ácidas memórias

"Three couples, including Syd Barrett and myself, went to this

cottage in Wales where we decided to welcome in the new year

[1968] with an acid trip. It turned out to be one of the most

intense experiences of my life. We formed a circle, held hands

and a visible energy circle of light soon began to flow in one

direction, while another flowed in the other direction. As they

grew faster, there was an exhilarating sense of being on this

incredible ride, with the energy taking bits of us and painting

them onto the next person. Then Syd's girlfriend let go and it

was as if the cottage had tumbled out of a box and its contents

were flying everywhere. Another order of reality opened up.

And Syd was no longer Syd, but a near life-size teddy bear

with Syd's head on it. My girlfriend could see it too. She said,

'Syd, what's the matter with you? You look like a teddy bear.'

He grabbed an acoustic guitar and started to sing She Loves

You completely out of tune. And from that moment, Syd never

returned to what could've been described as his normal self 

again."

Palavras de Prince Stash à revista Mojo. Filho do célebre pintor 

Balthus e com ascendência genética que o liga a Lord Byron e 

George Bataille (Byron, Bataille e Balthus — todo um programa!), 

este princípe dandy e também músico, foi personagem reinante 

nos animados e psicadélicos anos da Swimming London, onde 

privou, como não podia deixar de ser, com os Rolling Stones e os 

Beatles. Terá sido mesmo o primeiro homem com quem a bela 

Marianne Faithfull dormiu, segundo confissões da própria, quando 

era ainda namorada de Jagger.

Este esteta de (pro)vocação hedonista, entre outras residências 

espalhadas pelo mundo, vive hoje em Itália num castelo do 

século quinze e foi por estes dias motivo de um documentário na 

BBC Radio 4.