[Patti Smith, Roundhouse, Maggio 2007]

I'm not afraid of terrorism at all. I'm afraid of the loss of our freedom, loss of mobility, loss of global comradeship. I live down the street from the World Trade Centre, I saw it come down. I knew people who died there. That did not have the same emotional effect on my morale as what the Bush administration has done in response.

A stronger, more decent man could've used September 11 to global advantage, tried to find some dialogue but it went the opposite way. I haven't studied world global politics and I knew that it would be a disaster.

MTV is a big corrupter and people's motivations have changed, but the people I revered in the late 60's and the eraly 70's, their motivation was to do great work and great work creates revolution. The motivation of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix or the Who wasn't marketing, to get rich, or be a celebrity. I'm not saying that they didn't want to make money and have a good time, but their driving force was to work and that's why the music is still revolutionary.

It's just like Jesus's great teaching to love one another. They build temples and misconstrue and misinterpret or reinterpret that simple principle, but the teaching still exist. Just like rock'n'roll.

I might sound like a dinosaur or something, but I've always been like this. If you'd talked to me when I was 22, I'd probably say similar things. Only with more curse words.

Cosi' parlo' Nostra Signora. I momenti da lacrime del concerto di ieri sera sono stati direi l'inizio con "Gloria", una "White rabbit" introdotta da un racconto di Patti che visita il British Museum e che si trasforma in invettiva contro le case farmaceutiche, "Frederick" che mi commuove ogni volta esattamente come la prima volta che l'ascoltai ventotto anni fa, una "Smells like teen spirit" solennemente declamata, e un finale da paura, "Rock'n'roll nigger" che diventa disperato grido di aiuto di Madre Terra.

Ma dicci Patti, come ci si sente sul palco?