There are few people I know now who might be impressed if I told them that Johnny Thunders had snapped my photograph. And fewer  may understand my owning a White Light/White Heat – Velvet Underground T-shirt.

When writer Les Wiseman and I covered the goings on of the rock scene in Vancouver for Vancouver Magazine we had a snobbish code on what we wore to concerts. I must state here that good music critics (and Les Wiseman was of the best) are inherently snobs. Because I was his constant companion for interviews and concerts he illuminated me on who to listen to and who not to. I became a snob. I remember him telling me in the beggining of our partnership something like this,"If you are going to listen to anybody it has to be Lou Reed. He's God."

If you happened to go to a Ramones concert at the Commodore it was not hip to wear a Ramones T-shirt. It was better in a case like this one to wear a local punk group’s T like D.O.A.

I am not sure if we ever discussed what would be the ultimate T-shirt that could be worn for any concert. I believe that my Velvet Underground T, given me by a lovely stripper with very good taste, is the one. 

Besides Les Wiseman (who pointed it to me that indeed Johnny Thunders had snapped my portrait in the basement of Gary Taylor’s Rock Room in 1981) few would understand how hip it is for me to have that memento.  

Johnny Thunders - From the Heart