Patti Smith confides in an unprecedented interview - Rolling Stone

« Je dois encore trouver comment je peux servir au mieux cette nouvelle époque dans laquelle nous vivons,»» a confié Patti Smith dans une nouvelle interview accordée à Rolling Stone

Patti Smith is not the type to be a homebody, but this year 2020 has made the exception, of course;The pandemic having forced him to stay in her hometown."I haven't left New York for over a year, which has been the longest period of rooting since my children grew up," she said to Rolling Stone Usa.I am not used to being rooted in one place.But I spent most of my time writing.»»

Now that the world is gradually recovering, the globetrotter artist and musician is ready to go back on stage.After giving a handful of concerts in New York in recent months, she is preparing to perform on May 22 and 23 at the outdoor spring festival of Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, in New York State.These concerts will be used, in part, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Bob Dylan, which will take place on May 24.

The festival also offers sculpture, culinary art and dance, as well as shows by Yo La Tengo and Steve Gunn."[The festival] was created a long time ago for dance," explains Smith. Et ils élargissent leur champ d’action cette année, ce qui est passionnant»».

Rolling Stone was able to ask him a few questions ...

Revenons en arrière : quel a été le dernier concert que vous avez joué avant les confinements ?

Patti Smith: The last three concerts we have given, one of them was a big show in Los Angeles and was part of the Power to the People festival!of Herbie Hancock (early March 2020).He had a very galvanizing political side.Then we went to San Francisco and played in one of my favorite places [the West Fillmore].And of course, it's a historic place.I have played there many times, everyone has played there.You climb these long metal steps, and you can imagine Jerry Garcia and all kinds of people rising on the steps of the West Fillmore West.These two days were very strong.

And then we were ready for a world tour.I had my bags for Australia.We were supposed to make a last concert in Seattle, but it was canceled the day we were there.And then we got home and we expected to be in quarantine and go through everything we had to go.But, of course, none of us had planned that we would be without work for perhaps two years or more.

Dans quoi avez-vous canalisé votre énergie pendant cette période ?

Patti Smith: I'm very lucky because I write wherever I go.I am not used to writing [at home] ... I am a traveler.And what was the most difficult for me is not even not to play is to be anchored in a single city ... It is the lack of physical commitment that was difficult.I am not a person who goes to the gym and all that.I mean, I will be 75 years old - I do three or four concerts per week.It’s really my physical relaxation and my exercise.So I really miss it a lot.

But I'm lucky, I have other disciplines.I was able to write, take pictures and get involved mentally.But I know that it was very, very hard for mine, for all musicians, for those who really depend on shows and tours, not only for their income but also for their way of creating.So I can't really complain, because I have a lot of work to do.

Après avoir vu New York rebondir suite à des événements comme le 11 septembre ou l’ouragan Sandy, comment voyez-vous le retour de la ville dans le domaine de la musique après la pandémie ?

Patti Smith: I don't worry about New York, but for the whole world.New York will find its way.The situation is global ... It is unprecedented, because it is the whole world, all over the world, people suffer in the same way.New York is a city that continues to rebuild itself, reinvent itself and survive.

I am always optimistic.I think it is important to remain optimistic and I also think that it is important to be able to adapt.We have to adapt;Things will not stay the same as if by magic.We must be patient, creative, and see how we can redraw our world.

Vous avez récemment recommencé à jouer en concert. Comment cela se passe-t-il pour vous ?

Patti Smith: I only made two [series of concerts].I did something in Brooklyn Museum for workers [as part of NY POPSUP].And then I made two shows at the City Winery, very small, with my son [Jackson] and my pianist, Tony Shanahan.I must say it's a challenge. Je veux dire, c’est un défi, parce que, premièrement, vous devez vous « dépoussiérer»».And then I am such a visceral artist that I used to have people very close to the scene and to interact with them physically, or even to shake their hands.I think it's important to take these small steps and find your way.But it's like everything else, you have to strengthen this scene muscle.

We have to do these things in steps.But I'm just from another time.I am a fairly irreverent artist.I love people, but I like things to be a little ... not dangerous, but noisy.And even when I make an event around a book, there is a certain amount of commitment, and even a physical commitment.Even the simple fact of standing to read a book can be engaging.

[Performing now] requires a certain dose of understanding, compassion and discipline in relation to the new rules.For example, I am the kind of person who likes to move around people, spend time with those waiting outside the room, sign things.I am a person who, when I sing, has a lot of saliva in my mouth (… I still have to find how I can best serve this new epoch in which we live.

Vous avez donc ce festival à venir. Parlez-nous en un peu.

I am very enthusiastic because it will be my first outdoor concert and I like to play in this condition (...) and this place is really wonderful.I went to Tivoli and it is a historic place.It's big, it's beautiful, up there.It's a great time of year.I do not know if you know, but it was once the farm of horses of the grandparents of Eleanor Roosevelt.

I wanted to do something there, something intimate, but something special.And I realized that we were playing just two days before Bob Dylan's birthday.And he will be 80 years old, on the 24th.So I thought it would be really good to do something special for Bob.So we are going to do, I don't know, five or six songs from Bob Dylan and my raw songs and some poems and other things.I wrote a few poems to Bob when I was young.I will find something special.

Pouvez-vous nous parler de la première fois que vous avez rencontré Bob Dylan ?

The first time I met him was in 1974, I think, and he came to see us.I think it was Bitter end [in New York].We did not have a registration contract.We were just playing and he came to see us.And then he came behind the scenes.I mean, I liked Bob Dylan since I was 16 years old and suddenly he was there. Il est entré et a dit : « Hé, il y a des poètes par ici ?»» Et j’ai dit : « Je n’aime pas la poésie.»»

It’s as if a high school student was mean to a girl because he really loved her.This is how I was acting.He had a good sense of humor and we became quite friends, ultimately.And I think his support for our group really helped us be signed because everyone has noticed it.

Quel message donneriez-vous à vos collègues artistes qui sortent enfin la tête de l’eau ?

I just want to tell them ... I really sympathize with these people, with our dancers, our actresses, with the theater, with artists from all over.I'm sure the return to the stage will be wonderful (...) but it's a challenge to take up.This is a challenge in this situation of social distancing and a just challenge to regain foot.It is not more difficult than when you have not rushed to horse.The first time, the ride may be a bit difficult.And then the second, third time, you fly.

Interview by Brenna Ehrlich