When touring Franti caught football fever
Back to the street for one-time Burroughs collaborator
WITH THE Euros bubbling towards a climax, I’m reminded of an incident more than 20 years ago when an earlier version of that competition was in progress and I’d been lined up to have a chat with a touring American rapper and poet visiting West Yorkshire.
I’ve always been a big fan of Michael Franti (pictured below) upand Spearhead and the interview I did with him before a gig at the Wardrobe in Leeds did nothing to tarnish his image.
Franti, a significant singer-songwriter and energetic political activist with a string of engaging and intelligent albums behind him, had been on my radar for some time because of his connections to the Beat Generation world.
Not only had he had a band called the Beatnigs, a less than veiled reference to the beatniks but also subversive in its subtly truncated nod to the n-word, he had also recorded with William Burroughs with his other group the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.
It must’ve been the summer of 2000 with that year’s European football championship in full flow. There was definitely sporting fever in the air because, when I came to link up with Franti, I was told he was playing football in the street with local lads.
Heavily dreadlocked and about a foot taller than anyone around, he was kicking the ball with the best of them – and in bare feet. He quit his impromptu match for a very pleasant chat.
The conversation I had hoped to steer towards the Beats and Burroughs, but Franti, for whatever reason, had no particular desire to go back to those earlier days and the reasons for his WSB collaboration.
Nonetheless, a hero to me still, though, looking back, I wished I’d joined in the game…