After just signing a deal with Virgin, Bruce talked the label into financing a mini-tour of the USA and Canada before starting work on their first Virgin album. The thinking was sound: seeds had already been sown in Europe, where the band were starting to outgrow their cult status, so it was time to do the same in North America. Surprisingly the label agreed.

Of course, celebratory gigs in Glasgow and Paris were a must.

Sitting around for two months waiting for Arista to release them had allowed the band some breathing space. New songs such as Sweat In Bullet, Careful In Career and Love Song had been written, and they were tried out for the first time on stage.

Traveling the USA gave Jim inspiration for the lyrics of what would become Sons And Fascination: "It was an interesting period in America when we were there: the hostages had just returned from Iran and Reagan had just been elected"

Paul Kerr, Jim's younger brother joined them on the tour for the first time as a roadie. Jim was wary of giving him a full-time job, worried about charges of nepotism. But Paul always pulled his own weight and the band and crew were impressed.

However, all was not well. Despairing at being away from home, and fighting nervous exhaustion, Brian's worsening condition caused the tour to be cut short, and the band returned to the studio.

Jim backstage at an unspecified gig. Tiffany's: Charlie and Jim. Tiffany's: Jim and Derek. Tiffany's: Mick and Charlie. Tiffany's: Mick and Jim.

Tiffany's, Glasgow, UK March 1st, 1981 Main Set: Capital City / Factory / Calling Your Name / Careful In Career / Premonition / Thirty Frames A Second / Celebrate / Sweat In Bullet / Today I Died Again / I Travel / Love Song / Changeling / Life In A Day / Celebrate / White Light/White Heat The Venue, London, UK March 3rd, 1981 Studio Gabriel, Paris, France March 13th, 1981 Le Club Montreal, Montreal, Canada March 16th, 1981 Beacon Arms Hotel, Ottawa, Canada March 17th, 1981 Support: The Restless Virgins 6 dollars on the door, or 5 dollars if you booked in advance. If the Beacon Arms Hotel sounds small, the band were actually playing the Fyfe & Drum Room inside. The Edge Club, Toronto, Canada March 18th, 1981 Main Set: Celebrate / Changeling / Premonition / Thirty Frames A Second / Sweat In Bullet / Capital City / Calling Your Name / Factory / I Travel Tuts Discotheque, Toronto, Canada March 21st, 1981 Royal Oak Theatre, Detroit, USA March 23rd, 1981 Main Set: Capital City / Calling Your Name / Factory / Changeling / Premonition / Thirty Frames A Second / Sweat In Bullet / Celebrate / I Travel Ritz, New York, USA March 27th, 1981 Main Set: Capital City / Changeling / Factory / Premonition / Thirty Frames A Second / Sweat In Bullet / Celebrate / I Travel / Love Song

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