theluxordream3

'Helium'

(taken from the best-seller:

'The Slightly Dubious History of Rock' by Titus Luxor

- available at all good book stores)

I was wondering how old Nad Sylvan was.

So I Googled it (other search engines are available)

Turns out he's 62. Older than I thought.

I think Nad is OK. He grasps the poisoned chalice of

'trying to be Peter Gabriel' and gulps it down like a German in a Bier-Keller.

Sometimes he screws up, but mostly he's great.

I've heard lots of recordings/seen PG do 'Supper's Ready' live

and even HE can't sing it.

Shit, those albums are one-offs.

Nobody can sing it. Parts of 'Williow Farm' are done with Helium FFS!

Actually there is a long lost 1972 BBC documentary which was never aired

partly because they discovered the bulk of the footage

was Phil Collins counting his money, but mainly because

the original film reels were lost in a mysterious fire

(allegedly started when Tony Banks poured petrol

through the letter-box and tossed in a lighted match)

In one surviving snippet (look for it on YouTube)

our intrepid BBC reporter stops a member of the backstage crew

"And what do you do?" he asks in a 'terribly' British way

"I'm Peter Gabriel's Helium roadie".

Well...that inspired  the name of one of the biggest rock bands you've never heard of. of.

'Peter Gabriel's Helium Roadie' (PGHR) were phantasmagorical

(with a capital F)

They were very, very big in Japan.

From the catchy pop of 'Oh Baby the Juice is Runnin' Down My Leg'

to the far-out, side long, space epic that is 'Star of Serious'.

Of course there were line-up changes/dead drummers

but 'The Helium' as the hard core fans called them, always 'Rocked'

(with a capital W) (the singer had issues with his false teeth)

The whole band trgically died in a mysterious fire

(allegedly started when Tony Banks poured petrol through the letter-box and...

(STOP IT...Ed.)

regards

Titus

afterthought:

I write things at times

On occasions it rhymes

If this causes one smile

Then it's all been worthwhile