Patti Smith at Meltdown 2013

Patti Smith returned to the Meltdown festival this week at the invitation of Yoko Ono (who was in the audience). Patti played in the Purcell Room in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, a small, intimate gig of words, music, chat and giggling. Patti's band were her daughter on piano and son on guitar and she played guitar and food-tapping (a much under-rated form of percussion). The signs outside said 'no photography' so I didn't but lots of other people ignored the signs. I sometimes do as I'm told.

We were treated to Patti reading some of her poems and extracts from 'Just Kids', her book about her friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe. She read a few passages from the book, including the letter she wrote to him that he died before reading. My favourite passage was Christmas night in 1969 when they walked up to Times Square to see the big poster saying, 'War Is Over if you want it, Happy Christmas from John and Yoko' since Yoko was in the audience sitting a few rows in front of me. Patti ended by saying they knew the 70s would be their decade and it was.

Patti sung some of her songs as well, with the stripped back sound of just piano and guitar which made them sound quite different to the driving rock sound we're used to hearing from her. She sang, 'Beneath The Southern Cross', 'Pissing in a River', 'My Blakean Year' and others. Before singing the mandatory 'Because The Night' (as her son said, it's her 'hit') she told us the story of waiting for her boyfriend - Fred, before they married - to ring her long distance and while waiting, she listened to the tape given her by Bruce Springsteen and wrote the lyrics to what became 'Because The Night' ("waiting for the telephone" makes sense now!).

We had a big sing along to 'People Have The Power' and to 'Banga' but my favourite was 'Ghost Dance' seeing Patti shake her hands as she shook out the ghost dance. It was eerie and almost shamanic seeing her put herself into the song and live it as she sang.

We also had her chatting to her children, reminding them that she would always have the upper hand since she changed their diapers. There was a short question and answer session and, when someone asked whether there was anything left that she wanted to do she replied by saying have you ever been in a library? There are millions of things she still wants to do, books to read, smiles to see, even shopping... and then she stopped and said, 'well, maybe not shopping' which brought out laughter from around the room. She's a really funny and giggly thing when she's given the space and it was lovely to see Patti in that mood.

Thank you Patti - until next time!

And here's *my* photo of Patti, taken three years ago at her signing of 'Just Kids' in Foyles on the Southbank. She was very gracious and patient that day with the hoards standing in line for a few seconds to be with her. And yes, I did ask if I could take the photo.