L’ ironie du sort

version française, ici
Genesis P. Orrigde
Jade : Why did you have to leave England ?
Genesis P-Orridge :
I was interviewed by Brian Ginsen that I met in is apartment three or four years ago. They (?) They thought I was a treathen, so I was (called ) a threathen. It’s the old story, the same thing happens to William (Burroughs) with “Naked lunch”, it’s a lifestyle thing. Sometimes it’s not so much the work we do, it’s what you represent to stupid people because inculted people don’t believe you represent the same thing. So it’s always a confusion. I think I represent something to those people who appreciate what I do, I represent certain things to them which is relevant to their relives. But to some official, in a government office, they almost have a little computering goals : he’s pro homosexual, pro magic, pro literatury, he’s anti war, he’s anti… they can go trough this belief, and they go to an equal, total : very bad. It’s almost like that. You know : chek, check, check. They look at each other and they go : “wa have to do get this guy”. “Who can he be still around ?” And they go to “who does he know ?” And they go to William Burroughs. Oh, oh. Brian Gysin, etc. And they go to “oh, oh, very, very bad : pro drugs, oh, oh.” I thing that’s what happens. I thing someone very stupid just go trough these lists and “who should we…” and it was before an election. We were going to have an election and there were no wars to distract anybody, and they couldn’t argue about the communists anymore, because at this time they were trying to be nice, so they look for an ennemy . Always. Every government. Everyone. Just it was my turn, you know, tha’s all. I take this as a compliment. The only (?) thing that I as to do was : “thank you for putting me in the same place with fantastic people. For me it’s a great accomplishment. I deserve the compliment, but it’s a great compliment.

And you were nerver.
I just decided that I was never going to go back. Because police told my attorney, my lawyer : “we canno't garanty is safety, so that he can stay alive.” And my answer was : no one threatened me, they did and it’s obvious what they think. In other words : don’t come back, we don’t want you right now. OK. Cause you look at history you see that some people co back and they try to fight in the court. You can’t do it, you have to wait. You have to be very patient. Burroughs as have to live the american way, brian have to leave, sometimes that’s what you have to do. And it’s ok. Because you have a all new life to have because you are away. It would be to boring and to obious to go and (?) I don’t want to represent evil to England. I’m not English anymore. So you just travel, and you meet new people, and wait and the great irony is of course is always they call you back one day. If you wait long enough they always ask you to come back, because they miss the excitement. I think so, I think it’s really stupid stuff that happens, not very sophisticated at all. It’s got nothing to do with what I actually doing or not doing at that moment. Estate it’s like a problem they have, a (? Computive) problem they have. Then suddenly, a year ago they say : would you please come back to the all festival Hall (??) and the government pay to have me in charge of the Hall of evening, the most prestigious place in London, own by the Queen and the government, with Quincy Crip, he will also met me, it’s insane (?) It was inept but I knew it would happen, something like that would happen, not exactly but something like that would happen. So of course we said : yes, of course. That spit the Hall evening was, they gave us the weird book were the royal family sit. (Silence). And in England that’s very significant, just one box, just bigger than this table, which is only for the Queen and the royal family sitting to watch Opera, classical music, and this all building was paid for so that she could see classical music from this box, and THAT’S was they gave us for a all day and they look David and say “and you could have your family in the Royal box.” So we put a smoke machine in the royal box (rires) like everyday (vérifier) and do a ricshow in the royal box, we covered it with soak and everything, my friend were in the royal box , with this smoke pulsing and stoke, it’s fantastic. So who’s who’s I don’t really know, that’s the way it will work, so… They never, they never confront you face to face. To meditate, you know. In all the politic, in all the history of England, it’s all done behind your back, they stab you in the back. They’ve done it to every country in the world, they’re brilliant at it. And of course they never will (say) “we’re sorry about that LITTLE mistake”. But they still have all the photographs. They nerver gave me the films and photographs. So ultimately Larry I ask him about it he answer they wanted the archives. He said, really. Undernead everything else, they wanted the archives. They wanted to try and understand what all of us is doing. Because they could never understand. Because the sickness and year is going… (???), because it’s not rational. It’s about exatasis, it’s about cutting things up, you know, they have no idea, they don’t do that. May be they have some poor guy who just sit and (watch) all those videos, hundreds of hours of videos, trying to understand why it’s a treat. Very bizarre. What a great catalogue if you could get all of it. End to end. So that’s why I think : great. You know, I had a fabulous adventure, it’s better, better than everything, cause I really learn to not belong anywhere, to not belong to anything. Just to be free and travel and get rid to chain. It’s good. Maybe one day well get the photos. They probably lost them, they’d be in a bag in a weird house or anywhere. In a hundred years, someone will open the bag and “jez, Waou. Holy day, that’s the kind of stuff they had.” So it’s a time box.

The same happen’s to Philip Fichot.
Yes, that’s right. It seems to be a rite of passage. I just feel part of a small group of special little group of people. Quincy Crisp was fantastic to me too. I feel gratitude to it. I feel really gratitude to met the world of Gysin and all (?) who meant to me. Like a wishless kid, I would like you could in your life, so you could like it I nerver met Warrol, but I think I would have been disaponted, and that’s why… I think he was probably more interesting for his image and the theories than how he really was. Warrol I think is better for image and theories than ask him.

He was an addict ? Yes. Oh… I did really just want money. Who knows ? He did probably just wanted money. But his influence is still very impressive. Someone you just have to feel the influence. And Eric Chaiman(???), was incredible. Beautifull man.

And Rapid Eye... You’re only one number. There’s 3 numbers.

Is it you ? No, it’s a good friend of mine. Simon Dwayne. And I belive there’s supposed to have a new Rapid Eye, he died, and they try, there’s supposed to be a new Rapid Eye with all is personal writting. He was a very good writtezr and it’s a shame he never really wrote.

entretien réalisé par Lionel Tran au PezNer de Villeurbanne. © les Auteurs et 6 Pieds Sous Terre, 2000.
Photos © Valérie Berge, 2000