from book 'Ten Imaginary Years'
The tensions came to a head on 27 May in a club after the gig in Strasbourg.
Simon: "I was about to leave when some guy came up and told me I hadn't paid for my drinks. He thought I was Robert. I was knackered but the bloke took me up to the bar and Robert appeared to see what was going on. I hit him, he responded and we had a fight."
Robert: "I was on the first floor of this club when they came up and told me there was a problem downstairs. Simon was so wound up that no-one could talk to him - he was screaming at the barman, this young kid who was nearly in tears. By himself, Simon would have never behaved like that but he was surrounded by the road crew so he was behaving the way he thought a rock 'n' roller ought to behave.
He didn't want to pay for his drinks because he thought I wasn't paying for mine. I told him to shut up and he punched me. It was the first time he really laid into me, we had an enormous ruck and I said 'That's it', walked out, got a cab back to the hotel, got my suitcase, my passport from the tour manager's room and got on the first flight to London. That was at 6.30am and i was home by half past 10.
I left a note saying I wasn't coming back. Simon returned the same afternoon. I'd left so I suppose he thought he could do the same. Good idea ... we had three days off!".
Lol: "The pressures of having to keep up the intensity and aggessive sentiments of 'Pornography' turned Simon into someone different though, at the time, I don't think he noticed. Or didn't want to ..."
thanks to JC Moglia
