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Give the Anarchist a Cigarette

Page 50

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

 

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