Just to play devils advocate for a moment, but, over the last 30 years The Neverland Express has been a band with a transient line up, the only constant has been Meat himself.
Don't get me wrong, I miss Patti, but I also miss Bob Kulick, The Goff Sisters, Chuck Burgii, Steve Buslowe, Paul Jacobs, Kati Mac, Alan Merrill and all the others. Each brought their own touch to a live show, each have rightly earned their names in the alumnii of The Neverland Express, each have contributed to making a Meat showand/or a Meat record memorable. Yes Patti was an integral part of the line up and a major foil for Meat's on stage antics for many many years, and there's a whole generation of Meat fans who grew up on a diet of live and recorded Patti who haven't been as lucky as I have in seeing some of the other memorable line-ups that have been out there with Meat.
The inquisitive part of me would like to understand why Patti is no longer part of the line up, but then again there's also a part of me that doesn't want to know, this is the same part of me that accepted Kati Mac and Doreen Chanter being replaced by the Goff sisters and then the Goff's being replaced by Patti, that accepted Andy Wells being replaced by Chuck and in turn John replacing Chuck, that accepted Bob and Alan giving way for Pat Thrall and Kasim and then Steve Buslowe and Pat going in favour of Damon and Ray (with a sidestep by Kasim into the Bass player and MD role) then Damon and Ray giving way to Paul and John Golden and then John going in favour of Randy.
I guess I'm asking if we really do need to know why to accept that she has gone? Do we really need to understand every detail to wish her all the best for the future and to continue to support her in whatever she does? Does dragging up the past help? Sometimes it does as it gives closure and healing and sometimes it has the complete opposite effect.
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