Additional Information

A press conference with and subsequent performance by Allen Ginsberg. It begins with Ginsberg (an older man with a long beard, black-rimmed eyeglasses, long-sleeve shirt and overalls) sitting at a table in the Blythswood Square premises, wearing dungarees, talking to an assembled audience. It is difficult to make out some of the conversation due to noise on the audio track. There are people working in an office, visible through an open door behind Ginsberg. The discussion touches on smoking, drinking, masturbation, sex, meditation, spirituality, teaching, breathing exercises, acid, tripping and writing, among other things. About 16 minutes in, the conference finishes and, after a short discussion from behind the camera about whether it is recording, the film cuts to Ginsberg performing. There is a close-up of him singing, although the song has no lyrics but is more of a melodic drone. Ginsberg is also playing an accordion and there is a zoom out to two accompanying guitarists. The three performers are seated cross-legged on what looks to be a small dais. The song lasts until around 29 minutes in, after which Ginsberg asks if Tom McGrath is present and introduces the two guitarists as Vic and Allan from Glasgow. Ginsberg then explains that he’ll be playing Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ set to music, reading some of his own poems and performing some blues songs. He also asks McGrath if he wants to make an introduction (McGrath declines) and talks about their friendship, how McGrath was one of the first to publish his work in England, also mentions John Scofield (sp?) who worked at the Traverse Theatre. After saying ‘To Blake!’ he goes on to do the next song - one of the ‘Songs of Innocence.’ The camera work is fairly continuous with the occasional pan and zoom. The tape ends mid-song.