It says on the COUNTING CROWS facebook page that ‘COUNTING CROWS is one of those bands you follow for the long haul’.  I truly believe that – It could be said that Counting Crows are like Marmite: y'know, you either 'love it or you hate it'. Personally, I fucking love Marmite...

Counting Crows are not here for chart domination or superband status, they are here to make (totally amazing, awesome, beautiful) music and they will always be here doing it for us ‘long haulers’. Even between records and tours they are here for us, maybe not in the foreground, (especially not in the UK) but constantly here. Once you have ‘got it’ you won’t ever lose it. You might not listen to a Crows CD for a couple of weeks, maybe even months (surely not!), but when you do go back to them, there they are ready to pick up again, just where you left them, familiar and beloved, just like a favourite old hoodie, or something...

For me, the Crows have been and I hope always will be the soundtrack to my life.

So, it all started in 1993 when I was still at school and I first heard ‘Mr Jones’. Yeah, I know (as will you other fans) that it was all a bit of a sore point for Adam (Adam Duritz, writer, singer, front man) – but Mr Jones was the song that gave the band all the fame and fortune they wanted but at the same time made Adam’s head nearly explode!! (Don’t take things too literally here ok - Im just explaining it for those who maybe dont know...) - the single 'Mr Jones' and the album ‘August & Everything After’ catapulted the Crows into the stratosphere of fame and fortune… now isn’t that essentially what all ‘wannabe big stars’ are really aiming for? ('Even if you don’t know why and you don’t know how') and even if it is a bit intense and intrusive being in the limelight sometimes, (especially if you 'feel like you’re tripping, but without the acid' which is one way Adam has explained some of the feelings he experienced due to the dissociative disorder he suffers with, but I am not quoting him specifically here, just go with this...), but isn’t that what he (Adam or Mr Jones..?) was dreaming about... becoming a rock star and everybody loving him? Oh man, it’s so ironic! Well anyways, me and many many others loved Mr Jones. I remember waiting by the radio on a sunday night (top 40) hitting the record button the second that guitar intro started (yeah, I know that’s not really legal, but every kid did it, right?) and the rest, as they say, is.. the rest of my music filled days.

So, I taped the songs and I bought the cd’s and I collected the bootlegs including really early Paradise Club gigs from 1991-92 and those amazingly awesome Shim Sham Club shows!! (I still am collecting if anyone wants to do some trades) – but it was never something I shared with friends. Even now, (like 20 years later) I feel like it’s my dirty little secret or whatever. It’s just my thing. They probably wouldn’t get it anyway. That's ok. I understand, that in the US anyway, the Crows are not really considered a cool band to like nowadays. Well I think in the UK, it’s more that the Crows are not even considered. That is unless you have 'got it' and are in it for the long haul.. whether you have been there from the start, or maybe you are just starting out, either way it doesn't matter what is considered hot or not - if you get it, you get it!

OK, so yeah, maybe I’m a just a total Crows geek or just a fuckin freak, but I am so pleased and proud to be a long hauler Crows fan. I love Counting Crows; I will always love Counting Crows.

So here we are, on the Crows website – somewhere we can all show our appreciation and share our secret (or open) love of Adam, Charlie, Dan, Dave, Immy, Jim and Millard.

xx YOU guys ROCK my WORLD xx