I was back in London, staying at my friend Paul's in Kensington. The Clash were playing that night, I think at the Music Machine (later Camden Palace). It was the first time I saw them, as well as their support, Suicide. The latter got a lot of stuff thrown at them, but I thought they were great!
Here it was, the middle of 1978, and I still had long, wavy hair! I had been reluctant to go short as the last time I had - when I was 13 - it went ultra curly - blecch! And naturally I wanted it short and spiky. I thought maybe a proper Kings Road hairdresser could perform miracles.
As for the psychedelic power of my Syd Barrett badge, make of that what you will...
24 July 1978
I got up, got ready, put on my Syd Barrett badge, which I had not worn before, and set off for Kings Road.
Walking to the tube station I realised I felt really weird, really spaced out. It was like being on acid! I was just walking along without really thinking about it.
On the tube I got really freaked out - all the people bugged me and I wanted to get off!
Well, I did, at Sloane Square, and began walking down Kings Road. There were tons of clothes shops but I felt too spaced out to look in any - they weren't that great anyway.
They did have the neatest trousers in BOY - but I couldn't get into a 26. I felt fat... [I weighed about 98 pounds/7 stone then.] I think they were 24s...
I kept hearing songs that sounded different than normal - God Save the Queen - well, maybe it was a bootleg. Devo - that's understandable - the LP. But Rod Stewart's Hot Legs?!!
Seditionaries was closed. I found the Buzzcocks LP in a used record stall - the guy played a few tracks off it. That's when I felt ULTRA spaced out.
I went back to Seditionaries which was now open... They didn't have as good stuff as BOY did. I left a message for Helen in there.
I found a haircutting place and they said to come back in half an hour. I went and ate in Pizzaland.
I hadn't got my hair cut in a place in years. [For the past six or seven years I had been doing it myself or else Helen took care of it.] She gave me a magazine to read and it had the best picture of the Only Ones in it! I was gonna ask if I could have it but I decided I could just buy it.
So I wasn't paying attention to how much she was chopping off - she sort of got carried away! Well, at least I got my money's worth! Actually I didn't think it looked so bad till it dried and got all kinky. Oh well...
Then I had trouble finding that 19 Magazine - went all up and down by Notting Hill Gate and by High Street Kensington but no newsagent had it.
Bought some raspberries. And ate them all.
Back at Paul's I changed my Syd badge for the Clash one so I wouldn't have to remember later on. And later I realised that that was when I began feeling normal again... STRANGE.
Paul's friend Sheila came over and made dinner. They went to a film and I set out for the Clash.
Found the place OK and there was Mary, sitting out in front of the venue! Twas a joyful reunion...
It was sold out - neither of us had tickets - but we decided to hang out.
Finally met some London punks - but I never saw them again. Finally saw an English asshole policeman [I meant that every cop I had encountered so far had been nice, unlike their counterparts in the States] - tells me to take that drink back to the pub. Later I had just finished it and was answering that blond girl's question when he comes up again - asshole! Says I'm gonna throw it on the ground. Sure.
Some guy sold Mary and Brian tickets for £2.50 and this other guy kept bugging me - for £3.50 - and we kept arguing and arguing... I think I ended up giving him £3.25 and he kissed me on the cheek and said he'd buy me a drink later but I never saw him.
We went right down by the front. Danced a little to records. met this skinhead guy - he was really nice though but I kept making faces the other way when he leaned on me...
When Suicide came on there was too much shoving and stuff being thrown so I moved off to the side. I saw that guy I saw at the Radio Stars - weird. It was a pretty good place but I didn't wanna stand there for hours so I went out in the foyer. After a while I found Helen, and on the top balcony, the Dickies. I talked to Billy for a while.
Later I found Helen again downstairs. She told me the story about how she got in there (climbing in a window) and I "loaned" her a quid to get something to eat - I'm so generous!
For the Clash I stood in the back but I could see pretty well. I danced to some of the songs but it was so hot!! My feet didn't hurt as much when I danced. They were pretty good - I kept changing my mind. I loved them when they did songs I knew and liked; I thought they were overrated while they did the others... [Profound! I just realised this would have been a few months before Give Em Enough Rope came out, so they probably did a lot of those tracks.] At least they did all their good songs.
Afterwards I saw Brian while I was getting my coat but after I got it I couldn't find either him nor Mary. I looked all over - found all the Dickies and Kent [he worked for the Dickies and also the Quick] says, "Hey, aren't you from LA?"
But I finally found them and Mary talked me into walking even though it was late and my feet were now killing me. Brian was mad at her for talking to people and he disappeared so we weren't sure if we were going the right way. Then when he reappeared he would either walk really far ahead or really far behind us. What a geek. It was so FAR - four or five miles! I kept saying I was gonna stop and call a taxi but I'm glad I didn't - they take so long. And right when we were almost to their hotel, one drove by - what timing!
I wasn't tired when I got in. I had a cup of tea and wrote a letter and didn't go to bed till 4:30 or so. [And I had to get up at 8:00 to go to Liverpool the next day!]
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