My good friend Britt Ustler shared this photo the other day, not the clearest image you’ll ever see but the only lasting memento I have of the tour we did with Micah P Hinson in the spring of 2004. I was supposed to be finishing my degree at the London School of Economics at the time but I think I was already looking at the future politicians and financiers that surrounded me and realising I wasn’t one of them. I opted to go on a tour where I was a part of the bottom of the bill act in a string of venues that seated fifty to a hundred people. There were two acts above us and I can’t for the life of me remember anything about them other than Steve Brown played keyboards in one of them and let me play his Fender Rhodes after establishing I wasn’t a complete oaf. Micah was being paid fifty English pounds per gig and from that he gave me…nothing. Not even a drink. Okay I’m being unreasonable. I distinctly remember after the Nottingham gig he bought everybody except me a drink then noticed my chagrin. He came up to me and did a little speech about how he wanted to give me something for all my efforts and how he wasn’t making much money and it was just a token of his appreciation and blah blah blah. He proceeded to reach in his pocket and offer me £3.50 in change which was a bit of a kick in the balls. I’d used all of my overdraft and hit the limit on both of my credit cards, I didn’t have enough money to eat or pay my rent and he was offering me the change from his round. Did I throw it back at him? No, it was just about enough for a pint so I spent it gratefully.
That album is immense... But it would be nothing without the Earlies. I'm sorry you got shafted but I'm also glad that this record of your shafting exists. I saw you on that tour at, I think, the band on the wall. Does that sound right? I'm going to listen to the album right ruddy now while I wash up...
Thanks for sharing that Christian. - the bit about knowing something great was happening regardless especially.
That album is immense... But it would be nothing without the Earlies. I'm sorry you got shafted but I'm also glad that this record of your shafting exists. I saw you on that tour at, I think, the band on the wall. Does that sound right? I'm going to listen to the album right ruddy now while I wash up...