Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia.

I get through the night in one piece and as soon as we arrive I check into a hotel and crawl into bed in an attempt to shake off my indisposition. By soundcheck I have been sleeping pretty much constantly for the previous eighteen hours. I feel purged, physically and mentally: weird, but OK. By show time I am certain I am over this lurgy, physically at least. Atlanta is a big town for us—the Variety Playhouse is the last theatre show on the tour. Being in a slightly altered state on stage here feels good. I dig in and as we play I start to get a bit of that buzz that comes from having had nil by mouth for 24 hours. Justin reckons this is the band’s best performance on the tour. Its never been my thing but if I thought I could guarantee an altered state that would have me feeling like this on stage every night, chemically or however (and not the aftermath of a norovirus, obviously) I would seriously consider it. But there lies an enticing promise that has screwed up many better muscians than me. It's great when you're straight ... Yeah!