BUDGIE - Next Stop, Cuckooland! Page 4
by Martin Popoff

"Yeah, and Canada. Oh gosh, you want to know what it's all down to? It's just down to simply getting the promoters to believe that we can do it. Any time we go anywhere, they find out we can. We've been gigging long enough, and we do festivals in Europe, those sorts of things. We just got back from Poland; Poland is an extraordinary place for us. These European countries seem to love us, and they always have done. We always go to Sweden. And we do a British tour each year, of course. But quite often, our management here might be speaking to venues in America, and they're usually talking to someone who is 30 or so running a big club in Chicago or something, and the guy you talk to in Chicago would say things like, 'Hmm Budgie; I kind of remember them? Are they still going?' So that's the problem, really. It's sort of management dealing with promoters. And it's a lot harder financially to put a band on the road these days. But there are also things around now that weren't around 20 years ago. You can sort of do a tour of the clubs, and all the PA equipment, all the back line, is provided. You don't have to truck stuff around, which makes us happy."

Here's hoping someone on this side of the pond can see their way to believing such a venture is worth it. In the meantime, check out www.budgie.uk.com for all yer Budgie news 'n' views...