Patti Smith at Foyles, Southbank

This afternoon I met Patti Smith. She was doing a signing of her new book, 'Just Kids', about her and Robert Mapplethorpe in the 70s, at Foyles on the Southbank underneath the Royal Festival Hall. A few minutes after I met Chris outside the shop who should amble over but Patti Smith herself with her camera and took a photo of the window display before being ushered into the shop. I managed to get a photo of Patti's back as she walked into the shop. And then Dawn arrived, just missing the slight excitement.

We bought the book and got a number for the signing queue and then went upstairs to the Royal Festival Hall for a sit down and drink to pass some time until the signing. Half an hour later the shop was mobbed with people standing in a vague queue so we roughly found our places and waited. And waited.

Shortly before the advertised time, Patti went to the microphone at the front of the shop and said a few words of welcome. I was so far back I couldn't see her at all. Then she sang three songs, just her on guitar and vocals for the first song, 'Grateful', then she read a short passage from the book about 'Because The Night' and then sang it unaccompanied except for the crowd joining in for the chorus, followed by 'My Blakean Year', again with herself on guitar. I couldn't see a thing so I leaned on a bookshelf and just listened.

And then the signing started. After what seemed ages, the queue started moving and we were soon at the front. I had my camera out and Patti asked if I wanted to take a photo - I, of course, said 'yes' and the photo is below. She signed the book to me with a big smile, happy to give me my few seconds with her before moving on. And I was happy with my few seconds.

That was Patti Smith y'know.

And, y'know what? She gives good signing. The songs and signing started at 3pm and, when we wandered back along the Southbank at 5pm, Patti was still there signing. She's playing live tomorrow night but the gig sold out before I could get tickets.

I think back to seeing her perform the album 'Horses' at the Royal Festival Hall in 2005 (when she introduced me to The Dresden Dolls) and a couple of years later at The Roundhouse when she shouted into the audience, 'You're not afraid of a fucking pop song, are ya?' and launched into 'Rock'n'Roll Nigger'. The Roundhouse gig was magnificent. I also think back to buying her albums in the '70s and wondering who this exotic creature was. And today, I met her.