Hello Everybody,
It’s Sunday evening and I want to share my latest news with you. I have just been given the go ahead from my Doctor to go to America next week!!!
The principal reason for my journey is to perform with the band at the 2006 South By South West Music Festival in Austin, Texas. We will be playing on Thursday 16th March at Elysium on Red River at 1.00 in the morning. We will also be performing as special guests on Friday 17th March at the Cordless Records showcase in the Pecan St. Ale House on 6th street at Midnight.
The purpose of this visit is to announce the US release of ‘Under Attack’ which has a provisional street date of May 30th via Eleven Thirty Records. (Eleven Thirty is a part of the Redeye Music group which is also the US home for Paul Weller and Billy Bragg etc.).
The other personal reason for my visit is that I have been lucky enough to secure a consultation with two of the world’s leading cancer / bone marrow specialists at the Baylor Institute in Dallas, Texas. (One of the Doctor’s was part of the team that looked after cyclist Lance Armstrong. Big thanks to Jim and Richard… ).
With regards to my health, my Chemotherapy treatments have been going really well and my blood counts are all reading as normal. I did have my first ‘reaction’ to this most recent (fourth) chemo cycle. On the Wednesday before the Cardiff show I was readmitted back into hospital as on the day after the chemo I felt really sick and my body temperature had risen well above normal levels. I was wired up to a drip and it was touch and go whether I should have played at Cardiff but I was determined that the show should go on and what a night it turned out to be. I don’t think I could have pulled it off if it wasn’t for the loving support of every single person in the Coal Exchange. The atmosphere was amazing and inspired me to keep going right to the last song.
Since then I have been feeling stronger every day. I have been singing at every opportunity to strengthen my voice and build my fitness up and today I feel absolutely great. I know there has been a lot of rumours about these SXSW shows but although we had the dates on hold I couldn’t commit until my Doctor gave me the go ahead this week. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of activity and I’d like to thank Jules and Liam who have worked so hard to make this trip a reality.
I’m so looking forward to playing America again (especially so soon after my diagnosis) and now that I can see the end of this run of chemoptherapy, there are lot’s of exciting things in the pipeline (all to be announced soon….). I have worked it out with my Doctor that I won’t have any chemo again before a show. My next two rounds of chemo will be directly after the Glasgow show and straight after London. By the time the May concerts come along I will be having some scans and a Bone Marrow Biopsy to see what levels of cancer (if any) remain in my body. From then on who knows…. I should have the results of my prognostic markers sometime soon and they will hopefully be able to help predict the speed at which my leukaemia will return which will in turn dictate what sort of treatment I will have to undertake in the future. Until then I aim to make the most of every day and keep on rocking and rolling as if my life depends on it……… (it does!!!!!).
See you in Texas if you can make it……. otherwise Glasgow here I come!!!!!
Love and life,
Mike Peters
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