suedewalk too!Like all the best ideas, Suedewalks began as a bit of a joke. While the vague concept had been something I'd been discussing with friends for years, it only became reality by accident. A couple of Irish Suede fans were going to be in London on a particular weekend. They'd read about the legendary "Drowners bridge" on my blog (as recently featured in The Observer!) and my threat to base a tour around it now that it was facing demolition. Could I possibly do it that weekend? Why not, I thought. And before I knew it those cheeky blighters at Playlouder had pinched my blog entry to pad out what must have been a particularly slow news day. There was no turning back.
It went better than I could ever have hoped. More than a dozen of the Suede faithful turned up - some old faces and some new. Inspired, I began planning the sequel, deciding to research this one a bit more thoroughly, and also compiling a special Soundtrack CD of rare versions of Suede songs and other relevant tunes as a thank you to those who came along on the day. While the turn-out was less impressive than the debut, the walk was infinitely superior (sound familiar?). For me Suede had always been about far more than just the music, they were an inspirational band whose imagery was inextricably linked with the living, breathing capital. The journey began at The Boogaloo pub - known as The Shepherd's when Brett used to be a regular. Bernard is now more likely to be seen there, his team usually trouncing all opposition in the famous pop quizzes. He's also played a few gigs there, most recently with Bert Jansch, while Shane McGowan and Pete Doherty are also oft-seen faces.
Looking down the hill one can see suicide bridge, the present Victorian structure replaced John Nash's original which gave neighbouring Archway its name. It's not hard to imagine Brett's visions of the disenfranchised estate-dwellers of Archway storming uphill to overthrow the gentry of Highgate - the inspiration for We Are The Pigs. They'd pass Brett's old video shop on the way. He was reportedly a voracious renter of films while his girlfriend once turned up there dressed only in one of his shirts. At number 14-16 Shepherd's Hill is a grand, imposing gothic mansion, home to the mysterious Mennonites sect. It was in the garden flat of this wonderfully atmospheric building that Brett spent what many would argue was his most creative period, where on a diet of acid, ecstasy and cocaine he conjured up the words and melodies for Dog Man Star and the Stay Together single. As if this wasn't enough excitement for our party, it transpired that one of the rooms in number 16 - presumably Brett's old haunt - is currently available to rent.
Winding upwards through unbelievably rural Highgate Village, our next stop was Lauderdale House for tea and biscuits, as Samuel Pepys is thought to have done 350 years previously. The surrounding tranquillity of Waterlow Park is where Brett whiled away his lunch hours while working at the nearby community centre. It was during one of these breaks that he wrote the lyrics to Sleeping Pills. We tried to catch some leaves from the trees in tribute but were obviously far too siamese. We did manage, however, to catch a glimpse of Whittington Hospital - named after Dick - which played a major part in inspiring Black or Blue.
Highgate Cemetery is famous for being one of the locations in Bram Stoker's Dracula and also the final resting place of Karl Marx. It was on a bench next to the enormous stone head of the founder of Communism that Brett and Bernard sat for what was probably their final interview together until last year. It was with Zoe Ball for the Ozone and if Brett looked like someone who had been up all night, that's because he was.
Nearby Holly Village is one of the most delightful places in the whole of London. It's a collection of around a dozen mock-Gothic cottages designed by the architect Henry Derbyshire which the philanthropist Joanne Baden-Coutts had built in 1865 to give her servants somewhere to live. What a nice lady. It's featured in The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle as the place where Brett's old singing teacher Tona De Bret supposedly lives, although she actually stays on the other side of Highgate.
A picnic far away from the motorway followed atop Parliament Hill with glorious views of the London skyline. We then crossed the border into leafy and exclusive Hampstead, passing the pub where Ruth Ellis shot her lover and ending the first part of our adventure at the White Horse, where Suede played their very first gig more than 16 years ago.
Of course, that wasn't all but I don't want to spoil all the surprises, especially as I enjoyed this one so much I'd very much like to do a variant of it again sometime. The most rewarding thing about this pilgrimage was that it made me want to dig out my old Suede records for the first time in years and listen to them again in a completely new light. You should try it, you might even like it.
Suedewalk Unofficial Soundtrack: Introducing the Walk / We are the Pigs / Losing Myself / Sleeping Pills / You Need Hands / A Walk in the Park / Song For Ruth Ellis / Be My God
Join the Suedewalk community: http://community.livejournal.com/suedewalks/ >> Source: David Barnett
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