From MikelBiko@aol.com Sun Oct  6 01:00:38 1996
From: MikelBiko@aol.com
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1996 03:52:52 -0400
To: app@roadkill.com
Subject: the show in Seattle, and backstage!
Content-Length: 3518

Wow, what a show! Just got home, and was very impressed. After a rocky start
on the first couple songs, everything kicked in. Musically, everything was
incredibly tight, and not a note was missed all evening. As for the
performance, Ian is a natural, but Alan looks strangely out of place most of
the time. It's apparent that he is more comfortable behind a mixing desk
rather than in front of 10,000 screaming fans. I was surprised at the large
turnout (appeared to be nearly sold out) and the fans were incredibly
appreciative, doing their all to make it clear that most of us have been
waiting 20 years to see this show! The lighting effects were also very good.
Only dissapointment was no "The Raven", but you can't have everything!

Afterwards, we got to meet the band with our passes from The Avenue (thank
you Steve!) and when Alan was led into the room where the 20 or so of us were
assembled, the first thing he asked was "Is there anyone here from The
Avenue?" - seems he wanted to know who were the real fans perhaps! He zeroed
in on a couple who were members closest to him, and was very friendly. I got
a copy of "Tales" and a Mobile Fidelity "Robot" auto'd, my girlfriend got
another "Tales" and an "Ammonia Ave" auto'd (all original vinyl copies - CD
covers are too small for autographs!) We also chatted and got auto's from Ian
and Stuart. News I was able to glean: 

1) Alan said he never toured with The Project because there was no way he
could have done a tour with Eric - something to the effect that Eric would
have dominated everything, leaving no room for anyone else!

2) They are already planning on releasing a revised CD Rom, which should fix
the Rarities problem and a few other glitches. He suggested that if I could
use a program called "Director", it would allow me access to the rarities. 

3) Ian mentioned he will be getting "online" as soon as he gets off tour, but
said he had used a friends computer recently to go online and had found "that
guys web page, what was his name... Wesley Chun! I was amazed at the names in
his guestbook - I new most of them!" I think he said he signed your guest
book, Wesley, so here is authentication that it really was Ian!

4) Stewart mentioned he had received a phone message from Kate Bush just
before he left on tour, and it appears she may be ready to begin work on a
new LP.

5) Finally, you folks in Idaho better start being a bit more frenzied! Ian
mentioned that in Portland, the fans screamed and yelled so loud that they
all had buzzing in their ears after the show, but in Idaho, they sat on their
hands, politely clapping at the end of each song like a European audience.

All in all, they were incredibly friendly and very down to earth (especially
Ian). My girlfriend Laura asked Ian if he would adopt her and take her on the
tour, and he was visibly embarrased in a very nice way, but stammered a
polite, "ah, sure, ok!" (She was dressed very nicely, shall we say?) I hope
she writes soon! (No, she did come home with me!)

Set List ************************************Set List
Dr Tarr & P. Feather, Can't Take W/You, Wouldn't Want B Like U,
Old & Wise, Take Money & Run/La Sagrada Familia, Days R #s, Prime Time,
Limelight, Time, Turn It Up, Standing on Higher Ground, intermission, Blue
Blue Sky, Can't Look Down, Welcome to the Mission, Fall Free, Instrumental
(with airplane sound at beginnning), Brother Up In Heaven, Syrius/Eye in the
Sky, Don't Answer Me, Fingers Burned, Games People Play

Mikel Orsborn
mikelbiko@aol.com