Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to get through this thing called Life – Prince.

Minneapolis doesn’t have it easy. The Somalis have their tribal infighting, warring gangs with old grievances. And Hard Times Café continues to document the hard times of the city’s transient communities. And the shelves of Extreme Noise are stocked with the hidden gems of crust punk records of disaffected youth. Industry is down. Destitution up. There are vagabonds beneath the underpasses. Drifters in the shinier downtown core. But Minneapolis has always been one of my favourite American cities to visit. I am told that “Being a capital in the mid-west might not amount to much” but the folks in this city have always seemed full to the brim with integrity. At Radio K, the kids running the program are driven. Eager to have us, they banter wittily with us about what it means to be a band and share their disinterest in the UK music industry’s hype machine (and bad British food), before they help lug our gear back down the steps. Hardworking and full of heart – my absolutely favourite sort of humans. Life might not always be easy to get through but Minneapolis certainly makes it easier for me personally.

I wanna party like it’s 1999 – Prince.

At Triple Rock, the vibrancy of Minnesota’s veritable underground music scene is felt immediately. Of course, this state gave us Husker Du, the Replacements and Soul Asylum back in the day but they seem genuinely full of fervor presently. The crowd couldn’t have been more full of calamity and kindness. They came hard. They partied like it was 1999 and for me, I felt truly lucky to feel loved by this city that I personally so love. Some times it hard to draw a summation for something that is so perfect. Beauty becomes unspecific in its retelling. It was one of those nights that was so good I wish you’d been there. And you had to be to understand.

Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh -  Purple Rain - Prince