Shouting from the Hop

New Jersey poet and musician Patti Smith even took a tumble during the set, rekindling memories of her late '70's fall when she broke bones in her back, narrowly missing the edge of the stage at Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Patti, who is now 60, was in town performing one of her Rock N Rimbaud gigs, dedicated to the poet Arthur Rimbaud, when, during a fiery encore of 'Rock N Roll Nigger', she tripped on a speaker and fell flat on her face, cutting her elbow. Despite not getting up for a few agonising seconds, the singer finally rose to loud cheers, humorously following the fall with a speech about "not losing your balance" in life. She then gave the speaker a kick in retaliation. "I'm not even f'ing embarrassed because I've done far worse," Smith laughed. "May (guitars) be the only weapons we use, may tripping up be the only humiliations we suffer, and may these (pointing to her scuffed elbow) be the only battle scars."

Earlier, Smith's set had included favourites like 'Horses', 'Gloria', 'We Three' - which she dedicated to Television leader Tom Verlaine (who she admitted to lusting after at CBGBs in 1974) - 'Dancing Barefoot', and 'Because The Night'. She also sang blistering covers of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', Jimi Hendrix's classic 'Are You Experienced' and The Rolling Stones' anthem 'Gimme Shelter'.

Patti was joined on stage by guitarist Lenny Kaye, who she performed with at her first ever Rock N Rimbaud gig in New York in 1971. Lenny was in fine form and the pair have an excellent musical working relationship that was very apparent all gig long. Patti thanked the crowd for "missing the rugby game", and also said that "the older you get, the better things become". Too true in her case!

The gig was certainly fantastic, and one of the best we have been to in years and years. The sound was fabulous (and not too loud..), the crowd OK, the atmosphere terrific, and the playing excellent.

Patti is one of my all time heroes, having first seen her in the mid-seventies. Then she bobbed all over the stage a bundle of electricity, but now, she is much more mature, but with a still fantastic voice.

The fact that England have made it to the final (even though I will miss it) is fantastic. I am very, very proud of their displays following the sound thrashing that South Africa gave them 36 days ago. To beat the Australians and the French is amazing! If they have improved by a point a day (which by all accounts and looking at the recent results they have), then England will go into the game with the sides even. It could be that close!

The Bokkies will no doubt want to get points on the board early, and then grind out the game staying well ahead; England will just want to be close come the last ten minutes...

So why am I missing it? Well, I am going to se Patti Smith tonight.

Many many moons ago, in 1976, Patti changed my life. From a boring hum-drum existence listening to Pink Floyd, Yes, and Genesis, I was taken to see her band at The Roundhouse in London, and my musical outlook changed forever. Gone was the posturing instrumental nonsense and in came meaningful exciting and electric songs for real people.

So tonight is a bit of closure after thirty years of pretending to be young; trying to stay on track with decent meaningful sounds; being a man of the poeple! Patti is over 60 years old now, and I doubt she will be bouncing round the stage like she did in May 1976 (though it wouldn't surprise me if she was!).

I'm really looking forward to it, but sad that I will miss the rugby.

I won't bother taking a radio (not that I may be able to hear it inside anyway), but I'll know when I leave whether England have won or not; the sounds and faces of all those in the Shepherds Bush area will tell me that. I'll have had a good night whatever the score...