Hey dBs,

I once attended one of your shows in Cleveland and I got drunk and acted like a real asshole.

"Oh, so YOU'RE the guy who did that," you're probably saying to yourselves.

This was in 1984 or 1985, somewhere around there. You played at a place called Pirates Cove, I think. I was real excited about getting to hear you guys; I'd been a fan ever since Repercussion.

I had a lot to drink that night, as I often did back then. I was near the front of the stage and I sort of remember trying to grab someone's mic stand. The rest of the night was a blur.

A few days later I went to get my mail and there was an envelope addressed to me with the Pirates Cove logo for the return address. I couldn't understand why they were writing to me. I opened the envelope and inside I found my driver's license and nothing else. I guess I was so drunk the Pirates Cove people thought they'd better confiscate my license so I wouldn't drive home. I was very embarrassed by this.

The year after that you came back to Cleveland, at a different venue (can't remember which one). I wanted to go see you but I was afraid you'd recognize me as the asshole who tried to take someone's mic away. I went anyway and made a deliberate effort not to act like an asshole, although since it was near Christmas, my friends and I did make a handmade Christmas card with a crayon or marker drawing of a Christmas tree and an amplifier, and signed it Dan, which is of course the name of the guy who is featured in your great song "Amplifier." We gave it to a roadie or tech guy who said he'd make sure you got it.
I don't know if you ever did or not.

I quit drinking in '87 and have been clean and sober ever since. I still love the music you guys made, and continue to make. I'm sorry that I picked your show to act like an asshole at, and I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.

not Dan
Cleveland, OH

This has got to be one of the most obscure but touching amends I have ever seen made...I can only aspire to such amend-making for my drugged and drunken assholeness of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Most of us ex-muddled folks are too busy trying to get our families to like us again and our student loans out of default to worry about apologizing to the dBs. What a guy! You go, Not Dan! Will you be my sponsor? And do you think this approach would work for me with Iggy Pop?

Dear not Dan,

Thanks for the note, no apology necessary. I've certainly had my share of time being not Dan myself. It certainly took me a few more years and some bad shit to go down to notice how not Dan I had become. I'm just glad we all still liked each other after we stopped drinking.

Sincerely
Peter

Good luck with Iggy.

Peter, while we're confessing our sins - I'm really sorry about the time Tim Lee and I took Will for a crawfish dinner in New Orleans during one of your Mardi Gras shows. I never dreamed he'd play everything at half speed during your show!

Bobby

HMMM. Harder to forgive, but the story has given countless people much mirth over the years.... It was more like a liquor dinner with a garnish of seafood.

You gotta love Louisiana, where if you are tall enough to put your money on the counter you are old enough to buy booze.

OK, then.

I want to apologize to that girl outside the Handlebar in Pensacola. She knows what for and what I did that.

er ... as I recall (and I was there for more of it than anyone, thus bearing the blame in most people's minds), the real problem was that vile liquid Jagermeister that Will insisted on indulging in when we got back to the club. Fortunately, I was (and am still) not a fan of the stuff (remember, I had to play later that night).
Still, it made for a pretty funny story.

Hey, Peter ... I dig the new tune. Pretty great stuff. Good luck with finishing the record.

yr. pal,

Tim

Tim, oh Tim, I thought I raised you better than that! You of ALL people should know that Jagermesiter is not a mere drink...it's a DRUG. You should have helped Young Will just say NO...sheesh. What were you thinking?

heh.