Did Syd Barrett live in his Mothers Basement?

All discussion related to Roger Keith (Syd) Barrett.
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Keith Jordan
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Did Syd Barrett live in his Mothers Basement?

Post by Keith Jordan »

I had heard before RKBs death that he lived in his "mothers basement" but what is the evidence for this? Are there not at least two bedrooms in that house he used to occupy?

Evidence?
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Atom Heart Sun
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Post by Atom Heart Sun »

The family home from the outside looks like a normal house like the ones that don't commonly have a basement! It may do but usually one might expect it to be some big old victorian place or former commercial building for it to have one. By the looks of the place, if it does have one it can't have been much of one. Most houses like that just don't have one.

It's amazing they didn't claim he was in the attic!
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Post by simpledumbpilot »

Atom Heart Sun wrote:It's amazing they didn't claim he was in the attic!
That has been claimed a few times in the past, personally I think both stories are bull made up by the media in an attempt to give the story of a man living in a house an edge, pathetic really.
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Post by Keith Jordan »

So there is no documented evidence that he actuall lived in the basement? Just silly media stories?? Where did this story originate?
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Post by latenight »

Syd lived in his mum's cellar in the early 70s. I think various members of Stars talked about that. That's the origin of this particular legend.
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Post by moodyblue »

I heard all sorts of crap from the rags years ago that he used to bark like a dog at the postman delivering mail, the filth in Fleet street need to sell papers and need to make stories sound interesting so i guess it fits the bill.
Take my advice, don't buy a paper, just watch the BBC instead, atleast you get the REAL news.
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Post by Chris Moise »

Syd friend and photographer Mick Rock has said he lived in the basement. This was during the '71 RS interview..
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cwta eugene
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Post by cwta eugene »

Didn't I read somewhere that in the early 70's he smashed his head into the basement ceiling and had to be hospitalized for it?
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Post by blueeyes »

simpledumbpilot wrote:
Atom Heart Sun wrote:It's amazing they didn't claim he was in the attic!
That has been claimed a few times in the past, personally I think both stories are bull made up by the media in an attempt to give the story of a man living in a house an edge, pathetic really.
Yup.

And there was also a story going round that he would climb down after his mother had left the house and paint the kitchen appliances.
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Post by Keith Jordan »

If you were sat in the front room of your two up two down semi and there were loads of very strange looking people stood at the end of your garden looking at you all day, would you want to live above ground level??

Apparently he boarded up the windows to the cellar/basement to stop people peering in. In that room, he had his art he was working on, his guitars and amps and, in 1971 in particular, a brand new Yamaha 12 string which he really liked!!

He was 25. He didnt like a load of strange people looking at him from the bottom of his mum's front garden!

Reading Materials: 1971 Rolling Stone Interview with Barrett Inside "The House".
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Post by blueeyes »

Syd is 25 now, and worried about getting old. "I wasn't always this introverted," he says, "I think young people should have a lot of fun. But I never seem to have any."
Oh my, that just made me cry.
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cwta eugene
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Post by cwta eugene »

http://www.rogerwatersonline.com/roger_ ... /19404.htm

This is the article I mentioned about Syd hitting his head on the basement ceiling. I knew I wasn't imagining it. :lol:
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Post by J Ed »

I lived in a basement for a while and hit my head all the time
basements have low ceilings, thats all that proves
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Post by SydsMadcapGirl »

blueeyes wrote:And there was also a story going round that he would climb down after his mother had left the house and paint the kitchen appliances.
Yes, I've heard he painted the refrigerator green! Hysterical!
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Post by Tenniru »

Gee, I wish I had a mysterious psychotic rich man who hid in my attic and swooped down to remodel my house every day.