ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Britain's biggest musical export are about to decimate America. Again. Today, Bush will play the third show of their 77-date Razorblade Suitcase US trek. We're here to go behind the scenes of the biggest tour currently winding its way around America's arenas, sample life aboard the Bush bandwagon, and stalk the four members of the band for a full day. Onwards...

14:00PM Arrive at the cavernous, 16,000-capacity Orlando Arena, home of NBA giants Orlando Magic and, for one night only, Bush. The band have just arrived from last night's show in Tampa and are looking fresh and happy. Bassist Dave Parsons is sporting a deep tan following a two-week break in New Mexico. Frontman Gavin Rossdale is somewhat paler, having just returned from a house-hunting trip in Ireland.

14:15PM We're greeted by Bush's likeable manager Dave Dorrell, who'll be out on the road with his band for most of the next three months. Gavin ambles over to say hello. "The last time I saw you, at the Kerrang! Awards, you were being really sulky and morose," says ever-tactful photographer Halfin by way of an introduction. "Oh, just doing my job," Gavin replies with a benign smile.

14:30PM With the temperature somewhere in the high 80s, Gavin decides that he'd like to talk to Kerrang! on the grass outside the venue. Which is slightly unfortunate for your already sunburnt scribe. Gavin adds insult to injury by calling me a "cheap cunt" when I inform him that I'll be taping his words over an interview conducted earlier in the year with his significant other, Gwen Stefani from No Doubt. Gwen is joining Gavin on tour tomorrow. Gavin is more than a little pleased. Talk then turns to sex, for some reason... "Sex is really important to me, whether I'm getting it or not," he says with the smile of a man who is most definitely 'getting it'. "It's not for me to say whether or not our music is sexy, but I certainly hope there's some element of the big one in there, because most rock music has spiralled away from sexual involvement in recent years. In France, we had a couple fucking in the crowd all through the show. The woman didn't know the guy beforehand, but they just fucked on the top balcony all night. It was a big compliment."

14:50PM Gavin is whisked away by Dorrell for his daily appointment with a doctor, who will administer injections to Gavin's feet. "I've got foot-in-mouth disease," Gavin smiles as he hobbles off. "I keep getting into trouble for slagging everyone off." With Bush firmly established as alternative rock's Public Enemy Number One, there are no shortage of rock stars queuing up to slag the English band off in print--"Although never to our faces," notes Gavin. At the moment, Gavin is somewhat pissed off that scathing comments made by guitarist Nigel Pulsford in a recent guitar magazine have been attributed to him, meaning he'll have to apologise to some of his peers when he next encounters them.

15:05PM Gavin returns from his date with the needle. "Blood was spilled," he confides, "but the doctor told me I have a high pain threshold. I hope that doesn't mean I can't be tortured any more."

15:15PM As we walk back to the arena a gaggle of excited American youths spot the singer and rush to the barriers by the car park to get autographs. Gavin happily obliges, posing for pictures and signing all the bare nubile flesh thrust in his direction. There are several 'I love Gavin' T-shirts in the throng. Mr. Rossdale handles it all with the calm air of a man who has seen it all before.

15:30PM We discuss hero worship. Gavin reveals his excitement at meeting Arsnal goal machine Ian Wright during the band's recent appearance on 'Top Of The Pops'. Gavin wore a threadbare Union Jack jumper on the show. "Just before we went on, I was reading a magazine interview where Nigel was slagging off Noel Gallagher for having a Union Jack guitar," he laughs. "I said, 'Oh fuck, look what you've said here and look at this jumper I've got on'. It wasn't meant to be a big patriotic gesture; I just thought it was a cool jumper. "It's funny, because in America people are so patriotic, but at home the problem is that cunts like the National Front and BNP have adopted the Union Jack as a racist symbol. Which is a shame, because it should belong to all of us."

15:50PM On the drive over to the photo shoot location Gavin sings snatches of "Seether" by Bush's support group, Veruca Salt. The band always hand-pick their support acts. With one notable exception--No Doubt. "That worked out well, though," Gavin smiles. "After the first show I went over to a friend from our record company and said, 'Thanks for picking this lot, she's fine'." Spawny git. The car driver asks Gavin if he'd like a bottle of water. "I'd rather have a big fat joint," the singer says. Fortunately for Gavin, front seat passanger Dennis hands over a film cannister containing some, er, special plants. "This is the sort of film I like," grins Gavin.

16:15PM Halfin has chosen to photograph Gavin by a disused railway track. As he sets up, Gavin talks about his plans to start his own record company, 'Mad Dog Winston Records' (to release albums by Sweedish band Souls, a former Bush support act), and about the nice country retreat in Kent which he's bought for his Dad, who's currently looking after Gav's beloved 'mad dog', Winston, in Kilburn. A hobo wanders past, looking wistfully at the expensive camera gear. "Nice cameras," he mutters. "But all I wanna do is get drunk." While we ponder these poignant words, there's a high-pitched shriek from the car park behind the railway tracks. "Is that Gavin Rossdale?" a young girl squeals before dissolving into a fit of crying and shaking. Gavin goes over to sign an autograph after persuading the girl, who introduces herself as Kim, to calm down slightly. Kim settles into restrained squeals of 'Omigawd" Omigawd!', then rushes off to alert some of her mates. We decide it may be prudent to bugger off sharpish.

17:00PM Arrive back at the venue and drag drummer Robin Goodridge away from watching a video of the Manchester United vs Porto match, which one of Dave Parsons' mates has Fed-Exed over from England. Robin is Bush's cheekiest and most down-to-earth member. "You can loose your mind quite easily if you want to," he considers, "but fortunately, we all did our rock star excesses before we became rock stars." With these wise words he nips off for his daily muscle-loosening massage.

17:30PM Dave Parsons tells us that it was the trials and tribulations of touring America which caused his previous band, Transvision Vamp, to split up. "It can get really depressing when you're thousands of miles away from your loved ones and having a shit time," he says. Dave is having a ball at the moment. "It helps a lot that we have a bit of experience," he says. "We don't need to take as many drugs as we can, or cancel gigs if we've got a toothache. We're not going to fuck up the opportunity we've been given second time around. This is what we all love doing, and long may it continue."

18:15PM Bush's soundcheck. There are still various teething problems to be sorted out with the massive sound system, but everyone seems happy enough.

18:30PM The band retire to catering for dinner. Veruca Salt are already here, vocalist/guitarist Louise Post and Nina Gordan thanking the boys profusely for allowing them on the tour. "We're so psyched!" chirps Louise, with the sort of enthusiasm that only Americans can muster.

19:00PM Fed and watered, Nigel decides that it's time that he got his chat with Kerrang! out of the way. Known by Robin as 'Prickly Pulsford', Nigel is probably Bush's most cynical and amusingly sarcastic member. He is also the one who enjoys touring least, since it means abandoning his wife for months on end, and the Bush bloke most pissed off with the reception the band have received from the British music press. "Early on in our career some stupid bitch called us 'traitors', and from that point on we knew the score," he sighs. "I used to write for fanzines, so I know what these fuckers are like. There are a few people I'd like to punch."

19:30PM As the band retire backstage, we grab a quick word with two sweet Japanese girls, 17-year-old Saei Sihikawa and 18-year-old Yayoi Okano, who've planned their US holiday specifically to coincide with Bush's Florida shows. The girls met Bush before in Tokyo and pronounce Gavin to be their favourite member. In between giggles they declare that Bush are the coolest band in the world.

20:45PM Veruca Salt are onstage. We grab another word with Gavin in the band's dressing room, which is draped throughout with black sheets. Not quite enough black sheets for Gavin actually, who asks a couple of roadies to block out the central light with an extra sheet as he lights up another fat spliff. He sits idly picking out the chords to Hole's 'Doll Parts', The Pixies' 'Where Is My Mind?' and Sonic Youth's '100%' while we discuss his sex symbol status. He finds the whole thing baffling. "I've never worked that angle," he sighs. "I don't get photographed at parties or go to fashion shows. I've been a musician for years, and you don't sell 12 million records based on a pretty face."

21:30PM The ear-splitting shrieks which greet Gavin's appearance onstage let you know Rossdale is most definitely a sex symbol for thousands of Americans. Beside us a woman in her late 30s exchanges 'high fives' with her eight-year-old daughter as the pair screech 'Gaaaavin!'over and over again. 'Hysteria' is the only appropriate word.

10:15PM Gavin steps alone into the spotlight to deliver low key readings of "Glycerine" and "Bonedrive". Lighters emerge, couples snog and screams intensify as his face fills the huge screens on either side of the stage. We nip off to talk to some punters milling around the auditorium. Fourteen-year-olds Eric and Libby declare that "Bush rule", choose Gavin as their favourite band member, and admit that they don't like Razorblade Suitcase as much as Sixteen Stone. Their verdict on tonight? "Awesome!" One girl sums up Bush's appeal neatly. "One: Gavin's voice is great," she considers. "Two: He's hot as shit."

10:45PM Bush wind up their set with audience slaying renditions of "Everything Zen" and "Little Things". The crowd's response is clearly intense--the constant high-pitched squeals almost drowning out the huge PA.

23:15PM As the roadies begin to dismantle the huge stage, Bush retire to a room backstage to meet and greet various radio competition winners. The boys are charm personified as autographs are signed on CDs, T-shirts and skin.

00:30AM Bush prepare to retire for their post-gig meal. We say our goodbyes. Three shows down, only 74 to go...