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Herbert Huncke at Ultimatum Festival 1985-05-05
The following is a transcription of the Herbert Huncke set at Ultimatum, Sunday, May 5th, 1985 at the Foufounes Electriques. Huncke was an American writer and poet and member of the Beat Generation, a term which he is considered to have coined. He is the author of the book The Evening Sun Turned Crimson from which he reads three stories in his Ultimatum set: "Cuba", "Alvarez", and "Russian Blackie".
Annotations
00:00 - 00:06
Applause.
Audience
00:06 - 00:25
J’espere, j’espere un jour que on peut dire 'Herbert Huncke' puis on l’appreciera pleinement son avoir a faire des deferences a la Beat Generation, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, tous ca. Maintenant je la fait une derniere fois, la prochaine fois c’est Herbert Huncke, tout seul.
Alan Lord
00:25 - 00:25
Alright!
Audience Member
00:25 - 00:29
Applause and cheers.
Audience
00:29 - 00:59
Okay, well let me just say first before we start, all, what has happened this evening [unintelligible] a hard act to follow [unintelligible] oh well, alright, in the mic he says. Okay, can you hear now? Yes. See I have a problem with this lighting situation here, regardless of all that. I lost my place. How do you like that?
Herbert Huncke
00:59 - 01:01
You have to talk into the mic.
Unknown Speaker
01:01 - 01:04
I will in just a minute. Some people can hear me though.
Herbert Huncke
01:04 - 01:07
Chatter.
Audience
01:07 - 01:55
Are you satisfied now? Okay. I really wanna start off with one particular story here because I feel that it will fit into the general theme of the so-called gathering or festival whatever, group of creative people doing things, trying to do things, young people. It’s very very encouraging for an old man like me, you know I want to think that things have progressed [laughs] a little. Boy.
Herbert Huncke
01:55 - 01:57
Laughter.
Audience
01:57 - 02:19
Well, here, I wasn’t gonna read this one, but I will. I’ll start anyway so everything is under control. It’s called "Cuba". It’s a rather strange story in that the individual involved was someone I met and felt somewhat sorry for if I may be permitted to feel sorry about anybody.
Herbert Huncke
02:19 - 09:35
Reads "Cuba" from The Evening Sun Turned Crimson [brief moments of laughter throughout].
Herbert Huncke
09:35 - 09:39
Applause.
Audience
09:39 - 09:43
Sorry, it’s not the one I want, oh I can’t do it now [unintelligible].
Herbert Huncke
09:43 - 09:47
Applause.
Audience
09:47 - 10:14
Thank you [off mic], let me see if I can find the one I intended to start out with. "Alvarez". One, let’s see, one fifty one, okay, we’ll get there, hell or high water [laughs], ah, there [laughs]. This is a, I feel it’s a very, very sad story mysel - woops. "Alvarez".
Herbert Huncke
10:14 - 10:49
Reads "Alvarez" from The Evening Sun Turned Crimson.
Herbert Huncke
10:49 - 10:51
Cuts out, light static.
Recording
10:51 - 10:52
Silence.
Recording
10:52 - 24:54
Continues reading.
Herbert Huncke
24:54 - 24:55
Applause.
Audience
24:55 - 24:56
Okay.
Herbert Huncke
24:56 - 25:01
Applause and cheers.
Audience
25:01 - 25:02
Kay.
Herbert Huncke
25:02 - 25:06
Applause and cheers continue.
Audience
25:06 - 25:10
[unintelligible].
Herbert Huncke
25:10 - 25:13
Well wait a minute. Okay [speaks over top of audience applause and cheers].
Herbert Huncke
25:13 - 25:16
Applause.
Audience
25:16 - 25:18
You want a rest period, no?
Herbert Huncke
25:18 - 25:19
No.
Audience Member
25:19 - 25:20
Yeah.
Audience Member
25:20 - 25:23
Not really [laughs]. I’m a ham.
Herbert Huncke
25:23 - 25:26
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
25:26 - 25:28
I’d like to find something just for [unintelligible] [off mic].
Herbert Huncke
25:28 - 25:29
Cuts out, rustling sound.
Recording
25:29 - 25:31
Static.
Recording
25:31 - 25:32
Silence.
Recording
25:32 - 25:33
[unintelligible].
Herbert Huncke
25:33 - 25:35
Anyway.
Herbert Huncke
25:35 - 25:36
Muffled speech.
Audience Member
25:36 - 28:14
Reads "Russian Blackie" from The Evening Sun Turned Crimson [muffled audience chatter throughout].
Herbert Huncke
28:14 - 28:16
No, it’s alright, if they wanna talk, let ‘em.
Herbert Huncke
28:16 - 34:36
Continues reading [muffled audience chatter throughout].
Herbert Huncke
34:36 - 34:38
Boy, I can’t see worth a damn anymore.
Herbert Huncke
34:38 - 37:05
Continues reading [muffled audience chatter throughout].
Herbert Huncke
37:05 - 37:06
Somebody bored?
Herbert Huncke
37:06 - 37:07
No.
Audience Member
37:07 - 37:08
Boos and shouts of disagreement.
Audience
37:08 - 37:10
Some people can’t understand it.
Audience Member
37:10 - 37:12
It’s alright, if they’re bored they’re bored.
Herbert Huncke
37:12 - 37:13
Laughter.
Audience
37:13 - 37:14
Laughs.
Herbert Huncke
37:14 - 37:15
Shut up.
Audience Member
37:15 - 40:52
Continues reading [muffled audience chatter throughout].
Herbert Huncke
40:52 - 41:20
Applause, muffled speech, and cheers.
Audience
41:20 - 41:32
Au nom de tous les participants il faudrait remercier et feliciter les organisateurs d’Ultimatum, Alan Lorde et Jo Designs et merci a tous les partic [recording cuts out].
Unknown Speaker
41:32 - 41:35
Cuts out, light static.
Recording
41:35 - 41:35
[End of recording].
END