GENE LOVES JEZEBEL

B Side 10-11/90 Written in  the Stars By Sandra Garcia

June, 1990: Jay Aston was standing in the entrance was of the busy Tower Records store near Washington Square in New York City, peering at the upcoming release display. "Well, at least it's listed… even if it's spelled wrong," he noted with wry annoyance at seeing the misspelling of Gene Loves Jezebel. Even with that telltale hair and unraveling "rock and roll" patchwork pants, little notice was taken. He was just another exotic sight in a city brimming with them. This was further proven that night in the Scrap Bar when no one actively recognized him. People peered his way curiously but… 

One month later, during the New Music Seminar in New York, I anxiously monitored the dark monsoon - flavored thunder - storm racing across the river into New York City. Jay was late for our outdoor photo shoot. And lo, the phone rang and guess who? "I'm back at my hotel… I was over at the Marriot, and I couldn't even get to the elevators, people kept stopping me, recognizing me. So I came back here." Ever do a reverse rain dance while hailing a cab? 

What a difference a month makes. But what magical event occurred in that month? Did Jay receive more mystical magnetism? No, it's just the long-delayed release of Gene Loves Jezebel's fifth album, Kiss of Life and the debut of a flashy video called 'Jealous' that landed heavy rotation on MTV. The recognition factor is high and everyone wants a piece of Jay, especially since there's no twin brother sharing the spotlight. 

In the last year there's been many questions about Gene Loves Jezebel. What was this band's future? Was there one? Was there still a band? What was a brother to do when the once valuable musical relationship he shared with his twin deteriorated so far that….hold it. For those of you wondering what happened to Michael, I won't make you impatiently scan for the bloody facts. It's the logical lead-off point. 

What caused co-vocalist Michael Aston to quit Gene Loves Jezebel, after the band had come off seemingly triumphant sold-out tours and were finally reaping some well-deserved recognition? "It started getting bad when we were doing the Discover album. If you listen to 'Beyond Doubt' on that album, Michael's lyrics are all about our relationship. I never had the guts to say to Mike how unhappy I was," candidly admits Jay Aston, dynamic vocalist and the only founding member remaining from this mercurial band's ten year history of upheaval and mayhem. "We still had so much fun together but when it came to the music we were very at cross purposes. Mike is very poetic and prosaic, but my head was in a different type of poetry. We came to cross purposes in the direction of the band, song titles, languages of songs. You just can't have two Leos in the band, it's too uncomfortable." 

So the competition and constant compromise admitted to in previous interviews was damaging. The topic was always brushed aside with a witty joke to change the subject. "We did have serious battles. There were songs that I should have sung that Mike sang and visa versa. I should have let Mike do 'Suspicion' even though I had written it with James. It would have suited him perfectly but since he took other songs that I should have sung… it was that bad, we were at the kind of level," he sighs with distress. "Like a sick pinball game. We were not helping each other at all, unlike before." 

This harmful one-upmanship began to taint the performances during their last tour in 1988. The tension was obvious between the twins. "Oh yes, it was terrible. I ended up looking like a Christmas tree trying to out blow him onstage and then he'd do more. Each trying to be more outrageous. And then I tried to pull back from it all which made it worse than ever." Optimism charges his manner as he describes, "But now we are great friends… and he's great friends with the band too. We're much more useful now to each other. I can hear his music and honestly tell him what I don't like about it. I know his true strengths and he has to watch being pushed into the cliché LA rock thing. So now he's working with James, but we don't want to work together," he stresses. "We thought about it but no. "He's a strong individual, as you know, a phenomenally strong person," he laughs, jesting, "He's squashed me a few times so he's not that insecure. He's not nearly as sensitive as I am. But I am getting better though; I'm getting much closer to myself as a person. I'm not fighting being a twin now. It's not so much thin ice, I'm skating well on my own now." 

Before this confident skating there was the time before the ice even formed: there was only darkly bitter water waiting to swallow the band. Recording actually began on a new GLJ album in late 1988, but back then the atmosphere cast a shadow of death over the band's growth. "After those tours in 1988… both Mike and I got sick in South America, Japan was immensely hard, and then we did Europe to little reward. We were tired. We were blown out. So we laid off for six months and we weren't communicating. We started working with producer Steve Brown and we were not writing well. We all got lazy and I hate to use the word jaded but it's a fair word to describe it. It had no substance. So I wasn't happy with Mike, he was singing the songs 'cause I couldn't get into them. I felt that I was going to leave the band as I didn't know if I could handle it. So I started writing and being on my own. I come from a big family and I've always been surrounded by people and every city I go to on tour there's always this big entourage. But I wanted to deal with things on my own, so I did a lot of traveling, and it was difficult, almost terrifying." 

It was Mike who finally dealt with the dismal situation, bravely making the decisive move. "Then Mike ended up leaving… it was just us four and suddenly things opened up. It was totally liberating. Each day, there are new decisions to make on my own. Before it was very democratic… in that Mike and I would argue about it," he remarks with heavy sarcasm. "But now I make decisions and I'm glad. And the decisions have been right so far." 

Even with this new confidence, the first days in the studio as a four piece rattled the band. No one could get their timing down and Jay's voice kept seizing up. "But within a few days we related to each other, began talking of the strengths and weaknesses. No more 'Oh Jay, Mike will fix it.' I got more confident and I'm lucky to have the band with me, as they encourage me. The band is very selfless," he praises positively. 

The band is also very patient. Guitarist James Stevenson, bassist Peter Rizzo and percussionist Chris Bell were fully capable of striking out for new horizons, and it's surprising that none of the talented members said 'screw you, Jay, we're getting another gig. Work this out yourself.' First they waited out the soul shredding between the twins and then they elected to stay for the next dramatic act. That showed real faith. 

"I suppose with any kind of relationship it could be like a lover where you've taken them for granted, and one day they say 'I'm leaving' and you wake up to think, 'Jesus, what kind of human being have I been?' They really gave me confidence. I knew I had written great songs in the past…" 

Jay halts as I can't contain my incredulous laughter at the innocent arrogance of his words. Sorry, that's rude. "Well, I know I've written songs that no one else has written…" he asserts with a regal air of good natured wounded pride. This Leo's tail is twitching. "And the band knows that too, so I am not wearing rose tinted glasses about it. There's a reality there." A playfully insulted sniff follows. "I must have some sort of talent." 

None at all. I am utterly shocked that anyone even listens to that voice… that rich, emotive voice that a certain producer obviously didn't know what to do with. Yes, the reality is that this is a special band but… when the mention of Paul Fox as producer was made over a year ago my first question was: "Did you hear what he did to XTC?" Jay's answer: "I don't like XTC, so I don't listen to them. But I hear he's a good producer…" Well, that may be but he wasn't the producer for this band. Jay doesn't want to deal with this topic, but I need a tactful assessment from him for history's sake. "The odd thing is the people who heard what he (Fox) did to Kiss of Life around Los Angeles thought we had done the worst album ever heard by mankind." Very tactful indeed! Can we have more for posterity: is there any production work of Paul Fox's lift on the album? "No. No production at all. All I can say is that he's an aspiring producer, in an age where producers want to be bigger than bands. They want to be the new icons in music. He didn't seem to want to understand I had done four albums and didn't need to be whatever the new sensation was. For us it's a long winding adventure. It's my life. I've a love for it. And he did not understand that."

So let's talk about the real producer of the album, Tim Palmer. "What had happened was Tim Palmer was a guy who had wanted to do the record before but we knew nothing about him, he was just a name to us..."

My loud and even ruder interruption of "Oh Jay, Jay, Jay" makes me wince once it pops out. But he takes it well, joking, "I know, I know! Terrible, eh? He had done Tin Machine, The Mission, and Robert Plant but everything he had done sounded very different. But we were doing the stuff in San Francisco which ended with the earthquake… oh, can I tell my earthquake story?" he interrupts playfully. 

Come on, I've heard it before. But since this is for historical documentation, it's only fair I let Jay tell all, especially since I made him talk about Paul Fox.

"All right. I've got them down to such a pat now…" he laughs, launching into a sing-song melodramatic voice. "I was in the studio, in sleepy Sausalito, tourist trap of Northern California, recording a little song called 'Why Can't I'." A dramatic clearing of the throat follows. "Jason Corsaro was tuning the guitar for the song. The song came in, and I go 'Why, why, why, why, why can't' and on the 'I' I'm suppose to play my E minor chord. But on the 'I' the earth starts shaking. I thought 'Jesus, the gods are with me!' But then the speakers came a tumblin' down, and one of the engineers tried to jump down stairs, and the rest of them are diving out,… Jason's a little larger than I, I'm leaner so I got over the speakers faster, and into open space to see the earth move. There was a real sense of your own mortality."

His over-dramatic accent gets worse as he continues with mocking venom. "Meanwhile, much to my delight, the boys, Chris, Bug and James, whose girlfriends had flown in from England and Canada, were on Haight-Ashbury street, which was the perfect street to be on, full of Dead heads. So all the acid casualties were going 'Wow, far out, this is fantastic!' and dancing around. And the guys and their girlfriends just freaked. Ahhhhhhh! They jumped in their car, they were truly petrified… and shaken after that." (All together now, groan). "And being Englishmen, and as you know Englishmen can be a bit thick, especially compared to Welshmen, they headed to the beach, which is one of the worst places to head due to possible tidal waves. But due to traffic they couldn't get there."

A splash of infinite delight colors his rich cadences. "And the best thing of all was that the girls were so freaked out that they caught the first plane out they could! So Jezebels done with girlfriends, restored to its rightful place, the boys together. I was immensely gratified that God had shone his light on me in such a way. Happiness! And I always pursue happiness, that is the ultimate state. I mean a group has to work together, especially on a record. But to have that kind of stuff…" he sniffs in conclusion. 

Oh, too, too cliché. Not the earthquake story, but girlfriends mucking up the progress of a band? How utterly Beatlesque and Spinal Tap-ish. Tsk, tsk.

And now for something completely different… remember your pal Tim Palmer? Laughter follows, Jay admitting, "Oh, I did take us off the track." 

Slightly. And I was just about to compliment you on how brilliant your voice is on this album. "Oh thank you… you know how neurotic I was about that. Oh thanks." Ph, stop it. I'll blush.

"But… after all that hardship in Los Angeles and San Francisco… going back and forth to the record company, and finally saying 'if this record goes out as it is you can find another singer.' Then Geffen actually came behind me. I stood on my feet hugely, this was major, there had already been so much money sunk into it but I just said 'no.' And since then I have been flying cause it's good to know people were behind me." 

There was nasty talk of compromise regarding the retention of some San Francisco disaster recordings and only partially re-recording to save time. But luckily the band continued to keep their musical integrity. 

"I know! But even James said it was the first time he had ever made a record in his life where he couldn't listen to it. He sat on the plane for 12 hours to England and couldn't play one track." Jay again grows coldly bitter, he muttering, "That Paul Fox destroyed us, he destroyed a great group!"

So here's a Gene Loves Jezebel with a completed album due for a March release date, and it's decided in late December after months of stormy recording that it's gone the wrong way. After this long production battle now what? "As you can imagine my soul had been emptied from this experience, all this energy stolen. But I met with Tim Palmer. He's only about 25, he's not some fat bloody egocentric producer with different studios…" Jay takes a deep breath, reigning in those emotions. "Tim's got a wide range of musical history and all these acts behind him. I'd mention obscure bits of songs and held know what I was talking about. Stuff like Dinosaur Jr., and he'd know… he has a wide range. He really gets into it, like someone like you. And he took our ideas into the studio, interpreted them and I'd come into the studio and it'd be done! Fuck! He's great. I can't wait to make a record from scratch with him. It's been like trying to find the perfect girlfriend or producer… it's been impossible."

From the sounds of it someone has at least one out of the two, and as for the other, time will tell. Kiss of Life also renewed an independent spirit that had been lost to Jay. "I couldn't walk out and say 'All right, Mike, go do your bit.' The band also stuck together, stayed interested, except for San Francisco…" as more utter sarcasm creeps in, "I mean why make us play a song 60 times… it's our song, we know it! And I rose up again. I felt good about life again."

It's incredible that Kiss of Life ever became reality. Given the negative odds and the mood of band members last year, it seemed many miracles would be needed. And after the production peccadilloes California inflicted on the band, (again!) the story grew bleaker then ever. Whatever spiritual force was penning this band's tale needed a new angle (or a long vacation!). This star-crossed album was definitely pulled from the ashes of despair. "People really like the album. That's the weird thing." Jay appears puzzled. Is he expecting the usual pummeling these boys receive? "Loads of people are saying they didn't want to play it cause they didn't like House of Dolls, didn't like the way we were going. But they were shocked at how good it is. That's brilliant! People like the sleeve, they think it shows more substance." 

There were new decisions made about the packaging of the album and the visual presentation of the band. This time the band wasn't letting an over active image get out of control. "It was very deliberate. It's my vision of things," claims Jay, hastily adding, "I discussed it with the guys and we all agreed on it. We didn't like being taken lightly at all. It must be tough to be James Dean and people think you're some empty shell, some glam pop thing. The decisions were conscious. But people keep saying 'Oh, so where's the make-up, the lipstick?'" His lyrical voice again acquires that curl of disgust. "I'm going 'Oh, I don't know; what were you wearing three years ago?' But I still don't know hot things will turn out. This is a new challenge." 

Jay's interview schedule was another challenge, considering he and the band came over at the end of April to do the 'Jealous' video, but lucky Jay ended up not returning to England until the third week in July after doing the New Music Seminar, visiting half the radio stations in the country, chatting to all the trade magazines and wrapping it all up by taping two interviews for MTV on the day he was due to finally go home. What fun. "It was unbelievable. Totally exhausting! But I am taking it easy, I am not drinking too much. Little or nothing. And since people really like the record, that helps so much. With the interviews I'm a lot more comfortable than say my first one with K-Rock, where I felt they were attacking me. I didn't want to be the serious young man too much, even though it is a serious album. And I don't want to be too negative or boring! I do find it off putting when people are too deep, even though life is a serious matter." 

And when interviews get too serious, what gives pleasure? "People asking funny questions, like 'what cartoon character are you most like?' I like those questions, cause they kick against the normal. They make me happy." 

I should have known the answer, but let's have it anyway. "Why Tigger, of course! He is like me, isn't he? He thinks he can do anything, he's over proud but somehow he always gets through and half the time he finds out he can really do things! But he usually bangs his head…" 

But once he bangs it he looks for other options. And he's very positive most of the time… 

"And he's funny, warm and not without humor…" 

Then there's no way you are like Tigger. Jay Aston is one of the most coldest, humorless Brits I can think of. Totally dry and dour at all times. "Oh yes, that's me, the earnest serious chap," he airily agrees with a laugh. 

"But a lot of people seem to think I'm the new Richard Burton cause they're not used to my accent, and Geffen is pushing this 'oh, he sounds like Richard Burton.' So I think, 'alright, I'll slow my voice down…'" he adopted a rich, elegant accent. "Ahhh yess, I wandered lost through that dark and lonely night…" his ridiculous hamminess breaks us both into laughter. "Well, I don't get that bad but they're like 'oh God, isn't he wonderful' and I'm like 'ah, oh, right, ok.' 

"But it's been nice, as even the guys really appreciate the value of the songs as opposed to the image." 

Oh, am I glad you brought that up. Last album there was more image than album involved. Earlier the music stood on it's own but as you already noted with House of Dolls… "Yeah, people weren't taking it too well. They were uncomfortable with it. Definitely. I was never comfortable with all that Jay as the sublime beautiful rock star type. This exotic fragile beauty from the Celtic landscapes of King Arthur, you know?" he scoffs. "I can appreciate why people get that from our background but I am a real person as well. I mean as you know Mike and I are from a working class area, which is not unlike Cleveland in aspects except we have a lot more beauty around us," he snickers. "But there are the docks and steelworkers built to stop the Nazis, protected by the mountains. We come from a strong Socialist background, my dad's a union leader, so we're used to political debate." Jay's mood swiftly shifts again as he declares, "That's why it's so insulting when the New Orders and Billy Braggs try to insult our credibility cause we know more about life than they could ever dream of. They're completely out of touch. I don't mind them slagging us off but I have to answer back sometimes. They make us sound empty, when there's so much substance to us. And it's terrible. And we're never given the opportunity to speak back on that." 

Aw, come on, I always let you get in your opinions. I know how much of a Billy Bragg fan Jay is. "Good luck to him anyhow. But he sees socialism through a 1930s' view, and it's not that, sorry, Billy. But he can write good songs sometimes, but he doesn't know anything about me so he shouldn't be commenting about me." 

 But as we noted before, most critics and even some bands get their jollies over using the Jezebels as whipping boys. The band's always been too quick witted for them. "I'll make them look stupid when I blow them away with my knowledge," he laughs. "It's quite ironic, these middle class boys. The true working class bands are the Japans, the Duran Durans… coming from Birmingham or these horrible working class areas." 

The ones who had nothing to start with but determination and talent. They wanted something more from their world. "Exactly. It's naïve sometimes but at least they're reaching. Reaching for those stars. There's loads of others… like Love and Rockets. I mean they're from fuckin' North Hampton, murder capitol of the UK, but they put out something brilliant like Earth, Sun, Moon, …now that's reaching. 

America didn't do much mental reaching concerning Gene Loves Jezebel's music once MTV noticed them. The band got shoved into the exotic alternative cheekbones slot, as GLJ were so determined not to be seen as dark, negative Goths that they kept claiming how they were about color, communication, light and love. The band gave off so many mixed signals that Americans gave up waiting for the light to go green, instead running ahead and not stopping to examine the music for content. 

Suddenly I have a reluctant redhead here. No wonder, that isn't a real question, just me thinking. After some hesitation he murmurs, "Well, no, they didn't (examine). But the people who came to see us got it, and the band got it…" 

But what about the people whom the band turned off who might have liked what they would hear if they listened before they looked? "I suppose we're still fighting that battle," he admits softly. "Hopefully Kiss of Life will remedy that to a huge degree 'cause there's much pain in it, and much nakedness and more truth than I even dealt with in my life on record. It's sheer truth, there's no masculine wall there. It's bare, and the language is as simple as I could make it to get through to people. Anyone else who has ever felt that isolated and that near to a nervous breakdown, I just wanted to let then know that it's part of the human state and you can climb that wall." 

Even though Jay's voice sounds strong and confident on Kiss of Life, he doesn't feel that it contradicts the pain of the words in some songs. "I've always tried to have a positive feeling to the songs if I can. But a lot of the songs are still very dark. 'It Will End In Tears' sounds dance but listen to the lyrics. That's heavy stuff." 

At my suggestion that this could lead to conflict between surface and substance, Jay is quick to explain why this isn't so. "No. Since Mike and I had to face each other, I deal in truth. Because nothing gets done otherwise. You don't get anywhere. If you get success through a lie then it's useless. If someone loves you due to what you pretend to be, then it's not love. So on the album I try to get my true feelings out so anyone else who has been through this will get something from it. It's saying that life isn't a sentence in the end. I've learned that life has a kiss. It has an embrace, with joy. There is happiness." 

Fair enough. So what made Jay Aston learn this? 

"By realizing the way we're taught while being brought up, to be dishonest with people, evasive, insular, ultimately living a lie," is his honest answer. 

 But were you like that? Were you really doing that? 

"Not to a huge degree but in some of my relationships…" as he hesitates briefly, "with the relationship I was in, which wasn't a real relationship, and with Michael," he murmurs. 

So the comment you made about this album exorcising demons is very serious. "Definitely. They made me weary, all these bad things in my life. I've nothing against anyone, I always believe in forgiveness, and I hope people will forgive me if I've done them any wrong. I'm not an angel. But I was weak form it all, and Michael was tired. Mike had the strength, but he was tired of the battle. He didn't want to pull me down so… it's an album of becoming strong." 

Kiss of Life is the story of the lost years, the recapturing of the precious ground stolen by creative demons and personal devils. 

"Exactly…" as he expels a huge breath of relief. "I certainly felt lost for while, that's for sure. I remember crying to Mike on the phone… I wasn't telling him what was wrong, I was trying to pretend that it was all alright and I broke into tears," he remembers with a shudder. "He was really worried then but I couldn't tell him what was wrong… I didn't know what was wrong. I was just totally fucked up over it all. And thank God I don't' do drugs!" he emphatically exclaims. "That would have been the end of me! That's why I didn't go down like I've seen others go down. I don't dissect my spirit like that." A vehement head shake. "I mean listen to your body chemistry: if you're supposed to be up, then nothing can stop you. But the guilt from all that bullshit… the next day when you find you've been totally false to someone… and parts of your memory has gone out in chunks. Not a good thing. It's best to be in control. 

"But then I always think that things are meant to be will be. People asked me was I scared in the earthquake, but I'm such a fatalistic person… I was like, 'no, as long as I don't die painfully.' It wouldn't have mattered what had happened… if you're to be gone then you'd go," he reasons. 

But at least go dramatically. That would guarantee you some positive press, as they usually don't criticize the dead. Yeah, that'd be good. What a way to get press… die in a disaster," he snickers with dark humor. 

So what's the next step? The logical one: get this new four piece onstage and open it up. Rehearsals felt good, and the first live date was one of those 'secret gigs' in London where the band played under the name Kiss of Life. Reaction? "It's like being a virgin, after the first time you wonder what the fuss was about!" laughs Jay over the phone afterwards. "Although I did miss having someone my own height to bounce off of…" as he playfully trails off. 

And then there were the David Bowie openers in Britain, these causing delirious excitement. An ecstatic Jay phoned up to exclaim, "Guess who's opening for David Bowie?" Who, Billy Idol? "No, we are! Milton Keynes arena, two dates, 60,000 people!" 

Impressive. What about shaky nerves? "I'll just imagine a blank screen before me as usual." Aha, that's the secret! Jay noted the dates were, to use one of his favorite words, "brilliant!" The British teaser dates were next, more in preparation for the questionable Billy Idol openers than anything else. The Billy Idol dates were a sore point of debate for a long time. Complained Jay: "Part of me doesn't want to do them because we're built up a certain credibility. But everyone's saying do them cause the logistics of a theater tour are hard… do these first then set up the theater tour. But I don't want to be belittled by getting in the wrong space. But the coward in me wants to do them, because what can you do wrong in 45 minutes but,,," Jay's mental and morale battle went on until the last possible day. 

A strange compromise was finally struck. GLJ opened for Idol on only a handful of dates, leaving the rest of the tour to Faith No More, who desperately wanted the opening spot for the Robo-rockstar. At least the Jezebel's only had two weeks of being tortured by that god awful tedious rendition of "LA Woman'… 

Jay acknowledges that onstage the boys will have to work harder as a true band. "They'll have to answer to me now!" he mockingly bullies. "They will have to face me after the gig… or I'll have to face them if I don't do well!" he realizes in mock terror. "They'll go 'So, Jaaaay, what was that all about now… why didn't you do the proper falsetto and why didn't you…' and I'll say 'Well… shut the fuck up!'" he laughs. "'I am a big, big star! Don't you all read the papers, don't you watch TV?'" More laughter follows as we try to imagine him ever saying this to anyone. "But really, we're better than we're been since the Discover days, when we were really strong last. With House of Dolls there was no story to tell. But there's a lot of telling to do with this record." 

The final telling with this band is in the performance. This is the naked truth. And once over the shock of Jay's most recent hair manifestation (he looks… just like Mike. It is too weird), I am ready to see what Gene Loves Jezebel circa 1990 is all about onstage. And after their little jaunt before Toronto's Billy Idol crowd, it stands to reason that the first victim backstage gets asked: "What did you think?" in four-way stereo. 

I'm reminded of those financial service commercials on TV where everyone in the room hangs on the speaker's next words. I can't help it. I drag out the moment. "Well… it was better than I thought it would be." 

The band doesn't like this answer, Peter exclaiming, "So what's that supposed to mean?" James cuts to the true point. What they really want to know. The honest reaction. "So… did we do it without Mike?" 

This time there's no hesitation from me. "Of course you did. You did great!" 

But still they doubt me. I didn't give the immediate full seal of approval. Finally a curious Jay has to pull me aside. "Do you really think it went well?" 

In reply I stick out my hand with a grin. Just stop it! After our formal shake and hug he laughs nervously, "And I almost fell off the stage during 'Desire.'" 

I did notice that. Along with noticing the excellent musicianship of the entire band, the determination of the new material, the amazing way 'Evening Star' erupts from the stage, and the progression of this band into this new phase. It's not the same old Gene Loves Jezebel. It can never be that. It's a new group and people need to give it a new chance, because once again there's true brilliance in the air. 

And perhaps some of it is in Jay's new discovery of himself. "In the last year I've found out that people do listen to me. Before they thought I was some eccentric British prima dona. 'Oh, there goes Jay again, ignore him, don't worry about him,'" he mocks bitterly. 

Oh, the sublime beautiful one's throwing a tantrum again, how cute. 

"They always saw me like that, and it was really irritating. They forgot that I was writing most of the fucking stuff and people would go, 'Oh that Jay, he's all for show.' And that hurt. Respect is a lot. We all need it. And so much has changed now… what a mess we were before. We nearly didn't make it." 

But, here's the survivors. First surviving the shattering of the should and group, and now surviving the snide comparisons to everyone from Guns 'n Roses to Huey Lewis and the News in the Melody Maker… (this after claiming the band packed their bags to become a huge success in America. Funny, they all live in London. Let's hear it for dis-information…) They survived the Billy Idol dates to embark on their own tour. Under the former exotic, fragile imagery, here's the core of a band that constantly comes back to experience life's precarious excitement. It will take a lot more than earthquakes, vicious critics and ignorant producers to destroy the spirit of this vibrant, witty band. As long as there's musical adventures left, they'll be back to face the challenges and "rise above it." Miracles can happen.

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