STEWART COPELAND

by **STEWART** on 28 Sep 2006 20:20

WARDROBE

One fine morning, I step out of the shower, peer into my wardrobe and realise that my life is over. I’m looking at an exotic collection of leather pants, hostile shirts and pointy shoes. Problem is, I’m a forty-something father of four and I’m feeling kind of mellow. I’m not angry about anything and as a tax-paying, property-owning, investment-holding, lotus-eater; I am in disagreement with what my clothes are saying to the world. The thrill has gone from frightening the natives. I care not that the world be unruffled by my passage though it.

So what do I wear? What have I got in my closet that doesn’t say “Fuck You! I’M GOING TO BURN DOWN YOUR WORLD!” For so long, I have had to be worthy of the stares and furtive glances that follow rock stars. It would be unprofessional of me to walk out of my hotel room looking like I’d be safe with children. But now what?

All my life I have lived in self imposed exile from the normal world. My arty friends and I feel like we are the only humans in a world of robots. A business suit is like the carapace of an insect. Conformity is surrender. Even long hair is a cop out. Mine has had all colour peroxided out of it – heaven forbid that I should be mistaken for a nice hippie.

But I have discovered that some humans are merely disguised as robots. Under cover of conformity strange personalities can evolve. I have started to experiment with other uniforms and disguises. My main circle of friends is the polo set of Gloucestershire. It’s only natural that my first attempt at a new mufti would start here. They wear the same clothes that I used to wear in boarding school. Problem is, my career was fuelled by a desire to burn down my old school. I get even stranger looks than usual when I show up at the club bar in a blazer, with handkerchief in the pocket. Out on the street, the usual double take is followed by a look of confusion.

The fact is that my dream of lapsing into the countryside in my post rock star years, is not panning out. The flashbulb popping, tabloid screaming, chart topping, crowd roaring express train of fame may have blazed off over the horizon, but strange adventures still befall me. From dancing the Ndele Banga with the Samburu of Tanzania, to elbowing royalty on the polo fields of Cirencester, to sweaty jam sessions in Havana clip joints and black tie curtain calls at my opera premiers; shit still keeps on happening to me. Only now that I’m off the train, I can play with these things as they go by.

Here follows a collection of strange tales about the things that can happen as I walk in the constant company of a distantly remembered mythical being. Twenty years ago there was this kid with my face up there on the screen, the whole world got a pretty good look at him, and he still hovers just over my shoulder. He’s mostly invisible after all these years, unseen by passers by, but in some settings, everyone can see him. In fact they see him and not me. And the strangest things happen.

by **giovanni** on 28 Sep 2006 20:52

Hey hey hey....what a great beginning!
Thanks for sharing all your tales with all of us ...
That's what this website was built about !
Go for it!

Thanks
Giovanni & Eugenio!!!

Ps.: and one day you will tell all what came up to your mind when we met the first time ... strange things happens ...

by **Mrs. Gradenko** on 28 Sep 2006 21:03

Stewart wore leather pants? How did I miss that!?

by Al on 28 Sep 2006 21:12

Amazing report.Thanks!

by **Binmonkey** on 28 Sep 2006 21:35

Coool! (not the pants)
Thanks Stewart!!!
and Thanks Giovanni! this site gets better and better!!!

by **copelandos_damour** on 28 Sep 2006 22:08

That hostile looking Stewart from your past (who's still following you around) had great fashionsense, but to be honest with you I'd never want to meet him; Wouldn't dare to!
I might not know you to the bone, Stew, but being as openminded as I am, I can tell that you're a much more pleasant man to meet now.

by **Marshmallow Jones 1** on 28 Sep 2006 22:15

I dont know, to me the Police were never about attitude or the clothes they wore. That was te Pistols and other one-hit wonder punk/New Wave bands. the Police were about music, that's why they lasted so long and are still an ifluence today.

Maybe Stewart should wear a goofy skull-cap thing like Neal Peart wears these days. Oh, sorry he doesn't have to hide a chrome dome.

by **Grace** on 29 Sep 2006 00:24

[quote="Mrs. Gradenko"]Stewart wore leather pants? How did I miss that!?[/quote]

by **Kim** on 29 Sep 2006 03:14

Dude,

WHITE SHORTS!

LOL!

:wink:

Great idea, this board. I love the blogs.

by **Mrs. Gradenko** on 29 Sep 2006 03:45

[quote="Kim"]WHITE SHORTS!
[/quote]
Don't forget the shorts from Bonnaroo.

He did have style though. 95% of it he could still walk down the street today, wearing and not be mocked.

by **Lady P** on 29 Sep 2006 05:18

Thanks Stewart! The fact that you are here, with us, sharing your stories and your feelings, makes me wonderfully aware that here ... we have Contact

by **jackie** on 29 Sep 2006 08:56

After reading the WARDROBE story...one realizes this “my life is over syndrome” does not exclusively happen to us (ordinary people) but also to those who were appointed by fate to be our heroes and mentors, those who made our existence seem a little bit less anonymous.

I never wanted to be notoriously famous but I never expected my life to be so ordinary either! .. :cry:

One fine morning, I did too step out of the shower, looked at my wardrobe and never quite understood how I had reached that point in life…

Because of Stewart, I left my South American hometown pursuing a dream. I moved to London when I was 17.

Back in the 80's, I used to dye my hair, wear black clothes, play soccer with punks, row boats at Saint James Park and spend long afternoon’s hours listening to the police tapes on my walkman.

I was young and driven, but most of all I was fearless!

Years went by, I moved back to South America, got a steady job and a child --- and then I figured it was time to “grow up”, leaving “fearless years” behind…

these days, my daughter listen to the police more than I do… I still wear black clothes though! (Certainly, not for the same reasons I did 23 years ago!)

So, Stewart, never mind your wardrobe, with or without leather pants…you have managed to keep the essence of who you are …and I assume that’s one of the reasons why we all gather here to somehow worship you in spite of how grey OUR hair is now! :roll:

I don’t know exactly on what extent you have influenced other people’s lives, but I do know you have forever changed the trail of mine!

Be well and never change!
:wink:

by **georgygirl** on 30 Sep 2006 00:50

I think your personage KK is very big and strong, that is why, in my personal case, I see him, and not you...

For me, your human personality is hidden by the superhero from Krypton KK.

and I thought that you enjoyed being he...

:roll:

by **georgygirl** on 30 Sep 2006 04:53

When an artist dress a character, many times the personality of it is stronger than the man who made it.
I don't know well how to express these ideas, that happen sometimes with excelent artists like Stewart.
I hope he never wants to undress and kill KK, because in my fantasy, he is my hero from many years ago...

by **georgygirl** on 30 Sep 2006 04:56

I am so glad to rediscover that KK is returning into his journalist side again :wink:

STEWART COPELAND

WARDROBE

WARDROBE

finally

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