OH WOT A DREAM THAT WAS!
8th, 9th & 10th MAY 2007

Well I just had this really bizarre dream: I was on a big stage with Captain Sensible, Kevin Ayers, Robyn Hitchcock, Chrissie Hynde, Mike Heron (of the Incredible String Band) and a whole bunch of other great musicians all singing a song by Syd Barrett! It was just so vivid! I’m sure I’m going to wake up soon: it’ll be time for school and I don’t think I got my homework done…

The Madcap’s Last Laugh

The setting was a tribute concert for Syd hosted by Joe Boyd (who produced Pink Floyd’s first single) at the Barbican Centre in London. Cap. and myself went along to Terminal Studios to rehearse with the house band. They had been hard at it learning Syd’s quirky song structures the last three days. We got on fine especially with Adam Peters (keyboards) and Andy Bell the bass player who has worked with Oasis among others. Fortunately they had done their homework alright and knew the songs well. We were to play two great classics from the first (and best!) Floyd album “Flaming” and “Astronomy Domine”. After rehearsing we came across Kevin Ayers in the entrance hall (adorned by a Rolf Harris painting). Kevin was one of the original Soft Machine and has a long solo career with many great songs. He was very friendly and in good cheer.

“Sex Pistol Plays Floyd Song: Punks Tear Out Their Mohawks!!”

The next day in the labyrinth back stage in the bowels of the Barbican I was coming across many famous folk but as usual my social ineptness and shyness made it hard for me to connect. I did manage to chat with Robyn, which was good. He told us he had been playing with Steve Jones out in the states and whey had played “See Emily Play”, which would have caused outrage in 1977! Still we saw ‘em play “Silver Machine at the Inland Invasion a few years ago.

I also met a really nice bloke called Ben Coleman who plays violin and knows David Gilmour and his family. He introduced me to his brother but I think I scared him away! ( I’d had a few wines by then, I’ll never be a socialite!) Cap. , Robyn and I also met Syd’s cousin representing his family. He told us that the stories of Syd’s mental condition were greatly exaggerated: he just wanted to be left in peace. He liked to watch football on telly like most blokes do (AAAAAAAh! What can I do? Cap. Supports Palace, Daevid Allen supports Arsenal, and now Syd too! I might as well join them as I cant escape football!) I always hoped that Syd might become a successful visual artist like Captain Beefheart did but I guess even there he wanted to avoid the limpid limelight.

Dr Ayers Magic Medicine Chest

The next day Cap. felt rough having eaten something dodgy the night before. Dr Ayers to the rescue! He has a bag full of medicines for every ill and gave some to Captain. He was much better by the evening.
It turned out that apart from a brief reprise of Bike by the Sense of Sound choir we were starting the show with “Flaming”. It was a bit nerve racking being first but I think we did it OK. (I played a few duff notes in the middle section. When I told Cap. he said I wasn’t drunk enough! “I’ll soon put that right!”) I rounded the song off with a Tibetan bell courtesy of the Vitamin B12. So far so good!

Kevin Ayers produced a great version of “Here I Go” (from the “Madcap Laughs” album) followed by his own song “Oh Wot a Dream” dedicated to Syd. It was really good to see him on form; he has a voice like no other! He was assisted by David Coulter playing jaw harp, musical saw, nose flutes and other devices. He was also very friendly and was telling me how he was a close friend of Viv Stanshall (who you may remember from “Lovely Money”) king of the Bonzos. He and Graham Clarke (who I know from Gong related bands) played in Viv’s “Opera” “Stink Foot”, I would have loved to have seen that!

Mike Heron did fine versions of “No Mans Land” and “Matilda Mother”. He’s also a cheerful chummy kind of bloke. I was intrigued to see what Chrissie Hynde would sound like singing Syd. I wasn’t sure about “Dark Globe” but “Late Night” really worked I thought. She made it her own and it suited her voice well. She was also important in getting the whole thing organised so power to her! A band called the Bees did a fine “Octopus” and the first half concluded with Roger Waters.

Roger introduced a song with a speech that went something like this: “Syd was a much more light hearted person than me, I’m more sombre and my songs tend to be dark and morbid” and he illustrated the point very well! He did also say “If it wasn’t for Syd would be a property developer or something.” (So it could have been a lot worse!) At one point a loud hissing noise emerged from the sound system: “What was that? Maybe it was Syd…!” The rest of the band played “Arnold Lane” in the second half but Mr Waters had gone by then. This has caused a lot of discontent: surely they could have put their differences aside for Syd’s send off? But it would be a tragedy if the whole gig was overshadowed by that because all in all it was a joyful uplifting event. As for Mr Waters we have to remember that he gave us “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” which is one of the best songs of all time and space. We love playing it with the Spacetoad band!

“The Change Is Due To Come”

The start of the second half took the whole event upward and outward with a truly cosmic “Chapter 24” which Syd based on the ancient Chinese oracle the I-Ching. It was sung by Nick Laird-Clowes joined by the choir and Ben’s violin awash with overtones. I was genuinely taken into a different state of consciousness. (Ben had been telling me how music can do this at special moments earlier.) It was floating up into space. Sorry Mr Waters, but it was a breath of fresh spring morning air blowing away the doom and gloom! There were other great performers too as well as film shows but being backstage I missed a lot. However I did see Damon Albern of Blur do an excellently humorous version of “The Word Song” (from “Opal”)

Next it was us! I had helped myself to some wine left out foolishly in the catering room so I was fuelled up and ready to psych-out! As we came out someone shouted “Smash It Up!”: not tonight Josephine! Anyhow we gave it some and produced a suitably fiery rendition of “Astronomy” I recon. It certainly felt good after! Pity we couldn’t have done more: a half hour version of “Interstellar Overdrive” perhaps. No?

Regret of the evening: I missed Robyn’s set. He was after us and I was changing out of the psychedelic shirt into a tee-shirt I had made up. It says “What Exactly Is A Dream?” which comes from Syd’s swan song with the Floyd: “Jug Band Blues”. We were waiting at the side of the stage to join the whole ensemble and do a massed version of “Bike” and what came on the screen but a film of Syd singing “Jug Band Blues”: perfect!

So there I was on stage with lots of folk I have records of. Well it has to be a dream hasn’t it? Hang on, I don’t seem to have woken up yet! Mind you, with a dream like that who wants reality?? What Exactly Is a Dream? What Exactly Is a Joke?

Monty Oxymoron 2007

Wow...what a show that was!!

I feel sure that we did justice to the genius of Syd with a show of love and talent that I haven't managed to surpass in any other event we've staged here in 10 years.

Bryn Ormrod
Barbican Centre (Music Department)

 

If anyone has any photos of this event, please send them in! Email: fangbase@yahoo.co.uk