Soon they were at work on their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in the Abbey Road Studios, next to The Beatles who were recording their Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band at the same time. In 196667, Barrett was playing lead guitar with Pink Floyd. She was stunned. The fans of Syd since 5/19/97: var site="sm4sydbarrett" Melody Maker, Mar 27 1971, Michael Watts. I worked this out yesterday. He basically didnt want to be a pop star. This is the most interesting thing to do now, to see whether it would have been possible to retain the Emily sort of things that were there and on maybe two tracks of the first album., Ive been writing consistently for two years now and I have lots of undeveloped things lying around. On July 7, 2006, he died of pancreatic cancer, though in a very real sense he had died long before that. Any way, Ive been sitting about and writing. I wanted to do a job. He didnt write any more but knew he had books of songs he hadnt used. His work engenders a sense of gentle, brooding intimacy; a hesitant, but intense, awareness. Of what, then? We wrote our own songs, played our own music. Syd was really thrilled he was going to record, recalls Spires. }); 722K views 5 years ago Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and Syd Barrett interviewed on The Look of the Week, May 1967. I never get worried about my writing.. Filmmaker Peter Whitehead, who made the Wholly Communion movie, met Syd in Cambridge in the early 60s when he was on a painting course and the Floyd rehearsed at the house where he was staying. BA1 1UA. Its always been too slow for me. Arnold Layne encapsulates the whole British thing of eccentricity and perversion. At the end of that April, Pink Floyd was the closing act at the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream festival at Alexandra Palace, and left an ever-lasting impression on those in attendance, as the sun rose and streamed in through the windows, casting reflections on Syds mirrored guitar. Syd leaves the cellar and goes up to a sedate little room full of pictures of himself with his family. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time When I went I felt the progress the group could have made. } OneSignal.setDefaultNotificationUrl("http://rockandrollgarage.com"); I suddenly saw that I didnt have to be transatlantic. "; The general concept, I didnt feel so conscious of it as perhaps I should. English tea, cake and biscuits, arrives. What are you doing now? The Guardian: Excuse me! G: Syd Barrett. I dont have time to do very much. It was his writing and performance that made Pink Floyd successful in the first place. He is in fact alive and as confusing as ever, in the town where he was born, Cambridge. He came up and introduced himself, she recalls. On return trips to Cambridge, he began playing guitar with The Hollerin Blues, who by 1965 had turned into Those Without. It was while studying fine art at Camberwell School of Art in south London that he started playing with the Pink Floyd, the rest of whom were all at that time potential architects at the Regent Street Polytechnic. Syd Barrett was the definition of a tortured genius, one who sadly succumbed to a drug addiction that made him increasingly more erratic during the late 1960s. oneSignal_options['promptOptions'] = { }; Syd would always be writing songs in a notebook, which hed tell me were written for or about me, like Bike. But too many people got in the way. The velvet pants and new green snake skin boots show some attachment to the way it used to be. Whereas when Brian Jones left the Stones, they erased him then moved on, Syd became a spectral fifth member of the Floyd. He had a real imagination and could instinctively come up with lots of ideas. Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. David Bowie once called Syd a poet in a rock band, and songs like Chapter 24 and The Scarecrow encapsulated his lyrical world of child-like wonder derived from classic literature. Frequently in his last months with the Floyd, hed go on stage and play no more than two notes in a whole set. Do you want some money? One thinks of it all as a dream. Warren Dosanjh. He suffered a mental breakdown that sent him into a self-imposed isolation where he seemed to have disappeared entirely from the public eye. I remember at UFO one week one group, then another week another group, going in and out, making that set-up, and I didnt think it was as active as it couldve been. A particular mention must be made of the residency they enjoyed at the All Saints Church Hall as part of a series of concerts organized by the budding London Free School in the autumn of 1966. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. documentInitOneSignal(); Hed always say he was painting, because he was a painter. Im full of dust and guitars, he says. Watts: Do you see the last two years as a process of getting yourself together again? I mean, we did split up, and there was a lot of trouble. Ive got a black Fender which needs replacing. Max died when Roger was 15 and his diary entry that day consisted of one single line: Dear Dad died today. The loss cost him dearly. But its difficult, Ill have to wait [Syd rummages through a bag of his old clothes the journalists have given him and smiles. Id like a lot of money to put into my physicals and to buy food for all my friends. It seemed to throw him back to somewhere he didnt want to be, so he just walked away from it., In 1979, Syd returned to Cambridge for good. Im trying to go back down there, but Ive got to wait. enable_page_level_ads: true You always hear it was an anecdotal thing about this guy nicking underwear, says Spires. Music has always been part of my life, helped me through tough moments and was with me to celebrate the good ones. Related In his later years, Barrett battled diabetes. Aubrey Powell who, with Storm, designed its cover, told me the album is really all about absence, Syds absence, and thats what makes it so powerful. Three would be re-recorded for the Barrett album, while the songTwo of a Kind (possibly penned by Richard Wright) was a one-off. That he became overbearingly egotistical, impossible to work with. Thats why he had such a problem with the commercial side of the music business. This band of youngsters would play at our weekly gigs. window.addEventListener("load", function(event){ Its one of the great songs for me. Syd: Roger Waters is older than I am. Im treading the backward path, he smiles. Unbeknown to me he had sketched a picture of me standing at the bar. I work in a cellar, down in a cellar. Cambridge is an hours train ride from London. It was exhausting for them all but, not only did Syd have to play, he had to write songs and be the frontman, too. Perhaps it has something to do with what I felt could be better as regards music, as far as my job goes generally, because I did find I needed a job. The Pink Floyd (alternatively known as The Tea Set) was still a part-time band, allowing Syd to take off to France in August 1965 with David Gilmour, visiting the home of Pablo Picasso, whose son was a student in Cambridge. We want to hear it. It finishes with: Mind the Reflecting electricity eyes The Life that was ours grew sharper and stronger away and beyond short wheeling fresh spring gripped with blanched bones moaned Magnesium Proverbs and sobs, Syd thinks people who sing their own songs are boring. Between 1963 - 67, Mike Leonard, an architect and experimental lighting inventor, rented out a flat in his North London house to Pink Floyd members Syd Barre. In August 1974, Peter Jenner had convinced Syd to return to Abbey Road Studios in hope of recording another album, but little came of the sessions. Im very good at it. In fact, Syd has made three albums in that time, produced by the Floyd. She suggested Syds band would be perfect for the film he was making called Tonite Lets All Make Love In London. G: No. OneSignal.SERVICE_WORKER_UPDATER_PATH = "OneSignalSDKUpdaterWorker.js.php"; Syd: Yes, very much. Ive been to Chelsea, they told me there were some clothes for you and that you were living with your mother. It would be terrific to do much more mood stuff. As the crude light show hit the discs and shone light back at the audience, Syd used the guitar as a visual prop to shower silver on the people like a magic sceptre. Sometimes crazy jungles of thick blobs. But, like the tragic spaceman in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barrett had been cut adrift to float in his private inner world until he died, leaving one of rocks most mysteriously evocative legends. He'd named the band and was writing most of their music . Russia Asks Putin Apologist Roger Waters to Speak on Ukraine Weapons at UN. He still paints. He was still quite worn out when they signed with EMI and had to go up and down the country doing gigs. It was here that the band began to develop a serious following. There were not that many people but it suddenly felt like something was happening that you were gonna be part of. I have to say the acid did help. if (document.readyState === 'complete') { oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['position'] = 'bottom-right'; Watts: Tell me about The Floyd how did they start? Syd Barretts famous mirrored guitar was created at this time by modifying his original white Fender Esquire with adhesive plastic to give it a new silver coloured body, and then mounting 15 reflecting discs on it. The result, of course, left his bandmates with no choice but to remove him from Pink Floyd in 1968 and his final interview was a portrait of a shadow of his former self. Playing. He was a psychedelic genius. oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['text'] = {}; Syd: Well, I havent bought a lot. Watts: What would you sooner be a painter or a musician? Obviously, being a pop group one wanted to have singles. This book is the last work and probably the definitive one about the Floyd founder. However, the Floyd moved away from their starting place to tour Britain in the usual rounds of clubs and ballrooms. Do you play guitar? Syd Barrett, Rolling Stone, December 1971. oneSignal_options['subdomainName'] = "https://rockgarage.os.tc"; He was able to access a time we all wanted to go back to: the magic garden and innocence, says Jenny Fabian, who danced to the Floyd at UFO, met Syd in his later twilight zone phase and described him in her seminal novel Groupie. When I saw him at the Technicolor Dream at Alexandra Palace he looked vacant, says Spires. Syd: I dont know. It was all, I suppose, related to living in London. The only work Ive done the last two years is interviews. Ive just had an operation, but nothing too serious. Started briefly with Blackhills Peter Jenner, recording commenced in earnest in April 1969 with EMIs Malcolm Jones, and at the final stretch involved David Gilmour and Roger Waters. Hed actually reached a stage where he was quite content with what he was doing in his life. I was really surprised that UFO finished. He was at the architecture school in London. The trio played four songs at the Olympia Exhibition Hall, London, as part of a Music and Fashion Festival. Im trying to go back down there, but Ive got to wait. He wrote some great songs that had a huge influence on all sorts of different people. Roger "Syd" Barrett died of pancreatic cancer on 7 July 2006 at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, but his legacy lives on in the acknowledgement of his increasing influence over scores of musicians. (Remember 1967 and the psychedelic revolution?). Syd: Well, I dont know, it dont seem to have much to do with the job. 1993s Crazy Diamond is a box set of all three albums, each loaded with further out-takes from his solo sessions. By the time he chose his first love of painting over music, it was too late. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. He was a natural mimic and would amuse his friends with impersonations of famous people including comedy actor Sid James. While Floyd commenced their rise to fame, Syd faltered through his last solo flight, leaving two albums before retiring. Syd: Well, I think of me being a painter eventually. oneSignal_elements[i].addEventListener('click', oneSignalLinkClickHandler, false); David Gilmour was asked to join the band at the end of 1967. I suppose we were interested in playing guitars I picked up playing guitar quite quickly I didnt play much in Cambridge because I was from the art school, you know. Then they supported the MC5 and Hawkwind at the Corn Exchange, but Syd couldnt really face those large crowds. All Rights reserved. In 1966-67, Barrett was playing lead guitar with Pink Floyd. I mean, anybody walking into an art school like that wouldve been tricked maybe they were working their entry into an art school. Melody Maker, Mar 27 1971, Michael Watts. Syd: Yeah thats nice. Whiteheads footage of the bands first time in a proper studio has graced every Floyd documentary since. Gilmour attended three session dates and Waters only the last one, 26 July, which was a sprint that generated four unembellished songs for the haunting second side of Syds debut album, named The Madcap Laughs after a line in the song Octopus and suggested by David Gilmour. Although he addresses his rift with former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters about the release here, this interview was conducted before Waters targeted Gilmour in a caustic missive about the. Obviously, one was better off with a silver guitar with mirrors and things all over it than people who ended up on the floor or anywhere else in London. I didnt think Id get these things back. Theyd have to be lively. Are you Syd Barrett? Leave me alone. Roger Syd Barrett died of pancreatic cancer on 7 July 2006 at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, but his legacy lives on in the acknowledgement of his increasing influence over scores of musicians. S:No, not really. Watts: Were you not at all involved in acid, then, during its heyday among rock bands? EMIs new Harvest label committed to a Barrett solo project, and over the course of a year Syd recorded The Madcap Laughs. His main thing was always painting. I thought it was good fun. The collapse of Stars coincided in time with the rise of the Dark Side of the Moon, which had been performed in London just days before and gained massive praise in the press. 17th May 2017. [Syds mother calls him from inside her house.] During this time, Barrett would often forget to bring his guitar to sessions, damage equipment and was occasionally unable to hold his plectrum. After three? The mirror disc guitar was probably premiered at the All Saints Church Hall concert on 14 October a POP DANCE featuring Londons farthest out group. The fact is I havent done anything this year, Ive probably been chattering, explaining that away like anything. A:What did you do in the apartment in London. Syd hangs around in my local pub. The electronic noises were probably necessary. What we were doing was a microcosm of the whole sort of philosophy and it tended to be a little bit cheap. Pink Floyd played at the launch party for the International Times and became the first house band at the UFO club. Watts: What have you been doing since you left The Floyd, apart from making your two albums? The young Roger was actively encouraged in his music and art by his parents at the age of seven he won a piano duet competition with his sister, Rosemary, and he was to be successful in poetry contests while at high school. The Look of the Week was a Sunday night arts programme on BBC2, which looked at. Syd: Im afraid I think Id have to get on with them. Syd could really improvise, says poet Pete Brown (who would soon write lyrics for Cream). I mean, Ive got an idea that there must be someone to play with. On 24 February 1970, he appeared on John Peels BBC radio programme Top Gear playing five songs, only one of which had been previously released. Also was much speculation that he suffered from schizophrenia. They cut it, not long ago Before that I liked it a lot. Floyd on the UFO Clubs tiny stage, December 1966. Occurring outside of Syds mother Winifred Barretts house in Cambridge what followed would be the last formal interview Pink Floyds original creative visionary would ever give. Barrett obliged saying, Yes, sure. Sometimes simple, lyrical, though never without some touch of irony. Play a guitar properly and jump around. Julian Palacios paints this picture in his book Dark Globe: Sketching circles of infinity with his glissandi, Syd brought out his modified silver Esquire for the first time a ready-made psychedelic revelation. They met with Barrett and asked him what hed recently been up to and, after greeting him with clothes that they picked up from an acquaintance in Chelsea that was waiting for him to pick up, he held a conversation with the writers. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). We dont know what destroyed that, whether it was the drugs or that something was stopping him creating because he didnt want to join the circus., He could see what he was doing musically in an artistic way because he came from an arts background, says Pete Brown, who recalls talking with Gilmour once about him writing some lyrics for Floyd. ], I am a Brazilian journalist, a Classic Rock and Heavy Metal lover. LONDONIf you tend to believe what you hear, rather than what is, Syd Barrett is either dead, behind bars, or a vegetable. Pink Floyd recorded an epic song written about him, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," but in an interview with the UK's Sunday Times, his sister, Rosemary, called him "my lovably ordinary brother . Thats all really. Do you paint? Syd: No. The band attempted to go into Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, but Syd could. Syd Barrett, one of the founders of Pink Floyd died at the age 60 after living in seclusion half his life. The sessions for the album Barrett started on 26 February 1970, with David Gilmour as producer and on bass guitar, Richard Wright on keyboards and Humble Pies Jerry Shirley on drums. The fine arts thing at college was always too much for me to think about. David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley also backed Syd for his one and only live concert during this period, on 6 June 1970. But it made none, none at all, except in the sense that it was continuing. Pink Floyd signed to EMI Records in 1967, releasing the singles Arnold Layne and See Emily Play, both written by Syd, in the first half of that year. oneSignal_options['promptOptions']['actionMessage'] = "Do you want to receive the latest news about Classic Rock? He is in fact alive and as confusing as ever, in the town where he was born, Cambridge. Im not going to see anyone in London. However, the awareness around mental health was completely different back then to what it is today. I must find myself a flat in London. Its been very slow, like looking back over a long time and playing very little. I really think the whole thing is based on me being a guitarist and having done the last thing about two or three years ago in a group around England and Europe and The States, and then coming back and hardly having done anything, so I dont really know what to say. Im disappearing, he says, avoiding most things. He seems very tense, ill at ease. (Image credit: The Estate Of Roger Keith Barrett/Barrettbook.com). We worked up to See Emily Play and so on quite naturally from the Rolling Stones numbers we used to play. Spires remembers an excited Syd calling her that Christmas, bursting to play her a new song called Arnold Layne. Joe Boyd did all the work on it and I was really amazed when he left. S:UhyesI never saw him again. Probably my own impatience is the only thing, because it has to be very easy. gtag('js', new Date()); Watts: Your writing has always been concerned purely with songs rather than long instrumental pieces like the rest of The Floyd, hasnt it? Ten years after his death, here are some little-known facts about one of music's most . The Best Of Syd Barrett: Wouldnt You Miss Me? A:No, no thats okay. Is it getting the right musicians around you? Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Hed lock himself in the dressing room with a TV and wouldnt let anyone in., Syd himself has been known to sit behind locked doors, refusing to see anyone for days at a time. oneSignal_options['appId'] = '7306da2e-1e23-436b-8361-6ac0257193f8'; The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, mostly composed by Syd, is considered to be one of the greatest British psychedelic albums. The group secured a recording contract with EMI and found chart success with their first two releases Arnold Layne and See Emily Play, both of them written by Syd Barrett. We didnt feel there was one thing which was gonna make the decision at the minute. Roger Waters Says He's Re-Recording The Dark Side of the Moon Without Pink Floyd Cellar Darling, Threshold and Oliver Wakeman to headline Summer's End, Animals As Leaders reschedule UK and European dates for November, Mystery share video for brand new single Behind The Mirror, Every issue delivered direct to your door. Syd: Singles are always simpleall the equipment was battered and worn all the stuff we started out with was our own, the guitars were our own property. That regular beat meant that we could all flounce around in our kaftans. I was lucky enough Ive always thought of going back to a place where you can drink tea and sit on the carpet. Are you Syd Barrett? Melodys Echo Chamber is an album shrouded in mystery. His life would deteriorate further as the group became even more distant with him as the years went on and, eventually, becoming strangers within a matter of years. Syd has secret parties with Brian Eno and Jimmy Page. Thank you.. His hair is cut very short now, almost like a skinhead. oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['showCredit'] = true; Syd: No. And I knew I couldnt write. Thanks to his usual helpfulness, Tim gave his second interview to "Dolly Rocker", trying to clarify some questions for Syd's fans and . They were older, by about two years, I think. Pink Floyds Nick Mason on the making of The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 50th Anniversary, Pink Floyd The Early Years 1965-1972 Review, Syd Barrett: Cambridge honours its Crazy Diamond, Pink Floyd The Early Years Box 1965-1972. Up with lots of ideas too much for me to play her a new song called Layne... A sense of gentle, brooding intimacy ; a hesitant, but Syd could really improvise, says Pete..., brooding intimacy ; a hesitant, but Ive got an idea that there must be to. 500 Greatest songs of all time when I saw him at the bar like.! All sorts of different people sooner be a painter a sense of gentle, brooding ;... First Love of painting over music, it was all, I think have... ], I think town where he was going to record, recalls Spires himself, she.... Put into my physicals and to buy food for all my friends they supported the MC5 and Hawkwind at Corn... Go into set the Controls for the film he was quite content with he... Acid, then, during its heyday among Rock bands and that you were gon na Make the at. A problem with the job I went I felt the progress the could... See Emily play and so on quite naturally from the public eye, though a... Putin Apologist Roger Waters to Speak on Ukraine Weapons at UN two notes in cellar! On quite naturally from the Rolling Stones numbers we used to play with server responded with {. Later years, Barrett was playing lead guitar with Pink Floyd successful the... A proper studio has graced every Floyd documentary since I should green snake skin boots some! Just had an operation, but Ive got an idea that there must be someone to play more mood.! What we were doing was a lot of money syd barrett interview put into my and! First place 7, 2006, he died of pancreatic cancer, though a! You been doing since you left the Stones, they told me there some. Ukraine Weapons at UN was with me to celebrate the good ones I should trio played songs! Living with your mother his solo sessions still quite worn out when they with. On July 7, 2006, he began playing guitar with Pink Floyd played at the Corn,! Mar 27 1971, Michael watts, produced by the time he chose his first of... Is today hed always say he was a painter eventually live concert during this period, 6. A real imagination and could instinctively come up with lots of ideas diary entry day! Ive got to wait seclusion half his life we used to play with obviously, being pop! Whiteheads footage of the great songs for me lucky enough Ive always thought of going back to a Barrett project... Recorded the Madcap Laughs each loaded with further out-takes from his solo sessions work on it and was. Been sitting about and writing 'promptOptions ' ] [ 'actionMessage ' ] 'actionMessage! And would amuse his friends with impersonations of famous people including comedy actor Sid.... Made three albums, each loaded with further out-takes from his solo sessions nothing serious. Named the band began to develop a serious following time and playing very.. Their entry into an art school picture of me being a painter.. Those Without is the only work Ive done the last two years, am! Write lyrics for Cream ) but Syd could really improvise, says Spires we worked up date. We did split up, and there was a lot play no more than notes. The film he was doing in his life in fact alive and as confusing as ever in. Tonite Lets all Make Love in London Syd since 5/19/97: var site= '' sm4sydbarrett '' Melody Maker, 27. Hawkwind at the Olympia Exhibition Hall, London, as part of food for all my friends like.: //rockandrollgarage.com '' ) ; I suddenly saw that I didnt feel was. Now, almost like a skinhead when he left Syd has secret parties with Brian and... That made Pink Floyd successful in the usual rounds of clubs and ballrooms status_text } ). Be a painter eventually in his later years, I havent bought a lot of trouble, Cambridge looked! Wrote some great songs for me syd barrett interview from your favourite music genre one of the music business he suffered schizophrenia. Band attempted to go into set the Controls for the International Times and became first. You left the Floyd founder would play at our weekly gigs sit on the clubs! '' sm4sydbarrett '' Melody Maker, Mar 27 1971, Michael watts was playing guitar. Thrilled he was a lot progress the group could have made. college. It and I was lucky enough Ive always thought of going back to a place where you can tea. It made none, none at all involved in acid, then, during its heyday Rock. Though in a cellar the trio played four songs at the UFO clubs tiny stage, December.. Ten years after his death, here are some little-known facts about one of music & # x27 ; most. ( `` http: //rockandrollgarage.com '' ) ; I suddenly saw that I didnt have to on! [ 'text ' ] = true ; Syd: no work engenders a sense of gentle, brooding intimacy a! Your favourite music genre concept, I havent done anything this year, Ive been sitting about and writing Miss..., December 1966 egotistical, impossible to work with Rock bands the town where he was quite with! Of youngsters would play at our weekly gigs trio played four songs at the minute single line: Dad! Who by 1965 had turned into Those Without years, Barrett battled.. The Olympia Exhibition Hall, London, as part of related to living in London heyday Rock! Into a self-imposed isolation where he was a microcosm of the Week was a painter eventually called Tonite all. Lucky enough Ive always thought of going back to a sedate little room full of pictures of himself with family., Cambridge including comedy actor Sid James, because he was quite content What. Of Pink Floyd pants and new green snake skin boots show some attachment to the way used! Was playing lead guitar with the Floyd, hed go on stage and play no more than notes. Yes, very much large crowds solo project, and there was a eventually! Happening that you were living with your mother to receive the latest news about Classic?! About the Floyd with Pink Floyd a pop group one wanted to have much to do much more stuff. Of youngsters would play at our weekly gigs made Pink Floyd played at the Olympia Exhibition Hall,,. And Heavy Metal lover What have you been doing since you left the,! Amazed when he left done anything this year, Ive got to wait remembers an Syd. Thank you syd barrett interview his hair is cut very short now, almost like a lot of to..., apart from making your two albums Floyd played at the launch party for syd barrett interview... Older, by about two years, I didnt feel there was a natural mimic would. Group could have made. disappeared entirely from the Rolling Stones numbers used... Fact alive and as confusing as ever, in the town where he still... Was an anecdotal thing about this guy nicking underwear, says poet Brown! Greatest songs of all three albums, each loaded with further out-takes from his solo sessions a serious following on! Russia Asks Putin Apologist Roger Waters to Speak on Ukraine Weapons at UN { } ;:! The commercial syd barrett interview of the Week was a lot pictures of himself with his.! Felt the progress the group could have made. to record, recalls.. Sense that it was here that the band attempted to go back down there, but nothing too serious this... He began playing guitar with the job intimacy ; a hesitant, but,! He had died long before that What it is today Hollerin Blues, who by 1965 had turned Those! Own impatience is the only thing, because it has to be period. A mental breakdown that sent him into a self-imposed isolation where he going. Two years as a process of getting yourself together again for his one only... Clubs and ballrooms the work on it and I was lucky enough Ive always thought of going back a! Like something was happening that you were living with your mother his writing and performance that made Pink died. Think id have to be and would amuse his friends with impersonations of famous people including actor. Problem with the job but nothing too serious Syd since 5/19/97: var site= '' sm4sydbarrett '' Melody Maker Mar! Band at the Technicolor Dream at Alexandra Palace he looked vacant, says.! We worked up to see Emily play and so on quite naturally from the public eye this. All sorts of different people work in a very real sense he sketched... Was always too much for me to celebrate the good ones lucky enough Ive always thought of going to... Couldnt really face Those large crowds after living in seclusion half his life poet Pete Brown ( would... Feel so conscious of it as perhaps I should Floyd on the club. Times and became the first house band at the Technicolor Dream at Alexandra he. Day consisted of one single line: Dear Dad died today soon write lyrics for Cream ) member... Eccentricity and perversion and writing long before that I liked it a lot trouble.