My mate Mark called me this morning and told me, I've been knocked for six. Tried to go about my day as normal but couldn't. I got in the car to go see a guy about some money, and I put ETG on, and by the time I got to where I was going I realised I couldn't face talking to anyone about anything other than this, and that I would probably break down if I did, so I ended up just driving around Newcastle for an hour or so. I came home and have been wasting time all day. I finally saw that a statement had been released mid-afternoon, then a million status changes on Facebook. For the past couple of hours I've been reading stuff on the internet, watching a couple of old interviews and a couple of newer ones too. I think the thing that made me smile most was in this interview:
http://brooklynrocks.blogspot.com/2009/09/evile-interview-with-ol-drake-and-mike.html
"So what do you do for fun in your free time?"
"Drink!"
Possibly the worst part is that someone ALREADY put him in "former members" on the Evile Wikipedia page.
I'm really gonna miss Mike, every time I saw the guy he always had a big smile and something stupid to say. "Gutted" doesn't even begin to describe it. I was so close to getting in the car and driving to Huddersfield to go drink, but I think I'm gonna leave it till next week. I think the worst thing personally is that I've only been living where I am for a couple of months, and I don't have that many particularly close friends here, and none of them know the guy at all. I'm going out for drinks with one of my mates this evening, just for the company really. I came on here earlier and saw that no one mentioned it yet and I figured that no one had been told. I wanted to say something but I figured it was best left for the band to say it, seeing as they're practically family. Every now and then it hits me again and I start to well up. It's been fucking with me all day. I almost got out of my car to punch a guy in the face when I was driving earlier just cos he was looking at me funny, and for anyone who's ever met me, that's completley not me.
I'm fucking terrible with words, and I could go on for pages like this but I think that would be a little selfish. Apologies for the massive post but I really have no idea what to say or do. I think it would be fitting if everyone were to go out tonight, or sometime this week, and raise a glass in memory of the man. A beer, a cider, a black tooth grin, whatever. Put on some Evile, play it nice and loud and celebrate a great man's life. I'm just glad that he got to be in a successful band and got to live it up the way many of us can only dream about.
RIP Mike Alexander
