This story has been told many times from many perspectives. I remember the X show as if it were yesterday as this was the greatest show I have seen in my 58 years. This is my version.
Shortly after the last warm up band left the stage, Heidi Ore, (Now Heidi Taylore) her friend and I moved up front and center to get the best spot to see X and we planted ourselves there for the next hour.
By the time the show started, everyone had moved up and wanted to be where we were. I was pretty much staring at Exene’s knee the whole show with Billy Zoom to my left and John Doe to my right. By that time, three or four people had wedged themselves between Heidi and me. She was now about where she wanted to be anyway, right in front of John Doe.
Not long after the show started, someone behind me start flicking liquid up at Exene, and as she was flinching, and said “No spitting! We’re not into that anymore!” I looked behind me and I saw a dude I didn’t recognize, wearing heavy mascara and a black leather jacket, dipping his fingers in a cup of water or a mixed drink and flicking the drops at Exene. Some have said there was spitting involved. I’m just relating what I saw.
Despite her admonishments, the jerk continued to flick water. Suddenly in the middle of a song, John Doe slams his base down and jumps into the crowd. Some have said drummer DJ Bonebreak followed him in. I don’t remember that, but it’s probably true.
I couldn’t see exactly what was going on behind me, but I saw him telling someone off. Not long after, John Doe got back on the stage and said he was sorry he had to do that and, by the way, he was wearing a charm necklace that got broke and if anyone finds the charms, please pass them up.
Other than this incident, the show was simply amazing. When I wasn’t staring at Exene’s knee, I wondered at Billy Zooms amazing “no-look” playing, nodding at people in the audience as if they were long lost friends, as his fingers seemed to play independently at breakneck speed. At one point he noticed the ceiling and seemed fascinated by the little back holes in the white squares.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, audience members had been passing charms to the front of the stage. Heidi was intercepting them though and keeping them. She had a plan. After the show, I snagged the playlist, as I often did back in the day. I went outside and was looking for Heidi (as she was my ride home).
She blew right by me though as if I wasn’t there and went straight for the tour bus. I followed.
Some roadie tried to stop her, but she kept going as if he wasn’t there, either. John Doe was in the front with the door closed, talking with the bus driver.
“I have your charms!” Heidi said loud enough for him to hear though the door.
John Doe practically leapt off the bus, took the charms and gave Heidi a big hug and possibly a kiss on the cheek. He thanked her profusely and said he had had the charms a long time and they meant a lot to him.
“I’m her friend,” I said. “Do you think you could sign the set list?”
“Sure!” He took it from me and signed it against the side of the bus.
“John Doe X.”
I still have that set list to this day and have it framed and hung in the wall of my man cave.
Shared by: Stew Magnuson
