steve 1

I meet him in the bar in Beak Street, quite late. He fixes me a few drinks. Then we go to Turnmills. Turnmills is underground. It’s a dungeon. It has a high vaulted ceiling and a long bar. There’s about half a dozen others. The only ones I know are Dessie and Adam, an Australian model.

Steve gives me a pill and tells me to take it. The music’s loud. Steve tells me not to expect anything in a hurry. Nothing happens. The music’s too loud to talk. The club’s only half full. Adam is getting entwined with a blonde. They’re all over each other. Adam’s laughing a lot. Steve asks me if anything’s happening and I say I don’t think so. He says the pills are shit.

Turnmills goes on and on and on. The music never improves. I lose Steve. Later I spot him. He’s having a kip in a casement window up near the street. People ask me if I’m OK. I’m fine. They ask me again. I’m still fine. I walk around. I’m wide awake but nothing’s happening.

Steve’s there. He says we should get out. We walk out into the dawn. The air feels good. We go into a church yard round the corner. White blocks of medieval stone; gravestones; concealment. We don’t talk. Later Steve says that was the best bit of the night.

We meet up with Dessie and Adam and a few others and walk back to the bar in Soho. Dessie’s talking about the toys you used to get in a cereal box. I can’t remember any. We get to the bar and have a beer. Steve asks me what music we should play and I tell him we should put on Nevermind.