Late November 1995 ALT reconvened on a snowy street in New York City. Andy and Liam flew in from Dublin, Tim from Sydney, for the last leg of the tour. They had started in New Zealand, hung with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at WOMAD in Australia, followed Slash's Snakepit around the UK, played to packed houses drinking boutique beer in Europe, and were about to bring their freewheeling instrument-swapping vocal-trading show to North America for the first time.

Ebet Roberts met them on the way to Tramps, on 21st Street, and snapped the lads before soundcheck. Bob Dylan had played there, Little Richard and Ronnie Spector. The Staples Singers and Bruce. Would comparisons to CSN's harmonies stand up? Andy had his bass, Tim was on drums and Liam had a didgeridoo given to him by a family member he'd met up with for the first time that day.

Outside, Hilary Clinton was First Lady, the Galileo space probe commenced its orbit of Jupiter, and cell phones were the size of bricks. Inside Tramps, the packed crowd was about to achieve lift-off. The three singers, liberated from their day-jobs pursuing solo careers and fronting bands were in a Dionysian frame of mind. No two shows were ever alike with ALT, you could hear the freedom and spontaneity in their voices and sudden shifts of mood. The delight that flowed between them could soon be read in the faces of the audience as they sang along to songs they’d never heard before. Andy, Liam and Tim came off stage knowing it had been a special night.

The show was an unforgettable experience, the audience as much a part of it as the band. The album songs had been only the starting point for a soulful inspirational evening.

Almost 25 years later, Steve Weitzman, legendary Tramps booker, pulled out a recording of the show. He listened to it every so often—of all Tramps shows, this was right up there in his Top 3. He called Ebet, the photographer. “What's your favourite Tramps show?” “ALT”, she answered immediately. Steve sent the tape to Tim and suggested releasing it on the 25th anniversary of that joyous evening,

“In this difficult, depressing and dangerous time, during this world-wide pandemic which is now headed into even more of a crisis mode in the coming months, people need an emotional pick-me-up and something to put a smile on their faces.”

Tim called Andy, Andy did a mix and emailed Liam, who was on his way to a swim in the Irish Sea. They are happy to put the recording online for you to enjoy. This is the first ALT release since 1995 and it will be available through streaming platforms from the 25th anniversary of the show, November 30, 2020.

Try singing along or jamming with the guys. You won't find their album Altitude online, it will be re-released next year by UK company Needle Mythology, and we'll keep you posted.

Until then, wear a mask. If you can, stay at home. If you can't, take care of each other. Lots of love from everyone involved.

Andy, Liam & Tim