Sometime vocalist, and well known character in the London
hippie scene, real name Michael Cousins.
If you ever pondered the identity of the hairy guy at the mic, naked from the waste down, strutting - nay! waggling - his stuff before an audience of thousands in the 1973 film of the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre, then look no further.
He is best known for his 1972 appearance at the Greasy Truckers Party (as immortalised on the double live album of this famous gig at London's Roundhouse venue.) His spot appears on the album after Man (including their 'seminal' 22 minute piece "Spunk Rock") and Brinsley Schwarz, but before headliners Hawkwind.
Equipped only with his fragile personality, acoustic guitar, improvisatory skills, and (an estimated) 500 micrograms of LSD, he wandered through the haze of incense and joint-smoke onto the stage to wow the receptive audience with his 10 minute spontaneous song/rant "Music Belongs to the People", revealing his revolutionary plans for creating a new Jerusalem of peace, love, long hair and beads, with the simple power of communal singing and stopping hating people, resulting in a rapturous reception from his like-minded patrons. Nowhere on vinyl will you find a more powerful musical evocation of the smell of afghan coats and patchouli oil.
After a short, unsuccessful spell as lead vocalist for the highly influential German spacers Can early in 1976, he next came to attention with the release of his 1979 single Millionaire, which featured Rat Scabies on drums and Captain Sensible on something else. Not an amazing commercial success, but he supported Hawkwind once more at their 1980 Lycaeum (London) gig, which attempted to recreate the heady atmosphere of the original Greasy Truckers Party. Unfortunately, the outfit he was playing with were more-or-less straightahead pub-rock, and had no room for the charm and flair exhibited on his Greasy Truckers appearance.
Today, I read on the web that he will be appearing at the Greasy Truckers Party 2001, to be held at London's Astoria, "performing just like at the original Greasy Truckers Party" as the PR-friendly publicity for that gig has it, alongside Nik Turner's Inner City Unit, a "Hawkestra" composed of sacked Hawkwind personnel, and a "Massed Ladbroke Grove Choir" consisting of ex-members of the Pink Fairies and Social Deviants. Book your place now!