We went into this with an uncompromising attitude that we would put a message across. Some people don't like what we're doing anymore, but the time has passed for singing about girls and shoes and dogs. We're not that band anymore and we don't want to be that band anymore. That's in the past and there's a lot more to say now.

Anybody who loves America should be pissed off about what the Bush administration is doing. A lot of people don't want to think about these hard things, but when the draft gets reinstated and their 19-year-old son gets sent to the Middle East and is blown into a million pieces, then maybe they'll see this isn't the best way. It's not about politics at this point, it's about people.

It's about really loving what you do and doing it no matter what happens. In a way I'm glad I'm not a rich person. It's great but you don't need it. As long as I can pay my bills that's all I want. It would put me at a disadvantage if I wasn't living low. If you're in a privileged situation it's hard to make good records that are uncompromising. Money is just a bonus. Any gain you get is nothing compared to the people you meet and the experiences you have and seeing how your message affects other people.

I think we got our main message across, that New York is a place that will welcome athletes, teams, fans from Africa like no other city can. We showed how New York will celebrate Africans and African athletes.

I would think that would be a message to try to get across to Australians, to try to get them to think about China in a different way.

We played together and never gave up, never pointed fingers. Our attitude was a good one. We are all disappointed about the game, but we will forget about this one and move on.