9th November '85
Got the phone call from the office informing us that we should be on the next flight down to London for the recording session. Phonogram have booked us into R.A.K. studios for a few weeks so we should have a bit of time to get some backing tracks down before we go to New York with Roger Daltrey.

We made it just in time for the usual 10:40 flight which was being refuelled on the tarmac. As we boarded the plane I noticed the amount of stewards now flying with the airline company. I can remember the time when it was all female staff who were so lovely, polite and eager to please, that it used to be a pleasure to fly down to London. Now it's all these effeminate blokes with faces that would worry a rat and uniforms that smell of garlic and aunties.

"Would you like a sweetie sir?", said the steward with the grey face just before take off. "Not from you mate", I replied.

10th November '85
The company have put Stuart and I in a luxury flat just off the Bayswater Road. It is a lovely appartment with ornate walls, and ceilings with corniceing. Even the toilet is cleaner than my own home.

Tony came round this evening with his new computer games. Most popular of the batch being "Kill the Woman", "Scab" and "Prison Shower Room".

11th November '85
R.A.K. studios has now opened a new games room since we were last here, including Multigym, Table Tennis etc.

Mark and Les (Stage Manager) are tennis champs so far, Mark having adopted the "floppy limp back hand serve" method and Les the "if anybody beats me I'll kill the bastard" approach.

Tony's older brother, Lennox (who incidentally looks more like Tony than say - Stuart does) is now cooking meals at the studio for us.

We are also joined by Will Gosling (engineer) and Robin Millar (producer). The last time we saw Will was when we were in Sweden working on Steeltown with Steve Lillywhite. He is looking a lot healthier now and has obviously had his haircut repaired. Talking of which, Mark could do with a bit of a trim. Ever since doing that session for The Cult, his barnet has got longer and longer. He was thinking of having it streaked paisley pattern, but reckoned it would clash with his new flock patterened drum kit.

12th November '85
Les is in a bad mood this morning. He is discussing with Stuart and Mark, the topic of child abuse in the country today.

"If I ruled this country I would go through the telephone directory and kill one in four people, that would sort out those spineless shits". With that he walked out as if he was on some sort of mission or something, muttering obscenities and curses under his breath.

13th November '85
Will and Robin are really going to town on the drum sound with Mark. Last time I heard a bang like that was the one o'clock gun that gets fired once a day in Edingburgh.

At dinner time we started fantasizing about what it would be like if we were conscripted into the army during the Second World War and captured by the Germans. Most of us admitted that if we were going to be tortured by the SS we would probably squeal.

"Yes, I'll talk", shouted Stuart, "there's no way you're going to give me the hot lead enema". Screams of pain echoed around the room.

"Robin, turn that bloody reverb down, there are screams of pain echoing all around the room", I said.

Mark decided that he wouldn't be too keen to join the escape committee as there was no way he was going to get dressed up in one of those jaggy material civilian suits that the P.O.W.s were making out of old potato sacks and glue. "Chaff me bloody skin that would", he said in disgust.

"You wouldn't get me on the committee anyway", said Les, "you'd be in the RAF and we'd be in the commandos and commandos hate the RAF. In fact we'd probably grass you off to the Kommandant as a spy and you'd be shot".

"Aha, but I'd be in with the Kommandant anyway", said Mark, "because I'd be doing a session playing drums with the prison guards band".

"You rat", screamed Les, "I'm going to fill the nose of that glider I've seen you building on top of the studio roof with cement".

14th November '85
The songs are shaping up nicely as Stuart has put down some of the vocals. "The Seer" and "Remembrance Day" in particular are going to be classics. Favourite guitars at the moment are Gibson Les Paul's and Moon customs. Tony has also acquired a couple of new Fenders.

15th November '85
The tape machine in the studio has broken down this morning so there's not much to do. The topic of death came into the conversation as it usually does from time to time in our little gathering. Stuart reckons that drowning must be the worst.

"I couldn't give a toss", said Les, "Life is tough and then you die, so what's the point in going on about it? God, the sooner the bomb drops the better. At least I won't have to put up with you whining wimps anymore."

"I don't want to die like that", replied Stuart.

"Well I'm not bothered", said Tony, "You know something, if I died tomorrow, I'd love to come back as a woman just to see what it would be like."

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea", quipped Mark.

Funny that, most of us admitted that we wouldn't mind coming back as women. "Well, maybe for a week or so", said Mark.

"Huh, you're all one step away from homosexuality anyway you cissy bastards", howled Les. "What the hell do you all want to become women for? Christ, I don't know how anybody can believe in all this reincarnation crap, knowing your luck you'll probably all come back as dildos or something, women, I shit 'em".

Break of recording for a few days to go to America to support Roger Daltrey.

Warm up date, Utica, New York
Utica was strange. A small town in upstate New York which could have come straight from the pages of "uncanny tales". A lot of people resembled genetic mishaps. Big Joe reckoned that they must have been involved in a uranium experiment gone wrong or that a dreaded crippling ugly ray had been fired the day wind changed in this quaint little northern town.

Mark discovered a new way of amusing himself by sliding his right arm out of his sleeve and making a fist under his sweater, he then put his left hand through the wristband of his right sleeve and by making alternative thrusting movements with both arms and shouting "Howzat" with a lisp, he could do cracking impressions of "The Rampant Cricketer".

Boston
I think Boston could rank as one of my favourite cities in the States. It seems quite easy going and not a bit heavy like some of America's bigger cities. Tonight's gig was fantastic and the punters here really go out of their way to enjoy themselves.

Roger Daltrey seems a pleasant enough bloke, quite chatty and comes across as being "a bit of a lad".

The Seer Tour - 9th March 1986, Maastricht
Sat at the airport bar with Joe, Stuart and new tour manager, Peter Stevens. This morning's discussions were directed towards freemasons and pornography. We reckoned that a mason's favourite porno movie might be "Deep Goat" or "How Tight Was My Apron".

Maastricht on a Sunday is as expected, quiet. The gig was anything but though. Tony, as usual, attempted "spew up" after the show as he always does first night on the road.

"Meatballs", shouted Mark.

Nothing

"Ravioli", replied Joe.

Nothing.

"A big dog turd", screamed Stuart.

HEUGGHHA...Splat! And then there was sick.

11th March 1986
Crossed the Afsluitdijk en route to Amsterdam which is a 20 mile long man-made causeway. Tonight's gig is in the infamous Paradiso Club so it looks like it is going to be a hot one. Seemingly everyone who has been to Amsterdam in the past has said that it has become very tacky now and is nowhere as good as it used to be. Went down the canals and red light district to have a look at Amsterdam's famous windows. It was not a pretty sight. The road crew celebrated my birthday with me by presenting me with an inflatable doll. Her name is Mabel and she looks quite cute.