Patti - Meltdown - 18 June 2005 (pm)

[Andrew F Wilson <andrewfwilson>]

This afternoon there was a free event in the RFH Ballroom, billed as
"The Word and Patti".  This started with a reading by the poet Janet
Hamill, then an open mic session.  The last hour was taken up by a
conversation between Hamill and Patti and some Q&A with the audience. 
There were perhaps 50 people present for this, so it was nice and
intimate.  The conversation started with Hamill and Patti describing
their meeting at college in the '60s, then covered how she started
writing poetry, then performing and singing and her literary
influences.

Patti was amusing and interesting as always.  She pointed out that her
singing was very limited when she started recording, and she'd been
made aware of this when re-listening to Horses recently.  But, she
said, the most important thing is to be confident and do what you know
you should do.  She clearly plans to continue in this vein and stated
"You have to be prepared to work all your life".  In answer to a
question about Emily Dickinson's punctuation - "I like Emily Dickinson
- but I've never noticed the dashes."

Next Janet Hamill read Ghost Dance, then Patti gave an impassioned
reading of  People Have the Power, after telling the story of Fred
asking her to write it as she peeled potatoes.  Hamill read Ginsberg's
Footnote from Howl whilst Patti listened with head bowed in clear
enjoyment.

The afternoon ended with Patti accompanying herself  on guitar in the
(highly appropriate) My Blakean Year, then left us "to go and do some
other Meltdown work" - presumably meeting and greeting for the Songs
of Innocence show that evening.

kind regards


Andrew