Paris 2003: My trip to Jim's 60th by Alex Patton

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

This was by far the most difficult of the trips I made to Jim's grave and probably the least enjoyable in a lot of ways but I did happen to meet some cool people nonetheless so it was not a complete waste!

Back to the Rivers of Belief

7th December 2003

Got to admit I was a bit unsure whether to make the trip on the Saturday night I left Stockton on Tees…...hadn’t packed a bag at 10. 30 and was catching a bus to London at midnight. Obviously I went and was bloody glad I did…..
I guess I was just a bit tired of being a Doors fan and the baggage that goes with it but at the end of the day its better than being a bloody Beatles fan….can’t wait for July now.
I got into town around 3 pm on the Sunday and dropped my stuff off and made the short trek to Pere Lachaise just to pay my respects and of course have a pint with the mad sods in La Renaissance Bar.
I knew that there would be a few in this time of day.
Wandering up the steps of the rue de la Reunion entrance my step became a bit lighter and my mood (though bloody tired) was pretty good when I reached the grave….the forecast for the next few days was dire when I left home but this day was bright sunny though a little cold…..although my feet hurt as I am not as fit as I was 20 years ago sadly….
Quite a few at the grave and said hello to Michelle Campbell who was in her usual spot and took a quick snap of Jim’s home.
There were a few bits of poetry, some pictures and the odd flower as well as lots of candles.
‘Lizard King crawl out’ was the plaintive cry on one sheet of A4…….
Maybe next year!
The cemetery was looking its usual ominously overwhelming self with a mixture of bare trees and shadows. But for us Doors fans it has become a place to feel at home in not fear….although I would be a bit wary taking a midnight stroll in the place. No time to stop at this time as I needed a sit down...I was knackered.
So strolled down the thin winding path to the alley adjacent to the bar and wandered in.
For any new visitor this time of year the place is perfect for meeting and being welcomed by total strangers...full of ’odd’ characters but always a place to feel comfortable in if you are a Doors fan.
Shook a few hands said ‘hi’ and got a pint and then sat down with Leon and Ingrid. I needed both the pint and the sit to be honest and was not sure which was most welcome.
During the course of the afternoon I met a few new friends as well as the usual crew…...The pub was surprisingly full considering the actual birthday was not till tomorrow. Last year at this time the place was practically empty.
Crazy Dutch loon Andreas was being his usual self and John Shureman from the Dutch band The Matrix Doors was with his lady Imelda and their friends including my pal Hermine.
Ida Miller from LA was sitting at a table with Paolo Facen a really nice dude from Switzerland who came up to me at the bar and smiling said ‘You are the BAD man’…..good to hear my reputation preceded me….
I wandered over with Paolo and started to have a chat with Ida only to find she was chatting with my other pal Patricia Fournier who came over from Mexico City for the bash….
So I spent quite a while sitting with them in an attempt to show Ida that I was not quite the ogre I was perceived in 21st century dork circles.
I must admit I was rather tired from the journey and the beer had an affect on me so consequently I was drunker than I expected to be….
My good friend Dairè Mooney a.k.a. The Bad Cowboy turned up and I had the craic with him and rather enjoyed myself which was not exactly what I had thought I would do oddly enough.
The bar was its usual self at this time of year warm company, good music and lousy beer. But what the hell.
I did not stay too late and forgot conversations with a few pals as I was bloody knackered. So at around half ten I wandered back to The Armstrong and promptly got lost eventually making it after a tube ride back the couple of miles past the hotel I’d walked.

8th December 2003
As the easiest way from the hotel to the pub was past Jim's grave I popped in around half nine the next morning. I was lucky as the SAS were not guarding the grave at that time.. (that would come later with R$ay and company)...and it was possible to spend as much time as I wanted there.
Nobody I knew there but a good crowd were gathered and one guy was adding a new bust of Jim to the site (albeit just for a few photos) and the crowd were taking a few shots. I snapped off a few and chatted for a while before the lure of beer dragged me toward the warmth of La Renaissance Bar. Oddly enough thought the weather was amazingly good compared to the crap forecast I got from the net on Saturday night. The sky was bright blue and nary a cloud in the sky. The temperature rather pleasant and the atmosphere most cordial. Which shows dork and Door can co-exist as long as the dorks remember who the real ‘boss’ is!!! (and he don’t wear glasses!!)
I broke off from the crowd and wandered back down the little path to the bar.
Many people wandered past and remarked on my Jim T Shirt and I found myself once again directing the odd fan and even a TV crew to the days most important grave!!
Getting videoed wearing a Doors T Shirt seems to be an occupational hazard at this time of year but nonetheless its nice to see so many people making the effort to wish the guy a happy birthday. The bar was pretty packed even for so early a time so said hello to Leon and Ingrid, John & Imelda, Hermine and Graham who were all lurking around the tables in the bar.
Chris Cordell from Brighton came in and we sat and had a beer and a chat for a while. My beer fuddled brain as well as my tiredness from last night had erased the fact that we had chatted last night and I asked him if he had just got in…..
‘I was talking to you last night’ came the puzzled reply...Oh!!!
Same thing happened with Steve Pepperell my bud from Taunton confirming I need to give up drinking as I am too fucking old for it now.... He too had conversed with me the previous eve and as with Chris I forgot…..
Those embarrassing moments aside I was quite enjoying the 8th.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Paolo told me Fred Baggen was in the bar so I asked him to introduce me as I owed the guy a drink. Shook his hand and had a nice chat with him.
He was over with a few of his pals…his friend Cees who had seen The Doors in Amsterdam as a 3 piece in 1972 (Amsterdam never had much luck with the band as Jim never got to play a gig there) and a really nice Italian guy called Simone Giuseppin who told me he runs a site called ‘First Flash Of Eden’ at ‘www.Doorscollectors.com’. They were chatting to that well known Doors traveller Ida Miller so I joined them and spent a few minutes disturbing them and chewing the fat. Fred did me a big favour with one of his famous collectors sets and showed me his latest effort which was one of his exceptional booklets.
Fred is a fellow Carnival Dog….a group I have always enjoyed a love hate relationship with but they are allright really.
After a short chat I bought the guys a drink and continued my mingling.
Chris told me about his DCM walking tour the day before with Kerry’s daughter Terry and the Yank contingent…..they had visited most of the haunts associated with Jim & Pams visit that fateful summer and by all accounts had a bloody good time. I asked if Kerry was here as I was hoping to see him and say ‘hi’…..I always recommend DCM to people (even if he did fall out with me a bit over the article I featured on his Doors Fest) as for anyone wanting to get into the bootlegs and collecting it’s the best there is…..
It was cool to meet those faces I knew only by my constant arguments on the net….and this trip was throwing up a goodly selection…..its nice to show them I am not quite as nuts as many believe me to be. Although I am sure many of my actual Doors friends would dispute that…..eh Snakey!!

Patricia was interviewing people in the bar for her very worthwhile project back home to see Jim in his Historical perspective as an American writer rather than as a cock flashing drunk as many in the UK would have us believe.
Patricia is a Professor of Anthropology at Mexico City University and a committed Doors fan and was gleaning the thoughts of as many fans as she could on the day. I was booked in for later the afternoon.
Like Ida, Patricia is a lovely lady and it was a treat to meet so many fans I knew through the net and could now put faces to.
Nyree and Kat finally arrived and I got a hug and a kiss….this 21 century dork farce has really caused problems with firm Doors friends as I am mightily pissed of with the arguments I get into about their worthless asses….hence the rather pompous title of this piece…..just in case you wondered!!!…<br>I was not too happy to come to Paris actually but now seeing the guys I was glad I did. Sligo's ‘nightmare’ The Bad Cowboy was trying to get me to go see the dorks and even taunted me with a spare ticket….which I shoved down my jeans and promptly wiped my ass on….to BC’s chagrin.
Nobody would take up my subsequent offer of 10 euro to visit the loo and do a proper job on a ticket….I was rather getting into the spirit of mindless mostly good natured banter that always seems to win through here in this place.
Settling down to some equally mindless drinking and craic I whittled away a couple of hours before wandering up to the grave with a few of the guys.
The place had grown rather crowded since the morning visit and had a rather oppressive atmosphere with cops and barriers all over the place. Fans were now having to queue and could only spend a moment at the grave which was now festooned with flowers candles and tributes to JDM though very oddly no large bouquet of roses from Jims family.
I would not play their games and refused to queue so instead chatted with a few people and watched the melee. Ray had not arrived and I had been told in the bar he would be here at around 5 pm. I wanted to be somewhere else at that point as had no wish to see Rays alter ego R$ay and his crew.
I was standing at the grave talking to Patricia when she mentioned the latest rumour that Ray was due at 3 pm instead of 5 pm….so I took my leave and wandered back to the bar for a beer not having any wish to stay and see His
R$ayness arrive and make a speech. To be quite honest this mans visit was rather offensive to me as a long time Doors fan. Not that I am saying Ray and Robby or for that matter ian astbury had NO right to be there.
That would be stupid. But Rays visit here was not about paying respects to a long gone friend. He and his entourage came to promote the ‘Franchise’ and ensure the ‘Brand Name’ was given a higher profile. Art no longer a high priority simply a means to shift units and make shareholders happy.
This ‘doors for the 21st century’ is similar to a Hollywood Movie…..
its an Alien 3 or a Halloween 7 or even a Police Academy 4……..going on for no other reason than it keeps the money rolling in and gives the ‘fans’ a product to purchase at Xmas.
Not my cup of tea at all so I took my leave and went for a pint.
Which many of you may well think was a crazy thing to do on my part as I will probably never in my life get the chance to see a Door ever again.
But as many Doors fans who know me will most likely attest I tend to be a bit mental and do not like doing what people expect me to do. I genuinely feel aggrieved by Rays alter ego R$ays actions. And even if its cutting off my nose to spite my face I will never subscribe to the 21st century dorks and will never go to see these people perform. I never saw The Doors 4 or 3 piece and to me I cannot ever see them as I am not Dr Who and don’t have a conveniently disguised time machine cum telephone box. Many feel like me but still went to the gig which is their prerogative but I chose not to... even after the combined assault of Snakey and BC to get me to go. I don’t adhere to many principles anymore but for all my faults I am no hypocrite so to see these people would be a betrayal of the few good points I have left…...fuck all this sermonising...as I said I needed a pint so went back to the warmth of the bar and my buddies….
The bar had been decorated for Jim’s birthday by our Dutch friends and Michelle Campbell had the walls decked with her photos including several of my good buddies Mark (I’m in fucking Sydney dude for my bloody brothers wedding) Fairclough, Laurie, Graham and Snakey. This woman has a serious tattoo fetish as pretty much every picture of a fan involved tattoos.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

I got chatting with Snakey Chris and an American photographer based in Germany Pete Keitel who was a nice enough guy who was there for the day and had to leave that afternoon. The beer was its usual self...strong and horrible…..dunno why I don’t stick to bottles…..and the atmosphere was congenial with Doors music playing softly in the background as the afternoon wore on. Snakey and Kat told me about some tribute act playing near Notre Dame and that everybody was gonna meander across later that evening. Sounded good to me...anything but the dorks!
It was nice to see my mate Benny from Belgian tribute band De Portefenetre’s turn up. He introduced himself to me at the bar and was here for the day with the bands drummer Lode and their Jim look-alike friend.
I was glad he made it as we had been chatting about it for a while now. Hopefully the band will make it to the UK. Keep a look out for the guys as they are not bad at all….DePortefenetres.
Had a nice chat with him and then milled around for the rest of the afternoon with a beer in my hand.
Around tea time a bunch of us took a walk up to the grave again and we were met by TV crews and fans coming down from the site….R$Ay and R$obby had adhered to their 5 pm time table after all. It was a cool evening with none of the biting cold of last year as we got to the grave and milled around with the remains of those who had thronged to see His Rayness ‘Yoko’ around Jim’s grave. Some of the guys told me Ray had burned a few bits of paper over Jim and mumbled some voodoo chant or some such nonsense….maybe it was a plea to get ian astbury to sing the songs a bit better or maybe Ray was looking for John to get piles so he would shut up and stop taking Ray to court….this is just wild speculation by the way based on no knowledge whatsoever of the events as I was having a beer at the time in the bar.
Whatever went on I was pleased I’d missed it and glad to see Morrison's grave getting back to some semblance of normality after ‘Yoko’s’ visit.
A great many people had made the trip today for whatever reasons and it was nonetheless cool to see so many there. Even the barriers, the police and ‘Yoko’ could not dampen the occasion and I am sure Jim Morrison would have smiled at the attention he was responsible for. There were still a few TV crews hanging around and people with tape recorders interviewing fans….did not get interviewed this time around...probably because I did not have Adam with me! So I whiled away a few moments on the periphery of Jim’s grave and chatted with a few fans before once more wandering back for a beer…….When I ever mention Paris to people who are not Doors fans they say ‘what did you see there’ and I always say ‘I spent most of the time in a bar next to a cemetery wandering up and down a path into a graveyard’...they think I’m fucking insane….they are probably right….
As the afternoon wore on into evening my idea of going back to the hotel and having a shower was replaced with a better one to stay and get pissed. So as many of the guys went to get ready and Kat drew me directions to get to the supposed gig the bar became rather empty and devoid of the earlier atmosphere. Its sad really as the place only comes alive when its full of Doors fans and is a pretty ordinary place when its not. Andreas and Graham ended up taking my directions off of me so it was fortunate that I did not end up going to the Notre Dame gig as nobody actually ended up there as I found out next morning. Also by that time I was pretty drunk and spent the evening sitting with The Bad Cowboy, Leon and Ingrid and Dutch ‘mom & dad’ Marcel and Mariella.
By this time I was a bit worse for wear and I decided to give the tribute band thing a miss and trundle off to my hotel….so bidding all there fare thee well I wandered into the liquid night and promptly got lost again…..another tube trip after walking a mile or so past my hotel….when will we ever learn that alcohol is NOT our friend.

9th December 2003
I got up pretty early again and had a bite to eat...one thing about France is how crap food is here….then wandered into the cemetery to see how much of yesterdays tributes were still there. Very little remained as per usual but already a few new items were making an appearance.
It did seem that we fans had done Jim proud and its nice to think that the guy found his final resting place in a place like Pere Lachaise rather than some tacky Hollywood plot or some kind of Graceland setting. The day was once again sunny and mild which amazed me as the forecast was bloody awful and I amused myself by watching Jim’s visitors take photos and chat softly among themselves before setting off on a morning walk of the cemetery,
It is a source of constant amazement to me how utterly cool this place is….I have said it before but the serenity of the surroundings does actually seem palpable and the atmosphere so relaxing in a strange forbidding sort of way. A very disturbing and yet comforting place that cannot be explained in mere words or photographs. It is something that must be experienced to really understand its inscrutable appeal. I realised I was thinking in too many big words and needed alcohol to wake me up a bit….so set of for La Renaissance.
Nobody in at first but soon Jaqui & Graham arrived and I received some very surprising news. (no Snakey not Graham and Andreas flirtation with the seedier side of the Paris Underbelly) The 21st century door (k)s had played a secret
‘f$ree’ gig at La Scene club. The ticket said ‘gratis’ but some of the guys paid 20 euro which I suppose is R$ays concept of giving something away compared to the silly prices the dorks charge for gigs.
Probably the worlds cheapest 20th century dork gig ever!!
Graham was glowing in his praise of the gig and the lucky circumstances he and Andy had found themselves in to get there in the first place. By all accounts a good night was had by all and there was a tribute band on after all... just not my fave The Lizard Kings.
Soon all the squad joined us Snakey and Kat, Patricia, Leona and Ingrid, Andreas who told us the tale of him and Grahams lucky escape after mistakenly (so they both claimed) drunkenly wandering into in a Paris gay bar and he had us all in bloody stitches. I nearly choked on my lager. Once again its as I said
beer is not always our friend. Opinions seemed to differ somewhat with the anti dork faction not at all convinced at the worthiness of the dorks playing a gig on Jim Morrison's 60th birthday whilst the dork fans enjoyed their little excursion into the world of the tribute act. Nothing on Earth would not alter my opinion as I am sure the dork faction feel the same about their convictions...oh well there is always lager! A bunch of us wandered up to the grave again and I lingered chatting to Simone who gave me the address of his collecting website and some of those hanging around the grave.
Snakey and Kat waxed lyrically about the excitement of the nights gig and Snakey was now ians No 1 fan.
They were still trying to tempt me to the gig that night with Cowboys spare ticket but we are made of sterner stuff here on Teesside….probably due to all the chemicals we inhaled in the 60s….no not LSD and Cannabis...I am talking about the ICI chemical plant….until the 70s I thought Ammonia was actually the active ingredient of ‘air’….
Nothing on Earth except a seat next to Winona Ryder could ever get me to see
R$ays ridiculous tribute act…..’hint hint...Noni!’<br>I was delighted later in the bar when some of the guys introduced me to Kerry Humpherys and his fiancé Phyllis at La Renaissance. Shook hands and had the craic….Kerry was a bit of a surprise as I understood from conversations I had with guys who had met him that he was about 6’ 6” and I was shocked to find he was probably the only person in the bar littler than me...cool!!
DCM and Scorpywag had engaged in a little spat over our reporting of the DCM Doors Fest in LA but I for one am as easy going as fuck and I found Kerry to be of a similar disposition. A really nice guy. He was going up to the grave and asked if I wanted to wander up….I had just got a pint but thought walking up to the grave better than drinking the beer so warning the guys not to touch my pint..(as if they cared...when I got back the bastards had drunk it)….I had a walk up with him and Phyllis and enjoyed a nice chat with the guy.
We spent a while at the grave once again chatting (seems to be a recurring theme about my trips to Paris but I can’t quite put my finger on it) to the folks around the site. Once again I have to admit I was taken by the amount of nationalities present. Looks like The Doors message is managing all right without the efforts of its keyboard player. (you may think I have some kinda complex about Ray but I actually admire the man immensely as a musician and member of The Doors which makes it all the harder to be critical of the things he does and says with regard to this or that weeks money making scheme...I wish he would go back to the Ray of old rather than the R$ay of the 21st century...I miss him!) Anyway I bought Kerry and Phyllis a drink, tried to snag a backstage pass off him for the dork gig and went back to chat with the proles...finding they had after all drunk my drink...and spent the afternoon in the company of the assembled throng who had been joined by Chris and Bad Cowboy who surprised us all by actually not disappearing after the first few hours on one of his tours into the seedier side of Paris life…..which pleased me as I think the guy is a diamond. Must admit I wish Mark and Adz had made it over but I was pretty much renewed in my belief as a Doors fan. Beer and craic tends to have that affect I guess but meeting so many cool people regardless of the distraction of the dorks made this trip really worthwhile.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

As evening drew on most of the ‘kids’ were drifting off to see the 21st century dork gig at the Zenith club so said my goodbyes to Snakey, Kat, Chris, Cowboy and as many as I could as I did not expect to see the guys the next morning….Leaving me in the bar with Leon, Ingrid, Marcel & Marielle. So I spent the evening drinking with them and having a good Doors natter. Did I regret not going to the gig with the rest?….not really as I chose my side at the start of this and regardless of how many times I’m told this is not a money making scam its never given any evidence of being anything else to me

10th December 2003
I was not going to pop in to the bar on my last day as I was due to leave at lunch time but got up early had a bite to eat and thought having a natter with the folks better than sitting on my arce waiting for twelve in the hotel. So I got a tube to the bar and for once did not visit Jim just went straight their and had a coffee.
Some of the guys were soon joining me and I got the dirt on the dork gig the previous night. Graham told me it was pretty long and he enjoyed it….he was wearing a 21st century dork T Shirt….Andreas told me I had missed a helluva party and Patricia (who had been slightly anti dork) said she enjoyed the show.
I have never doubted that the dorks would put on a good show….that was never my argument…..Ray, Robby and ian are good musicians and the two guys they had as a rhythm section were no mugs either...Phil Chen is an ex Butts Band member...my argument is that they use The Doors name to sell a tribute show.
They did all the usual suspects in the same way The Lizard Kings did in the summer….no different except I enjoyed the Lizards more…..how can you say that? You may ask….because I have a copy of the Scene gig on disc and the Lizards were a better show as far as I am concerned...but of course I am biased!!!
I was ribbed for not going but at the end of the day I have to have at least one principle. So I enjoyed the craic with the guys for an hour and Michelle, Leon & Ingrid joined us just before I had to go.
Said my goodbyes and trundled off to the station where I bumped into Ida Miller and her buddies at the Eurostar terminal...had a chat and then boarded the train….just as we were about to leave we were told there was a protest on the track …..probably disgruntled 21st century door fans protesting that Ray would not give a Euro debut to Cops Talk….of course that was like most of Ray comments just wild speculation on my part….
Eventually we got underway an hour late and I slept most of the way as I was pretty knackered.

So at the end of all of this what had I learned?
I came to Paris looking for something I had lost. But not really knowing what. Up to the last hour I was not even sure I was going to turn up (I’m weird that way) here. Being a Doors fan has always been hard work and never so since Ray and his silly pronouncement at the Harley Press Conference in September 2002.
Maybe my belief in Jim Morrison was on the wane…..maybe I’m just fed up with the arguing with Cult fans who know nothing about the history of The Doors and Doors fans who don’t want to understand my point of view and whose point of view I refuse to even consider. Maybe its time I became a Beatles fan. Fighting my corner had become a chore. This fanzine had become a chore. Arguing on message boards had become a chore. After 35 years maybe The Doors were no longer worth remembering anymore. If Ray and Robby cannot even believe the band was the most unique in rock history then why should I?
The dorks have set friend against friend and Doors fan against Doors fan in a frenzy of ill feeling across the world. But once I got here I felt a little easier and maybe that’s the point of this place. Maybe in our constant search to find and understand Jim Morrison coming here is the end of a long road fraught with uncertainties and enigmas. As soon as I got into the bar and met friends I had not seen since July my doubts began to fade and a re-evaluation took place.
This year had seen my belief take a few knocks its true but as the 8th dawned and more friends arrived and the good nature of Doors fans and alcohol took hold I realised that my melancholy was misplaced. No matter what I have been a Doors fan too long to ever desert them and the few days here left me refreshed and ready for the next round. So can Door and dork ever really live together in peace and harmony? Probably not. But at least most of us can find common ground at Pere Lachaise and we can forget differences and celebrate just being ‘Doors’ fans and all the baggage that comes with that.
So maybe in the end I did find my way back to The River Of Belief.
I am sure as hell looking forward to next July and once more wandering in Jim’s Paris footsteps in 2004. As the French say Ces’t La Vie! AP.

Take me back to the rivers of belief
Take me back to the rivers of belief
my friend
I look inside my heart
I look inside my soul
I promise you
I will return

And when the Lamb opened the seventh seal
silence covered the sky
Take me back to the rivers of belief
Take me back to the rivers of belief
my friend

I look inside my heart
I look inside my soul
I'm reaching out for you
Lets hope one day
We'll rest in peace
on my rivers of belief


Back to the Rivers of Belief
written by Alex Patton for TheDoors4Scorpywag 60th Birthday Jim Special December 2003

[pep]

Alex the Bad Cowboy and Snakey Paris 8/12/2003

[jedi]

I really enjoyed reading that! Thank you for posting!

[ensenada]

i missed out on that december celebration unfortunately! but nay mind, summer rocked!

[pep]

hi Alex this is the French band that played on 8th December 2003 at Le Guillotine Bar near Notre Dame

[pep]

a few of us were at Le Guillotine Bar watching them and saw a few songs! then Snakey spoke to Graham(theunknownsoldier) on the phone and we were told about the La Scene gig! so we all headed off to the Bastille and got to the venue just as Ray and company were playing the 1st song Le Guillotine bar is a great place with a cellar ideal for musical/poetry events

[jedi]

pep, that looks like a really cool place! I'm looking forward to going to Paris in December! Just wish I could get there in the summer!

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Looks just like my sort of place

[ensenada]

ive seen that band dude before from pirates of the caribbean!

[pep]

Ensenada said:

ive seen that band dude before from pirates of the caribbean!

they were pretty good

[pep]

Jedi said:

pep, that looks like a really cool place! I'm looking forward to going to Paris in December! Just wish I could get there in the summer!

when you walk in Le Guillotine it just looks like a normal bar! in the corner there are winding steps which lead down to the cellar where they have bands play...

[marcel]

whats happenin in juli in paris ?

[jedi]

Ensenada said:

ive seen that band dude before from pirates of the caribbean!

*had to go back to look*
You're right!!! LOL!

[pep]

we are all gonna be there having a cool time

jim said:

whats happenin in juli in paris ?

[soloensemble]

Thats a really cool post man, really enjoyed reading it....it reminds me of when I was there, and make me think of how much fun Im going to have in July! Peace and Thanks man.