UK - Jason Pierce: 'My liver was gone'

[edgarshade]

Guardian

Dave Simpson
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 12 April 2012 20.30 BST

With reader comments

After 22 years of 'taking drugs to make music to take drugs to' the Spiritualized frontman decided it was time for a medical checkup. The news wasn't good.

Jason Pierce – AKA J Spaceman – has a reputation as one of rock's primary cosmonauts. His first band, Spacemen 3, had a motto: "Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to." Spiritualized – whose various lineups he has fronted for the past 22 years – have made seven albums awash with druggy imagery, including the 1997 landmark Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, which came packaged as a giant pill. Within minutes of our meeting, he's discussing his recent intake: an injection each week, pills every day. However, he hasn't been sailing off into outer space on mind-bending narcotics, but taking life-saving medicines.

And so, one of the last great outsiders ploughs his singular furrow, off into the rock'n'roll cosmos, now without so much as a drink. Not that this situation may remain too long. Asked what he fancies once the doctors give him the OK, he nods towards a shelf of wine behind us and chuckles mischievously. "That nice little stack right there."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/apr/12/jason-pierce-my-liver-was-gone

 

[foolsgold]

to be hoped he gets well soon