Bev Bevan Diaries - on the road with ELO Part 2 in 1993

My diary extract this week is taken from exactly 15 years ago, the last week of July 1993, when I was on a tour of the USA with ELO Part 2.

Sat July 24th

Another long drive on our tour bus, to Merrillville, Indiana. Checked into the Radisson Star hotel. Theatre right next door very nice.

Opening act was Dr Hook featuring Ray Sawyer. After the show, boarded the bus around midnight and crawled into my coffin-like bunk, took a sleeper and soon in the land of nod.

Sun July 25th

Slept pretty well on the bus. Arrived around 8am and checked into the "Hampton Inn". Hamburger lunch at a clifftop restaurant with magnificent views over Pittsburg.

The gig on the evening very strange indeed with us playing on a floating raft whilst the audience sat and stood in an area on the harbourside.

Joke of a venue really, the sound awful and some of the crowd more interested in the bar than the music. Boarded the bus for a second successive night and soon asleep in that wretched bunk.

Mon July 26th

Woke as we arrived at our hotel in Chicago around 7am. Nice suite at the "Lennox" and went back to sleep for a while - travelling overnight on a bus has like a jet-lag effect on me.

Day off and did some shopping in mighty Chicago. On the evening went to the cinema to see "Jurassic Park".

Walking back to the hotel maybe not the brightest thing to do as earlier today one of our roadcrew was mugged in broad daylight.

Tue July 27th

Another day off. Hot and humid.. More shopping in downtown Chicago. Caught another movie - "In the line of fire" after nice dinner at the "Peapod" Chinese restaurant.

Wed July 28th

Tour really beginning to drag. Gig on the evening at the grotty "Oak theatre". Dressing rooms so bad we changed on the bus.

Good sound on stage and a receptive crowd.

After the show Mik (Kaminski) managed to drop his brand new blue electric violin onto a concrete floor, smashing into several pieces, much to the hilarity of the rest of the band.

Thu July 29th

Set out around 11.30 in our tourbus to head to the flooded Mid-West for tomorrow's gig in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Sure enough, we got close only to find all the roads closed and no bridges open across the swollen rivers. Some disastrous scenes to behold with only the rooftops of some houses visible above the floodwaters in the worst hit areas.

Had to turn back towards St Louis, and after nearly ten hours on the bus checked into a little motel in the middle of nowhere.

Fri July 30th

After grim breakfast at the dingy motel, boarded the bus for the 3 hour drive to Osake Beach , a very nice resort area I never even knew existed.

Jefferson City headline news on TV and the the national newspapers as having the worst flood problems in the whole of the USA - and where are we? - Jefferson City!

Gig on the evening at the Jefferson county fair not well attended, but understandable under the circumstances.

Sat July 30th

Day off at the Holiday Inn at Osaka Beach. Lazed around in the sunshine.Excellent prime rib dinner at "Bentley's" restaurant.

Back then to the hotel bar. A large cognac on top of all the beers and wine had me talking in a language only understandable to fellow inebriates and aliens.

Back on Saturday with more on my life in rock and roll!