Crazy Diamond

ARTS & ARTS & CULTURE CULTURE Remembering for process, not product, whose privacy CAMBRIDGE’S was largely respected by Cambridge while alive. “Painting was key to his well-being. His decorating for every wall at home was a different colour, not just rooms – the walls themselves. He was an artist Crazy first, a musician second. It’s a shame he became sidetracked by music, in a way,” Rosemary says. Cambridge was a place that he loved, Diamond many of his early Pink Floyd tunes Edition arts columnist Ruthie Collins featuring haunting beauty spots such as The Beechwoods and the Gog Magog looks at the life of Cambridge’s most Hills. Years later, willow-fringed Cambridge famous musical son, Pink Floyd still has a timeless, naïve innocence, with a creative scene shaped by intellectuals, frontman Syd Barrett musicians, eccentrics and artists reaching for the stars, but many creating art because of something innate to their souls. Syd Barret is, to many, as Cambridge Live’s operations director Neil Jones says, “Cambridge’s most famous musical son”, leaving many fans wondering why it’s taken such a long time for Cambridge to recognise Syd so publicly. “I’m glad that it Barrett’s influence can be seen across took so long. I wouldn’t have allowed it any pop culture – from David Bowie to Blur, other way. He wouldn’t have wanted it,” his stand-out style winning admiration says Rosemary. “He just didn’t understand from the likes of Mary Quant and Mick why people were so interested. He only did Jagger. Neil Jones comments: “We hope it all for fun.” that visitors to the Corn Exchange enjoy “He loved painting nature, pastorals, the the commemorative artwork and we’re English countryside,” says Rosemary. “My pleased that it will provide a lasting tribute © Jo Randall favourite piece he did is of some flowers,” to a man whose idiosyncratic style in the A memorial concert held at Cambridge Corn she smiles. “I think what he has left me is world of music and art has been such an Exchange in October 2016, celebrating the life and that life is not to be taken too seriously, influence for so many generations work of Syd Barrett. have fun and live every day.” Perhaps his of people.” English whimsy lives on in all who are You can see CODA at the Cambridge don’t think I’m easy to talk of the two artists commissioned to create were there. There was a real sense of him band’s music as ‘like an abstract painting’, brave enough to do just that. Corn Exchange. about,” Syd Barrett told Rolling the piece. “He saw his music in terms of being a Cambridge boy.” it was art student Syd’s startling charisma I Stone in 1971. “I’ve got a very pattern and colour.” Once every minute Which is exactly what he was. While it as frontman that helped skyrocket Pink irregular head. And I’m not or so an ephemeral image of Syd appears was London where Pink Floyd’s incipient Floyd from underground cult heroes to anything that you think I am anyway.” within the wheel – you wait to spot him, his star exploded into the world in 1967, it fame – a transition that flooded rock with Psychedelia’s legendary pop icon, Syd – bright light burning the eye. “He appears was home town Cambridge where Barrett English sensibility and psychedelia. named Roger Barrett by his family – died and disappears. That’s what he’s about. retreated as a young man to spend the rest “The pressure was overwhelming,” aged 60, in 2006. Long a fiercely guarded of his life in strict privacy Rosemary says of that time. Syd’s treasure in the city, a public art tribute to soon after. relationship, not so much with creativity, Barrett, named CODA, can now be seen Pink Floyd grew out but with the pressures our society can inside the Cambridge Corn Exchange – of the 1960s, a time of labour on artists, is one that all artists will helping to keep his magical and ingenious “I don't think I'm easy to talk about. technicolour optimism. relate to. “You look at X Factor; Syd would spirit alive. “We selected CODA as a I've got a very irregular head. And “You could feel it in the have found that appalling,” Rosemary tells concept because it was so full of glitter air, we really felt we were me. “Career, being a celebrity – that just and sparkle, like Syd was,” says Rosemary I'm not who you think I am anyway” changing the world,” wasn’t Syd.” Many remember him though, Breen, Barrett’s sister, who was part of the Rosemary says. Years his beauty, talent, openness and passion, as selection committee for the tribute. You have someone who isn’t with us any later, it’s bizarre to think that Syd Barrett’s a star who was not only an extraordinary At CODA’s centre is a bike wheel, more, who is with us in the music.” school, Cambridgeshire High School for artist but inspired two of the most listened reminiscent of one of the first-ever Pink CODA itself was launched at a huge Boys, now Hills Road Sixth Form College, to rock classics of all time – Pink Floyd’s Floyd tunes Bike (1967), written by Syd. “It sold-out memorial concert in Syd’s (named the ‘crème de la crème’ of state Crazy Diamond (1975) and Wish You Were is also referencing Cambridge itself, which memory at Cambridge Corn Exchange sixth forms by Tatler in 2014) was the Here (1975). His work as a solo artist still is a city of bikes, plus surrealist artist Marcel back in October 2016. “It was very partial inspiration behind Pink Floyd’s inspires a fierce loyalty all over the world. Duchamp. Playfulness and surrealism were moving,” Clare says. “So many people from Another Brick In The Wall (Part II). A But behind every star is a real person: essential to Syd,” says Clare Palmier, one Cambridge who had memories of him whimsical rule-breaker who described the behind Syd was Roger, who created art 28 | Cambridge Edition | January 2017 SIGN UP TO THE EDIT NEWSLETTER AT CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK SIGN UP TO THE EDIT NEWSLETTER AT CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK Cambridge Edition | January 2017 | 29.

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