The man who went too high

"The 13th Floor Elevators were the first psychedelic band. And their singer was one of the 60s' first acid casualties. Now Roky Erickson's back. ...

... In 2007, however, Barrett and Spence are dead, while Wilson and Erickson are on the road again. What's more, Erickson's voice is in fine fettle. On June 18, one month before he turns 60, he will play his first ever UK show at Jarvis Cocker's Meltdown festival. Erickson is only dimly aware of the man he calls "Jarvis Coker", but he is pleased to be coming to England for the first time since 1980. "We had interviews," he recalls. "And egg mayonnaise. Have you ever eaten egg mayonnaise? It's good, isn't it?" How does he feel to be performing after so long? "Real good," he says, beaming. "I'd taken a vacation and that was it. ..."

The man who went too high, article (and interview sort of) about the come back of Roky Erickson by Dorian Lynskey for Guardian. (via Outsider Music)

Bonus: A decent YouTube clip from the 2007 tour, Roky Erickson & The Explosives - "Your Gonna Miss Me"