MERCURY REV singer JONATHON DONAHUE compares touring in the once-struggling cult band in the mid-90s to being in the midst of hell.

Mercury Rev were broke and increasingly desperate as they toured 1995 album SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, before finding success with its 1998 follow-up DESERTER'S SONGS.

And Donahue has lost count of how many times he thought things couldn't get any worse, but did.

He says, "We hit so many rock bottoms.

"We played at this little theatre somewhere in Britain called the Penny Whistle. It seated 80 people. There was a puppet show on before us, and only four people showed up.

"I won't even mention the American tour. It was like DANTE's INFERNO: 'This is the bottom, right?' 'No, no, there's eight more circles down below.'"