Food Good (Apart From The Chips) !

Weather Wonderful!

Reception Great!

Having A Smashing Times

Wish Derry Was Nearer!

Mickey Bradley

Dear All

Did you ever see a rawchip? All white and crinkled? That's what Feargal and John and Billy look like with their shorts on at the seaside. Asbury Park, New Jersey - home of Bruce Springsteen and rock 'n' roll man! We were a great "punk band" they said in the paper after we started off in Allentown, New Jersey (the place where we first started selling our singles in America, remember?), and the same people have been turning up for gigs in Cherry Hill (when we got more in than the Jam did at Emerald City!) and even at the gig with Joe Jackson at the Great Adventure Park - in a place called Jackson! They didn't like us, all 15,000 of them to begin with, but we battle on regardless. Didn't stay for his second set, but they lit matches for us the next night anyway.

Got into big trouble for changing 'The Undertones' to 'The Rolling Stones' on the big sign on the road outside Emerald City (that's one way to fill a car park!) and hit New York in our touring bus at 4am.

Talked to Phil Lynott after our show at the Irving Plaza (while everyone was taking photographs of Feargal, naturally), and then on Sun did a live radio show with Ronnie Spector - got an autograph and a kiss, and my picture taken for a change. We all got fu', and even John danced!

Next stop Boston, Chicago, Canada and then the West Coast. They can understand me announcing better than Feargal.

PS Someone blew up a Johnny and let it fly across the crowd in Jackson . That's dirty isn't.

Billy Doherty

Dear All

Going well on 25 dollars a day (as well as the wages!) and people keep saying how much happier we are this time. I suppose we are. Hot enough to get a sun tan (or sunburn) with a bit of luck before the end of the tour, but I don't even think when that's going to be. With our own crew we're getting a good soundcheck and good lights all the time, so there's less to get depressed about. New York and New Jersey are fine as far as we're concerned, so roll on the West Coast. ROCK AND ROLL, man! Take it away! Americans are crazy sometimes.

Dee O'Neill

Dear All

What can I tell you, apart from that we're having as good a time as you can expect, we've got fans (and good a time as you can expect), we've got fans (and girls!) following us around the place, and it's great! Got good and fu' on the bus coming back from the Safari Park (after we'd all been on the water chute and got soaked about five minutes before we went on) and that was me asleep! So; it was even better in New York, a great night out at Trax and all the rest of the fun in the hotel as well. You'll see me in the pictures with the shorts and the captain's hat if they ever come out that is.

John's not been able to do any writing but I've got a song I'm working on at the moment, and it looks good. You'd like the bus too, after rolling into New York in the middle of the night, singing and drinking and listening to the new (lousy) Rolling Stones single at full volume you'd even think we were in a rock 'n' roll band. Can't wait to get back to New York.

John O'Neill

Dear All

HI, FANS! I've got to say I'm a lot happier being back in America than you'd expect. It's all work, and we've got to do it. After all the shite that's been talked about us, and where we've got to, I know we can be a lot better and I know we're going to get a lot better. This is just part of it, and the way we're organsiing it we're getting a good deaf, a comfortable ride in the bus, and the chance to show what we can do in the small clubs. I think I'd always prefer to play that way, next to a front row where you can see what they're doing.

As for the rest, I'm missing home - obviously - having a good drink now and again, and 'phoning home' to keep in touch. You could spend all your "day money" doing that so we're not superstars yet.

It's good to be able to talk to some of the fans here and find out who really is doing well and who isn't - you get so many false impressions from reading about it, and half the bands that come over are playing to empty hails - even the big bands - so I suppose that's disillusioning for me, really. It's never easy, even in England, and though we came away excited about 'Hypnotised' doing so well it knocks the stuffing out a bit when you find out that the first album sold more. Everyone's sales are down, though, not just us, so the business must be in a bad way.

But there you go, we're in it as well, the year's mapped out and we'll see it through. See you in Derry (when they're rebuilt the disco!)

Feargal Sharkey

Dear All

Surviving the course so far, and can just climb into a bunk and get some sleep if I want to especially if we turn up and can't get some sleep if I want to, especially if we turn up and can't get to play until after midnight. I'm a lazy shite and I'll sleep anywhere -. just watch me

We've got to do all this some time anyway, so why not now? You get the feeling that something's actually happening the second time around. The bus is rare and comfortable so

John and Dee and Mickey can sit in the back and play while we're driving, but why didn't we bring some more tapes? Nothing but AC/DC and 'Rock Lobster' so far, and only one of our own 'Greatest Hits' tapes. Got a radio to bring back for the Derry club (a secret!), and two invisible dog leads from the Safari Park in New Jersey.

But do I miss the spuds! You can't even call what they make her chips. Voice holding up well so far, despite all the smoking, and there's even a bottle of Old Bushmills on the "rider" for ligging journalists.

Not many arguments so far, but a long way to go still. Have a nice day!