Southside Johnny.com: John's Jive

12/01/02

AWRIGHT AWRIGHT AWRIGHT!!!!! JEEZE LOUISE YA BUNCH A' SLAVE DRIVERS!!!! Tell somebody yer gonna write a new jive "someday" and they're all over yer ass. I have been WORKING, people, WORKING. Say it with me....WORRRRKKKKINNNNG!

(Actually, I've been sitting on my duff reading T.E Lawrence and eating bonbons, but, hey.)

Now where were we...oh, yeah, Europe. I would like somebody to 'splain to me how come it is that every time Le Jukes go abroad, the weather gods cackle maliciously, rub their gnarled hands and piss all over us. Why is that, hmmmm? It's gotten so that I feel we should alert the Farmer's Almanac every time we book a tour. I can just see it; "A long dry spell coupled with a southern air mass moving across the plains and the lack of any El Nino activity means a pleasant fall season for...hold it; this just in...the Jukes are on the road again...all bets are off...head for shealter now!" I mean, I checked the web before we left for England and was told that they were having the nicest autumn in 25 years. THE DAY we got there it started to rain and it rained EVERY DAY from then on. Ask Hood. He kept goading our Brit road manager Swinnie by saying "Hey Graham. Will this be the day it doesn't rain?" We did have one decent morning to walk around the charming city of York, a place we can recommend for you touristical types out there. Thank God it wasn't Wolverhampton, right guys?

We also had the true delight of playing the Ferry in Glasgow again. For those unlucky souls who have never had the pleasure, leave me enlighten youse. The Ferry is just that; a rusty, listing, TINY old scow on the whatever river that some boob has converted into a ...cough...nightclub. The stage is so small that we had to literally wedge Louis into the drum kit. And believe me folks; that was a lot of wedging! The whole boat was tilted on a 20 degree angle, which means the stage was too. I kept sliding sideways into Muddy who had to bat me back to the mike with his bass. Luckily, the "management" of the thing didn't decide to take a short cruise, or we would've had to break out a version of "Yellow Submarine", know what I'm sayin'? And yet, and yet...we had a great time because the crowd was so damn into it! I'd play there again in a heartbeat just for the audience. The fans in Europe and England are always a treat. They are boisterous and friendly and not afraid to give the old man a hard time if he screws up, which he does, occasionally.....SHUT UP BOBBY! I'll have more tales from across the pond in the future. Don't want to drivel on too long.

I have read some of your comments about re-releasing a few of the harder to get records on CD, and Bill and I are looking in to doing that. If we can't, I have another scheme that may come into play.

Don't forget to vote for the song you want to hear New Years, and I hope all of you who want to come get to come. For those who can't make it, we'll miss you, but have a great New Years wherever you is.

The Jersey Turkey...
Southside