Manic Street Preaching…
Fat Dom reflects on Syd Barrett, society and mental health.

I was thinking recently about the death of Syd Barrett, and perhaps how this affects as a whole on the future of pop music or rock itself.

I mean, he went off his nut.

But that in itself has its own story, I mean to say more specifically, how can one stay sane in this modern world of greed versus notoriety versus global warfare and hatred.

For me, and the punks, and the hippies, and before that the Rocker razor gangs of the 50s, life has always been a painful, if not violent expedition into the darker side of a distorted mind, which those Chavs, with their baseball hats, kids, and shorts, and all the other paraphernalia, can never quite accept into their shallow existence.

Syd Barrett, John Cleese, Richey Manic, Spike Milligan, Sid Vicious, etc., etc,. none of these indivduals were able to assimilate into their sensitive minds and lifestyles the two-dimensional melancholic sadness of normality.

And, lets face it (you can argue if you like), "normality" these days is getting harder and harder to comprehend and/or be a participant of.

Never mind the Lebanon, what about the homeless nutters on Mill Rd? What about the fact that every ageing old hippy like me has chosen to email or text their views rather than face reality head-on? Because reality is what?? - Too hard?? No, its too fucking abysmal to argue with, it has no substance; reality/or society as we know it is a drying desert of municipal corporately own computers and phones and I-pods which continue to isolate the individual, in favour of more and more and more and more and more meaningless consumption and financially fucked up status crap.

Just like in the 1970's.

So, I say to you, punk, as a social revolution, is arguably more relevant today.

And, I also ask you, quite desperately, IS ANYONE ARSED TO FUCKING ARGUE???

Thanks, and have a good evening/life.

Fat Dom x