> Jimmy [sic] Hendrix Experience. Concert in Falkoner Centret.
I look the way I look, says Jimi Hendrix, the concert attraction on next Sundays soul- meeting in Falkoner Centret, to correspond to my dream.
Hendrix's dream: - That I'm send out by Fidel Castro to infiltrate the lines of the Southern Confederations lines in 1864. I'm a believer and a revolutionist.
The Soul-star's revolution has experienced an explosion on the popscene. Breakthrough with the usual temperature curve pattern, now on the chartlist with the Polydor singles "Stone Free" and "Purple Haze". The Stile: adapted soul, not quite black, often toward the white. As the European audience prefers. Black inspiration, white stars.
The accompaniment, supplied by Jimi Hendrix' group with the name miske [sic], on the deep zzzuuunnnnggg "Experience", [I think here has been a editorial mistake - claus] The songtexts, often by Hendrix himself, are psychedelic, man, what else. Even though one of them, deals with Jimi walking on the water, was changed to not offend. Also to be noted, that Jimi Hendrix occasionally through his loud and visual dynamic show plays the guitar with the teeth. Yes, teeth.
Jimi Hendrix is born on the 27th of november 1942 in Seattle, USA. White or black? - I'm Cuban, man, says Jimi, I'm from Mars.
>Jimi Hendrix - good reason to look like this
On Sunday 21th of may SBA presents Jimi Hendrix at a concert held in the Falkoner Centret, where Harlem Kiddies, Defenders and Beefeaters will perform. Jimi Hendrix is a very unique guitarist, at the level with Eric Clapton from the Cream. Not that he is a revolutionist in the usual way, but he just plays so much and seem so in touch with the blues, that nothing has been heard alike for a long time. Jimi Hendrix sometimes plays so temperamental, that his guitar and amplifier explodes [sic], as it happened at a concert in England, last month. But then, he played his guitar with his teeth. So he will probably turn to an wild and bloody (powerfull) experience.
>Biting Jimi Hendrix looks in a mixture of agressitivity and skepticism from behind his two accompanists
Jimi Hendrix also represents the rebellian, but I also suspect the more musically side of the pop. He is originally american, but claims he came to England from Cuba. He is a big name in England now, his guitar playing are better than most pop people, he has more blues feeling, it is more directly and artistic, and then, he play guitar with his teeth, not his hands, teeth. And he does it better than most people with their right hand.
His first hit record "Hey Joe" is also on the danish charts, and the new "Purple Haze" is on its way. Like Cream, the group consists of three members, drums and bass besides Hendrix. At the moment they are on a short Scandinavian tour. Hendrix will get sharp competition from the danish-american group "Harlem Kiddies" with the soul singer King George, our best danish soul group The Beefeaters, and the immortal and invincible Defenders.
>Jimi Hendrix with his two musicians
Hendrix plays with his teeth, he simply puts the guitar strings to his mouth and bites them. The elbows are used for rubbing the strings - and in every case it is the master who is playing.
Jimi Hendrix must be seen and experienced. It is true that his music is in a special class, but it is just as much his overall performing, behaviour and apperance which makes him a phenomenon.
The experience was more of a meeting with the new kind of people, Hendriks [sic] and his group represent - the underground people, apparently hanging freely in the air. But maybe it was their striped clothes, that reminded us of the troubadours of the Middle Ages. It is what they are today, popular and without compromise, but still not free to make a fuss. ... Harlem Kiddies ... Beeteaters ... Defenders.
Except from his instrumental skills, Hendrix himself is a wonder of very ingenuity. I do not remember having seen an instrument been played so many various ways before, behind the neck, below the knees, with the teeth, scraped against an amplifier. All together with some wild charm, a catching spirit and energy, that remarkably do not led the thoughts to a clown. Wild and mad is the bassplayer Noel Redding and the drummer Mitch Mitchell too, both by the way they look and play. The drummer almost looking like a Harpo Marx, dressed up like a frantic rococo clown. By the way, one of the most wild and hardplaying drummers I have ever heard.
The musical base is the blues, the forms are simple and not particular varied. The totality is strange and oversteered peculiar blurred. The show in Falkoner Centret was introduced by the groups Beefeaters, Harlem Kiddies and Defenders with changing luck and ingenuity. Defenders beeing the best. Jimi Hendrix Experience was of course the main attraction, and with real excitment awaited by the full house. The group seemed to be decorative, fresh, strong and stunning.
The second part of this show was introduced with the playback of Who Are The Brain Police by the Mothers Of Invention, ... Defenders and Harlem Kiddies, showed no sense of psychedelic happening. What a happening is would be more known. There was just no happening at the concert yesterday. Oh yes, the american guest, Jimi Hendrix' attempt to knock over his own amplifier equipment (while a young lady, partly hidden for the audience, held against, so nothing would happen) was maybe a kind of happening, but in this case rather miserable. This act Who and Move do much better.
Hendrix and his two (english?) players served - with a hairy splendour, which beat even Bob Dylan' - this evenings most spell-binding music with a sharp drumming and a heavy rytmic guitarplay by Hendrix himself. He has so much feeling for the exploitation of the ultraamplified guitar in long glisandi (?-claus), that it should not be necessary for him to use such old and ridiculous gimmicks, like playing with the guitar on the neck or back. Apart from a few simple rytmic moments, before also this group became monotonous deafening, this evening was not some mind expanding happening - neither in its form or quality.
But Jimi Hendrix who sometimes tells very crazy stories about himself, has a true story to tell about himself and his uniform: - I used to wear a uniform in seriousness, the singer-guitarist tells. I did my military service in the famous American Screaming Eagles Airborne Division, and that was no joke, but I got through it early and volunteerly.
- Then it happend what happend to me, I was record-discovered through England and Decca and all that stuff, and listen carefully what happened to me, one night I was walking through the streets of London in my old silly uniform. - One of the police' cars pointed at me with their searchlight, says Jimi Hendrix, and the police officer started questioning me. What was this uniform ? If I did not know that this uniform used to be serious for a man who exposed himself to death in that uniform etc. And what I besides this did for a work, and who I worked for ? The Experience ? Who did I think I was, talking about "experience" ?
- After a long time, tells Jimi, I showed them my passport and told them that the uniform was from 1898, and that it used to belong to an officer in the - vertenarian corpse. And that I used to wear a uniform which was bloody seriousness to me in the USA. And that I by experience meant that I had experienced quite a lot.
- A lot of what ? One of the officers asked quiet.
- Harassment, said Jimi, and the parters split.
Like this, young Jimi left home someday, 15 years old. He played at the farms and on the markets and one day when he met some young guys who told Jimi how well they were doing in the army, he joined them. He told the sergent he was 17 and was accepted. - But the army quikly turned out to be the wrong place for me, says Jimi to me. We sit and talk at his hotel somewhere in Europe. Jimi has arrived the same day by flight from somewhere else and will play two shows this evening with his two experience friends Mitch Miller and Noel Redding. Tomorrow is he a third place in europe.
The sweet girl - I did not do better in the army, so I had to sell my guitar, Jimi tells - fortunately to a nice guy, who would lend it to me when I needed it. I left the US-army some months after I had joined. And then I was left in Tennesse in Kentucky with 400 dollars left in my pocket. I would have left for Seattle but then there was this little girl, who kept me. And I stayed in Clarkville through the night and had some wonderfull hours.
I met a bunch of nice people who praised my vocal. And I gave drinks to them all. When I woke up the next morning I had 13 dollars left in my pocket. Then I had to get back and borrow my guitar again, so that I could play me the way to Seattle. But it was closer to Nashville. It was only 20 miles from Clarksville and Fort Campbell, where I started the tour home. In Nashville I stayed. There where jobs for me. Lots of jobs!
They said that I exploded really great. And Chas told me that he would never forget me but someday try to start me up. I deserved that, he said. He said I just had to come to England. It was more easy to come to Mars I thought. Or to Seattle. Or to Cuba! But Chas turned out to be a guy who would remember his promises. He told people about me everywhere and wrote for me. I got the money for a ticket - Chas helped me with this. And then I came to old London and Chas got me gigs immediately. In different small clubs. And Chas came night after night with all his friends - Mick Jagger, Beatles, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Eric and Jeff are the two best guitarist, I think. Mick told me that I was the most sexy performer in the world, after himself, whatever he could mean about that.
Hah, no no I discovered that it was hard to look after yourself in England, and that it was more expensive to call back to Seattle. I was almost ready to leave on the ship when Chas left the Animals and became a record producer. He took me into the studio immediately and after the audition he was aloud to give me a contract. And then the bomb exploded ! "Big Joe" it was called it is a 100 years old and there is 1.000 versions of it, but I have made version 1.001 and it was this which exploded. Chas introduced me to some guys like me, the janizary Mitch Miller and the bassplayer Noel Redding. We became a trio - Jimi Hendrix and his Experience. Joe was followed up by "Foxy Lady" and "Red House". The last I was inspired by listening to Eric Clapton!
Eric Clapton is as enthusiastic about Jimi as Jimi about him - Jimi is the most wonderfull guitarist I have ever met, has Eric Clapton (from "Cream") told me. Other Jimi-fans amongst the stars are John Lennon, John Mayall and Graham Nash.
"Purple Haze", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Manic Depression" and "I Don't Live Today" has marked Jimi's way to the stars - or as Jimi himself express this:- On the way down as a bomb!
To many it sound as a bomb explosion with "3rd Stone From The Sun" and "Are You Experienced!". One is suddenly not the same person after one has heard Jimi speed up with gas and oil.
Not at all the first half an hour after. One cannot hear anything else, if one can hear at all!
- Imagine a year ago I walked around in New York and knew only my creditors, says Jimi, - now I just came from Hamburg, where the young germans screamed "Heil Jimi" until they became blue in their heads! As long as they do not scream something else! Even though I was not happy about that they throw us out on the street in Frankfurt. By the way I was told that the Germans in Hamburg never screamed "Heil Hitler". He did not dare coming there. Hitler !
Why where you put on the street in Frankfurt?
They did not want us at the hotel! When they saw how we looked. It was a neat hotel.
You and Noel and Mitch are maybe not very neat? Not even for yourself?
- I dress the way I want!
And how about the hair ?
- Yes, there is someone who think that it was me who invented it, but it was the wind. I have had that much backwind lately. By the way, there is other than me, who comb the hair backwards!
Backwards ?
- Yes with the back of the comb from the neck and forwards, right! Just look at Bob Dylan - as I admire. I originally combed my hair this way as a monument for Bob. Or look at Eric Clapton, Garry Leeds from Walker Brothers, Roy Wood from Move or our own Noel Redding.
Yes and I think there is a Pussycat from Norway!
- Hope I meet him someday! And when I put all these colours into my cloth, then it is due to the many years I had to do what I was told by others, and different trends. Now I have found these things I like. A small belt, an old uniform, a blue shirt and like this...
Is it a special kind of beatifull artform to play with the feets ?
- Not more beatifull than with the teeths - or the hands! I guess I don't sing that well, but I cannot help it. It comes from the inside. I feel good when I play and sing - or whatever you call it !
What will your next thing be ?
- Right now there comes an LP, the first. And we are working on the next. The German beer was so strong that it inspired me to write a octupus thing. Octopus it is called. Well it was actually Mitch who got inspired. I do not drink that much beer.... Jimi stands up and starts combing his hair in his own way. He has to get ready for "Purple Haze", which will start his next concert. It starts in half an hour, no, 15 minutes, as times go...
[Would you agree "sic" to most ? the author Court Helmer is probably dead, I have a picture from about this time ('67), he looks 40-50 y.o. and writes on a noteblock - maybe his writings got mixed - or (more fun that is) Jimi joked all the way through the interview..."Yeah that is Mitch Miller our hit is called "Big Joe", oh yes "Heil Jimi"" haha]