by Mick Farren
Epilogue
The Piaf Summation
‘Don’t you regret any of the things you did back then. I mean, all the drugs and stuff.’
Every so often some idiot feels the need to ask. I usually snarl. I don’t like the question, since it seems to imply that I should assume some unwarranted responsibility. At a minimum it’s like we had a bloody great party and never bothered to clean up afterwards. My answer is unequivocal. ‘Not a fucking thing.’
If I really feel irritated, I elaborate and inform the questioner how it would not surprise me, if I were a kid today – with access to the dot.com and automatic weapons – if I slipped into my black Rommel overcoat and went off to machine-gun the high school. (Remember, us English lads had . . . If long before the Trenchcoat Mafia watched Matrix and The Crow.) In my youth such was the level of my rage, but, fortunately for the rest of you, I didn’t have the technology or firepower. The world is still in need of considerable improvement. Indeed, if the human race doesn’t evolve a whole new set of protocols for taking care of business, it will be lucky to survive extinction. Question is: do we deserve to survive extinction?
‘I am an angry youth who never managed to grow up, so get the fuck out of my way.’
‘Don’t you think rather a lot of yourself? The hero of your own epic?’
‘Sometimes you have to think like a hero just to behave like a decent human being.’
‘But how do you justify the drugs . . .?’
‘Justify? Do me a favour? Here in 2001 the entire developed world is out of its tree on everything from endorphins to Gincoba. Cell phones are frying its brains, as it chokes on the rapidly warming atmosphere.’
‘But you don’t regret the drugs you took yourself?’
‘I was an idiot clown with an emotionally dangerous job. It went with the territory of the apprentice Holy Fool. Days have come and gone when the only way to stay sane was to see the humorous side of nuclear annihilation. In a word, no, I don’t.’
‘You said you had a “dangerous job”?’
‘I was questing into the unknown. Danger lies within the territory.’
‘Danger for whom?’
‘That’s a moot point.’
‘You didn’t ever weigh the consequences?’
‘St Brendan hardly weighed the consequences when he set out to discover America in a leather boat, and you can hardly blame him for Shiloh, Wounded Knee or Charlie’s Angels. The adventurer doesn’t tabulate all the possible negative options. He or she just goes. Imagine how it felt to be the very first guy to eat an oyster. What trust that slime-in-a-rock was food.’
‘No hints of doubt?’
During the writing of this book, strange dreams struggled up from the subconscious that proved both disturbing and, now and again, problem-solving. ‘The human soul does not come with a built-in firewall.’
‘Huh?’
Bibliography and Discography
FICTION
The Texts of Festival
The Quest of the DNA Cowboys
The Neutral Atrocity
The Synaptic Manhunt
Protectorate
Phaid the Gambler
Citizen Phaid
Their Masters’ War
The Long Orbit
The Armageddon Crazy
The Last Stand of the DNA Cowboys
Mars – The Red Planet
The Feelies
Necrom
The Time of Feasting
Darklost
Jim Morrison’s Adventures in the Afterlife
NON-FICTION
Watch Out Kids
Get on Down
The Black Leather Jacket
Elvis and the Colonel
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Elvis
The CIA Files
Conspiracies, Lies, and Hidden Agendas
POETRY
The Lonesome Death of Gene Vincent
The Road to Armageddon is Best Travelled by Cadillac
PLAYS
The Last Words of Dutch Schultz
A Criminal Sorority
South of the Border
RECORDINGS
Ptooff! (The Deviants)
Disposable (The Deviants)
Deviants #3 (The Deviants)
Mona (Mick Farren)
Play with Fire (Mick Farren)
Screwed Up (Mick Farren and The Deviants)
Vampires Stole My Lunch Money (Mick Farren)
Human Garbage (The Deviants)
Who Shot You Dutch? (with Wayne Kramer and Don Was)
Partial Recall (Mick Farren and The Deviants)
Fragments of Broken Probes (Mick Farren and The Deviants)
Death Tongue (with Wayne Kramer and John Collins)
Gringo Madness (Tijuana Bible)
The Death Ray Tapes (with Jack Lancaster)
Eating Jello with a Heated Fork (Deviants ixvi)
The Deviants Have Left the Planet (Mick Farren and The Deviants)
Barbarian Princes – Live in Japan (The Deviants)
This CD is Condemned (Mick Farren and The Deviants)
A more detailed listing of these works can be found at the Funtopia website: http://www.thanatosoft.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm
Index
The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.
Abrams, Steve 143, 290
acid 81, 97, 142, 263–6, 336–7
Acme Chewing Gum case 312
Adams, Richard 349, 355
Adderley, Cannonball 15
Advert, Gaye 356
advertising 10
Adverts, The 356
Alexandra Palace 116–22
Ali, Muhammad 122
Ali, Tariq 176, 178, 185
Allen, Daevid 118, 328
Allen, Wally 196
Allman, Greg 248
Altamont 234, 283
amphetamine sulphate 186, 361
Anderson, Mrs 335
Anger, Kenneth 119, 343
Angry Brigade 298, 299–300, 308
Antonioni, Michelangelo 272
aphasia 24–5
Apocalypse Now 343
Arista Records 405
Artaud, Antonin 125
Artesian Well pub 34, 37–8, 48, 51
Asher, Jane 86
Asher, Peter 86
Atlantic 275
Attfield, Tony 16
Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco 78, 81, 82
Bacon, Francis 403
Baez, Joan 46
Baker, Ginger 17, 220, 245
Bakewell, Joan 99
Balin, Marty 193
Ballard, J. G. 352, 357
Band of Joy 172
Band, The 45
Bangs, Lester 305, 332, 339, 378–9
Barker, Edward: and IT 244, 292–7, 304, 305, 306; character 244–5; and Phun City 280, 284, 285; and IT’s prosecution 304, 305, 306; and the trial 310–11, 315; and NME 341
Barrett, Syd 387: beauty of 91; at Alexandra Palace 118
Basquiat, Jean-Michel 362
Bateson, Gregory 102, 103
Bators, Stiv 377–8
Beale, Dana 379
Beatles, The 12, 44, 46: Sgt Pepper 122, 160
Beck, Henry 377
Beck, Jeff 92, 96, 152
Bell, Marc 380–1
Bell, Max 340, 342
Benny (drummer) 93, 95
Berry, Chuck 17, 35, 397
Biba’s: Rainbow Room 308
Bidwell, Vivienne 223
Big Three 253
Biggenheimer, Rodney 345
Bilk, Acker 18
Bird, John 208
Bishop, Sid 153, 154, 166–7, 170: at Essex University 173; song-writing 187; geographical problems 209; getting rid of from Deviants 209–10, 211, 213
Black Panthers 68
Blackheath 52, 54
Blackheath Foot and Death Men 279
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Blackhill Enterprises 90, 217, 222
Blarney Club 80, 151
Blake, Peter 12
Block, Judge 128, 129, 130
Blockheads 361
Blondie 376
Bloom, William 309, 330, 333
Bobbie 26–7
boggies 269
Bolan, Marc 361: and John Peel 90; and Alexandra Palace 117
Bonham, John 172, 173
Bowie, David 67, 136, 202, 222, 303, 306–7, 377: ‘The Laughing Gnome’ 122; ‘Jean Genie’ 161; fascism 348, and Ziggy Stardust 222
Boyd, Joe 51, 80, 105, 111, 125, 127, 128: opposed to moving UFO 133; acts booked by 152–3; and closing UFO 152; Witchseason 159
Boyle, Mark 135
Braceland, Jack 135
Branca, Glenn 356
Brando, Marlon 12
Brighton 42–3, 261, 372
Brilleaux, Lee 360
British Lion Outside Broadcast unit 279
British Union of Fascists 50
British White Panther Party 3, 285
Brody, Dr 186
Bron, Eleanor 208
Broonzy, Big Bill 211
Brothers Grim 51
Brown, Arthur 118
Brown, James 194, 360
Brown, Joe 372
Bruce, Lenny 84–5, 317
Bruno 248
Buckley, Lord 85
Buckmaster, Paul 253–4
Buell, Bebe 246
Bug 397
Bukowski, Charlie 334, 335
Bumpers 304, 306
Bunch Books 27
Burchill, Julie 64, 341, 368–70, 375
Burdon, Eric 82, 135
Burgess, Anthony 357
Burroughs, Edgar Rice 19
Burroughs, William 253: Naked Lunch 14; and Trocchi 31, 32; pillaged by Dylan 36; Towers Open Fire 59; CIA and 81; Junkie 84
Byrds 196
Caby Hall 29
cannabis see marijuana
Capt Trip Records 214
Captain Beefheart 84
Carmichael, Stokely 103
Carol 154–5, 210
Carr, Robert 298
Carroll, Jim 380
CBS Records 128
Centre 42, 72, 151
Charles, Madame 307
Chaykin, Howard 343
Chelsea College 197
Cher 341
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) 19, 81–2, 112
cinema 342–3
Clapton, Eric 245, 348, 357
Clarke, Andy 136
Clash, The 87, 324, 361, 367, 375–6
Cleave, Maureen 45
Cliff, Jimmy 105
clothes 66–70
Club 82, 377
CND 20, 88
cocaine 138, 362
Cochran, Eddie 11, 34, 35, 255, 366, 374
Cohen, Phil 240
Collins, John 377
Collins, Judy 257
Colquhoun, Andy 330, 335, 382, 385, 386
Colquhoun, Helga 406
Coltrane, John: Giant Steps 10
Connolly, Billy 343
Cook, Peter 208
Cooper, Alice 228, 307, 377
Cooper, Jackie 377
Copeland, Stewart 206, 386
Corso, Gregory 58, 59
Costello, Elvis 383, 384
Country, Blue Grass, Blues and Other Music
For Uplifting Gormandisers 376–82
Country Club 262
Cox, Alex 366
Cox, Gez 266–7, 269, 270, 272–3, 276, 280, 283, 295, 296
Crash 352
Cream 159
Creamcheese, Suzy 122, 125, 134, 152
Creation, The 94
Creem 331–2, 339
Cresswell-Evans, Phoebe 69
Crick, Bernard 317
Crisp, Quentin 66
Crowley, Aleister 83–4, 343, 370: ‘Do what thou wilt’ 117, 143
Cuba 33, 68, 178
Cuban Missile Crisis 19
Currie, Mad Dog Pete 268, 279, 284, 285, 288
Curtis, Jackie 308
Curved Air 206, 386
Daley, Mayor 188
Daltrey, Roger 214, 360
Damned, The 367
Darling, Candy 308
Davies, Chalkie 378
Davies, Clive 405
Davies, Ray 387
Davis, Miles 15, 27, 159
de Freitas, Michael 31–2 see also Malik, Michael Abdul and Michael X
De Ville, Willy 377, 379
Dead Boys 377
Dean, James 12
Decca Records 251
DeGrimston, Kathy 144
DeGrimston, Robert 143, 144
Dellar, Fred 117
Dempsey, Michael 351, 352, 354–5, 356, 357
Dennis, Felix: and Farren’s departure from UK 2; Bunch Books 27; and Poutain 182; and Disposable 188; and magazines 243; and Richard Neville 292; and OZ trial 304; psychedelia collection 355; and Elvis’s death 392–3
Dennis Publishing 243
Denny, Sandy 257
Des Barres, Pamela 247
Detroit 394, 395, 396–8
Deviants see Social Deviants Dexedrine 73, 97
Dialectics of Liberation Conference 102–3, 142
Diddley, Bo: ‘Mona’ 254
Dingwalls Dancehall 249–50, 357–61, 382–4
Disc 331
Divers, Shirley 295, 347
dole 29
Donovan (Leitch): ‘Sunny Goodge Street’ 27
Don’t Look Back 36
Doors, The 79, 190–1, 192–5, 283
Dr Feelgood 359, 360
Drabble, Margaret 272
Drynamyl 42
Dunbar, Ian 206
Dunbar, John 86
Durden-Smith, Jo 193
Dury, Ian 46, 361, 372
Dylan, Bob: in Madhouse on Castle Street 6; voice 13; one step ahead 35–6; ‘Ballad of Hollis Brown’ 39–40; Royal Albert Hall concerts 44–7, 60–3; going electric 45, 61; ‘Times They Are A-Changing’ 45; ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ 47; called ‘traitor’ 61; ‘Visions of Joanna’ 61; ‘Ballad of a Thin Man’ 62; at Isle of Wight 283; ‘Desolation Row’ 365
Eagles, The 365
Eaton, Shirley 59
EC horror comics 12
Edgar Broughton Band 215, 222, 224, 225, 278–9
Edmunds, Ben 332
Elektra Records 275
Eliot, T. S. 334
Elliot, Tony 293
Ellison, Harlan 84, 85, 357
English, Mick 123
Eno, Brian 308, 326
Entire Sioux Nation 266
Entwhistle, John 219
Errigo, Angie 340
Erskine, Pete 342
Essen, Ingrid von 267–8, 271, 272, 292, 298, 319, 330, 335–6, 353, 405
Essex University 169–71
Essoldo, Brighton 261
Exploding Galaxy 82, 307
Fabian, Jenny 191, 209, 247
Faces, The 308
Fainlight, Harry 60, 112–13
Fairport Convention 136
Faithful, Marianne 46, 74, 86, 143, 276, 390
Fame, Georgie 26
Family Dog 81
Fanon, Frantz 67
Farr, Ricky 276, 283, 286–7, 288–9
Farren, Eric 114
Farren, Mick: at House of the Chinese Landlord 3, 5–13; selling clockwork jumping dogs 5; and graphic design 7–8; education 10–11, 16; anger 11–13; childhood 11; exemption from rules 15–16; accent 16; and authority 16; at St Martin’s17; diet 17; odd jobs 29–30; adopted by Australian lesbian couple 30; in band at art school 34; as guitar player 34; performs at Artesian Well 34, 37–8; Watch Out, Kids 43–4; sees Dylan at RAH 44–7, 60–3; begins relationship with Joy 52; moves to Princelet Road 54; appearance 65–6, 67–8; transvestite gunfighter period 65; running door at UFO 77–83, 84; and IT 88–9, 105–6, 108, 244–5, 290–1; at Marquee to see Hendrix 96–9; meets Jimmy Hendrix 97–8; oral sex at Roundhouse 100–1, 103; first disillusionment with underground 111–12; and demonstratio
n against Stones’ jail sentences 130–1; police work over 134; and flower power 137–8; Shaftsbury Avenue apartment 138–40, 200–7; and acid 140–1; marriage shaky 140, 146; sacked from IT 145–7; and Carol 154–5; on the road 164–74; and Vietnam War 177; and Grosvenor Square demonstration 178–85; song-writing 187; marriage with Joy cools 202; bronchial asthma sufferer 206; obtains marijuana by prescription 206–7; at Royal Festival Hall 208; Hyde Park concert 215, 221–6; solo album Mona 215, 252–5, 259, 263–4; in Cornwall with band 216–17; and Germaine Greer 218–21; in Canada 226–33; out of the Deviants 226; and Chesterton Road flat 235–8, 259, 260, 267, 271, 335; political views 241–2; snobbishness of 241; and Elvis 253; getting band together for solo album 253–4, 259–60; in hospital 255–8; bad trip 263–6; resolves never to play rock again 266; and Phun City 268, 272–81; Clifton Gardens flat 271, 298, 330; buckles down to serious writing 272; and Special Branch 297–300; preparations for legal engagement 304; and IT trial 310–19; Great Nitrous Oxide Heist 320–2; in Paris 322–8; moves back to the Grove 330; and NME 332, 338–44; ready for novel writing 333; in Los Angeles 345–6; first novel, Texts of Festival 351 Tale of Willy’s Rats 352; Mo the Roller 353; Quest of the DNA Cowboys 353–4, 403; Neural Atrocity 354; Synaptic Manhunt 354; Get On Down 355–6; Feelies, The 356; at Dingwalls 357–61, 382–4; affair with Julie Burchill 368–70; in New York 376–82; cuts tracks in New York 379–82; ‘Lost Johnny’ 381, 382; playing at Dingwall’s 382–4; Bionic Gold 384; recording for Stiff 384–5; Vampires Stole My Lunch Money 386–9; and Elvis’s death 389–93; in America 394–8; and Wayne Kramer 394, 395; opts for America 403–6; in love with Betsy 405; Song of Phaid the Gambler, The 405; ‘Broken Statue’ 406; song-writing with Lemmy and Colquhoun 406; attitude to drugs 407–8; lack of regrets 407 see also Social Deviants
FBI 19
Federal Bureau of Narcotics (USA) 298
Feld, Mark 159 see also Bolan, Marc
Fenton, John 324, 325, 326
Ferguson, Tony 202
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence 58, 59
