moon life in spiral light

I just had to get that item and, indeed, my faked Londonderry letter, claiming all rights on the «stolen» hotel stationary, was judged the most original entry and I was declared the winner of the 'Moonlife in Spiral light' poem.

As you can see Jimi had started on the backsides of the stationary. Maybe because he didn't have any more paper «at hand», he flipped over the third sheet to continue and finish the poem on its actual upper side. Like with many other of his poems Jimi didn't have enough time left to transform it into a song...

Hendrix and Switzerland

The Jimi Hendrix Experience have played Switzerland only once with two gigs at the Pop Monsterkonzert at Zurich Hallenstadion on May 30th and 31st 1968. By that time sparks of the revolutionary fires, roused at Paris and Berlin, had spread and already reached Zurich. The young wing of the «Partei der Arbeit» (PdA) had prepared the «1. Flugblatt der anti-autoritären Menschen», a pamphlet that featured Jimi Hendrix' picture on the frontside, the medaillon on his breast now propagating Mao's «Revolution is legitimate». The same group had also procured the master of ceremonies, Giorgio Frapolli.

Fire in the streets

Of course, that loaded atmosphere («Aufbruchstimmung») was also felt inside the Hallenstadion, and when it came about problems and delays, some people started to throw bottles and other small things on the stage, even during the Hendrix gig. Jimi had to stop «Stone Free». Ironically, it was now Giorgio who had to deal with the spirits they had called for, and had to argue with the audience, warning them that Jimi Hendrix would stop playing if people wouldn't cease throwing things.

«His music needs full attention, not only with the fists but as well with your ears.» As on other occasions like this when Jimi was angry, Mitch Mitchell would start his drum intro to «I don't live today» - thus forcing the band leader to take up his axe and go on playing.

The gig was saved - but not Zurich. After the second evening of the Pop Monsterkonzert the first heavy riots in a long row to come had hit the streets of Zurich.....

(For more infos look up the extensively researched article by Eugen Sorg: «Aufbruch» in «Das Magazin» No. 21, 29/05/93 issued by Tages Anzeiger newspaper.)

Today

There is still an active Hendrix scene in Switzerland, with Marcel Aeby's More Experience, a professional and internationally touring cover band (sometimes assisted by Noel Redding), Mario Capitanio who recorded a CD «vo Jimi bis Hendrix» that features 10 Hendrix covers in Swiss dialect, and Peter Herzig, a regular contributor to UNIVIBES , the quarterly Hendrix magazine, and co-organizer of the 1995 Hendrix festival at Boldern on lake Zurich.

This autograph was forwarded to me by Iris Gasparini. As a London resident in those crucial end-sixties years she had seen Hendrix on several occasions, from small club venues to his 1970 Isle of Wight performance.