Rude Hippies

I went to a Van Morrison concert recently. I've always liked him but I had no idea what an instrumental virtuoso he is. Guitar,sax, harmonica, and not least of all,that voice. His songs are poetic but fit driving rhythms--rather awesome.

Most of the audience were people of My Age. The old Fillmore East crowd, minus marijuana. In them daze, we would go to a concert and, not just because we were stoned, sit mesmerized, trying to hear every note, every word, how they interacted, all of it.

Imagine my surprise when I found people sitting behind me, chatting as if they were watching MTV at home. Heartless bastards. This is VAN MORRISON, for God's sake--SHUT UP!!

It was like being around Cheetahs in a zoo. They used to be fast, but now they're just bored fat slobs, waiting for someonee to feed them, unused to being able to catch the food themselves. They got real middle class, and they got rude--no universe outside themselves, no soul.

I don't pretend to be clear of all these vagaries. I have an IRA. I have a job. I cross the street when suspicious people are walking on my side. But I haven't forgotten the mystery of people creating music for me to listen to, and that in order to hear, in order to listen, you have to SHUT UP.

I would have told them to shut up, too, if I hadn't been sitting in an orchestra seats that I hadn't paid for.