Tonight i saw Patti Smith lead the service to a segregated crowd in a courtyard which echoed with her voice right up to the glass ceiling. Tonight i saw Richard Hell push his hair back from his face, and make a grab at untucking an oversized vneck t-shirt from his one size too big suit.
Tonight i saw Patti Smith recite a poem to the moon which worked despite itself. Tonight i saw Richard Hell make me laugh with bad acting in a terrible film he made 18 years ago which worked despite itself. Tonight i saw crowds of aetheists clapping evangelistically in time as Patti Smith recited the second sutra of Allen Ginsbergs howl "holy holy holy" changing the words to 'holy is Madrid' like Ice T when we were 14 and he said 'Born Black, born white, born yellow, born in BRYCETON' even though we were in brighton.
Tonight i saw richard hell shamble through improvised versions of songs he wrote too long ago with a guitarist who was a mate of the people who organised the gig.
Tonight i saw a middle aged man who grew up with punk stand
mouth open with admiration as patti introduced her flat capped wearing son jackson on guitar.
I love honesty in music but i think it's a sham. I've always loved the way that richard hell showed this and exploited it and made the most out of it without loosing faith in the effect it has, despite the act. I love how patti buys into the whole hippy thing and people fall at her feet mesmerised. I love how people still come out of richard hell gigs muttering what the fuck was that. I can't choose between them, i wouldn't want to. I'm happy knowing that between me and them lies an ocean 20 leagues across and that they are both stars, glued onto the ceiling with the roof and the sky and the galaxy beyond.
Tonight i saw richard hell shamble through improvised versions of songs he wrote too long ago with a guitarist who was a mate of the people who organised the gig.
Tonight i saw a middle aged man who grew up with punk stand
mouth open with admiration as patti introduced her flat capped wearing son jackson on guitar.
I love honesty in music but i think it's a sham. I've always loved the way that richard hell showed this and exploited it and made the most out of it without loosing faith in the effect it has, despite the act. I love how patti buys into the whole hippy thing and people fall at her feet mesmerised. I love how people still come out of richard hell gigs muttering what the fuck was that. I can't choose between them, i wouldn't want to. I'm happy knowing that between me and them lies an ocean 20 leagues across and that they are both stars, glued onto the ceiling with the roof and the sky and the galaxy beyond.
