Will is a sound bloke and he's made sure that all the bands get something for their effort. We have our free beers and take in the rest of the bands, and place is still heaving with people when I pick up our share of the door, before me and George and the other George and Stuart head back to Reading. Before we go I give the Rat his cut from the night (about 6pounds). He's still smiling and he thanks me for sorting the tour out, saying that even tho' it had been bad sometimes it turned out OK in the end. We head back for Reading on a high. I'm asleep in the car and don't wake again 'til we're there.



EPILOGUE - RECORDING THE ALBUM

I was totally burned out for a good two or three weeks after the tour and then we were in the studio recording the album. We had six studio days.

The first weekend of recording started Friday evening when we put down the live tracks. George and Stuart laid down the bass and drum loops on the Saturday. The Rat was arrested drunk from a scene at a house in Reading on the Saturday night. He was in the cells for eighteen hours. During which time George and Stuart were away at the Kokoshinki Karate knock down championships which Stuart fought in. I blacked out for the first time in my life after going without food for hours in an effort to get all the vocal overdub work done so that the Rat would have time to do his guitar work the remaining weekend we had booked. Me and Chris the engineer loaded out the entire band's gear between the two of us. At midnight Sunday. Then the van broke down. It was getting down to freezing. I had to walk up and down waiting for the AA for the best part of an hour. So the police turned up and searched me - all sixteen pockets. The police will not give you a jump start. Turned out the starter motor was dead anyway, so the AA guy had to tow-start the van. I got home at 1am to find the Rat covered in his own blood with stitches in the back of his head.

After this the Rat packed in drinking and set out to enjoy whatever alternative comestibles he can come by.

We completed the album to the final mix in the remaining 3 and a half days studio time. 10 songs, 34 minutes. Jazz/punk and weirdcore, from the in-your-face (Curfew) to the chilled (Zippo).

Broken Brow last gigged in Reading on 13th December, a big gig we staged ourselves with The Makers, Pod and Riser at the RBH club in Reading. Stuart did most of the orgainising even though he had to undergo the test for his ju-jitsu brown belt that day. He got it. 70 people showed up and the Rat appeared in a John Lennon / Mao !suit! We played a good set even though I bust strings on my first and my spare guitar. We came through the last three numbers with one guitar pretty well. The Rat drank his own piss in the Gents throughout the night "to keep his buzz going". Lovely.

Broken Brow aimed  to have the album on the shelves towards the end of April and the band  gigging again at the same time. In the event the band split in Jan.'98, basically 'cos I couldn't stand to see the Rat EVER again, and  George-the-drums-girl and Stuart just kinda lost enthusiasm for the band after that.
So, then I picked up my acoustic guitar and kicked off as Preacher John.

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