grinned, as he gestured proudly at the fevered front rows whistling and screaming their homage’s to Arthur. to be honest it didn’t look like this Birmingham crowd needed any encouragement. well I certainly didn’t. nice one guys... this going to be hard to beat. but my car broke down on the way home.. so I might not be at the Bristol show goddamn.. but if I am then my rambling will be here. sorry about that... Mel Cicero Dear readers, i have come down with a really terrible throat condidtion which merritted
me paying a visit to a dutch hospital and which the sexiest doctor fixing my right up,
thanks sweetheart (wink). But, not only can i not talk, i am still in pain and in much
need of sleep. mike randle Leeds and Northwards (August 29. 2002) Last night, in Leeds we played the Irish Centre to an enthusiastic crowd. I believe we did one encore. But we also played ‘Que Vida’ and ‘Good Humour man’ as well as the singer dedicating (per my request) “ August” to Love fan, Martyn Samuels, who’d flown over from Johannesburg! My only complaint about the Irish centre is I thought the complimentary staff were a bit ‘out to lunch’, not really caring if we ate or not and only providing a small amount of beer backstage. Most venues have those things properly sorted, but I suppose no one is perfect. Not to mention there was no security and people were walking backstage at will until Ringo put a stop to it. Plus, I left my mobile phone in Ringo’s backpack and won’t see him for 3 or 4 days. But at least I slept for 10 hours last night. I was dead tired and just drained. After tonight’s show we drive to one of England’s oldest cities, Colchester, for a day off before ferrying over to Holland and the ‘Nightown’ club in Rotterdam. From my Hotel room (the 6th floor of the Quality Inn Suite) on Newgate, I have a beautiful panoramic view of cathedrals and old buildings in and around the City Centre. So OK this diary entry ends, as Mick Brown (our tour mgr) is knocking at my door.
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