Arts & Entertainment
Hunter 5. Thompson prepares for war
By Michael Deeds
Senior Editor
At 7 p.m., Hunter S. Thompson
still is groggy from sleep. He mumbles
something about sipping whiskey for
breakfast. It is time to face another
night hidden deep in the mountains of
Woody Creek, Colo.
Thompson, 52, will do more than
write this evening. The author/sharp
shooter/gonzo journalism gum will
ponder his future. On April 9, he will
appear in Stale District Court to face
possible charges of third degree as
sault, third degree sexual assault and
felony drug possession.
He will stand before the judge not
only as Hunter S. Thompson, citizen.
But as Hunter S. Thompson —
symbol.
Of drugs. Of guns. Of disdain for
the law. Of everything wild, extreme
and faintly unruly in American soci
ety today, yesterday, and Thompson
hopes, tomorrow.
But times are changing.
“It’s a grim and ugly spirit in the
wind,’’ he muses. “This is the ’90s. It
is an era of punishment.’’
And punishment may well be on
the way for Thompson, who for 20
years has played with madness in his
daily life, as well as in best-sellers
like “The Great Shark Hunt’’ and
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”
But Thompson admits he has trouble
taking the case seriously.
“They’re chickenshit drug
charges, he complains. “The judge
should not have given a search war
rant on this.”
On Feb. 21, ex-pom producer and
occasional star Gail Palmer-Slater
visited Thompson as a fan, he says, at
his Woody Creek cabin near Aspen,
Colo. In an affidavit, Palmer-Slater
claimed that during her visit Thompson
f
threw a glass of cranberry juice and
vodka in her direction, twisted her
left breast, punched and pushed her.
She also stated that she saw Thompson
and guests consume what she be
lieved was cocaine.
Based on her statement, the Dis
trict Attorney’s office sent a team of
investigators to Thompson’s home.
After an 11-hour search, Thompson
says, the officers left with their evi
dence.
“I wouldn’t pay $5 for the whole
damn thing they have,” he fumes.
“They say they’re going to try to go
to court on die strength of what amounts
to seeds and residue — 12-year-old
weed found behind the refrigerator.
It’s supposed to be useable, and they
don’t have anything useable. An 11
year-old child couldn’t get high on
the whole thing.”
As for Palmer-Slater, he says, her
testimony should not be considered
reliable. Thompson recently received
a letter from Lee Klein, a Michigan
man claiming Palmer-Slater filed
another “bogus suit” against him.
Thompson says the idea of a publicity
scant has crossed his mind, but he
hasn’t bought it yet.
Nonetheless, the fact remains,
according to Thompson - Palmer
Slater was in no condition to remem
ber the facts.
“She was a drunk woman. I called
a cab. I didn’t want her here. She tried
to put her arm around me. When I
pushed her away, she slipped on the
goddamn cranberry juice that she had
spilled on the floor. I don’teven drink
vodka. I was drinking gin.”
Either way, Thompson must face
the charges that will be brought on by
District Attorney Mill Blakcy - that
is, if Blakey is around to perform his
duties.
Republican millionaire Wink Jaf
fee, a long-time enemy of Thompson’s,
recently announced he was outraged
by Btakey’s search of Thompson’s
home. Jaffee will serve on a commit
tee to recall the district attorney/*"*
Thompson says he is pleased with
the support he has gotten, including
the phone call from Jaffce.
“Most of the people are calling
wanting to help. That cheers me up.
It’s fun.”
But Thompson sees little that strikes
him as funny today.
“This is all the result of not pay
ing attention to politics and leaving a
punishment-oriented Republican
administration in power for what looks
like it might be 16 years,” Thompson
says. “All over the country, the pris
ons are full. We have more people in
prison in this country' than in any
other country in the world.
“One factor is, this goddamn crack
has given decent recreational users
like me, or anybody like me, a bad
name. In the ’70s, when we did pay
some attention to politics ..; we got
a lot of laws changed. In the ’80s, the
trend was reversed.”
And the ’90s?
“This is the generation of swine,”
Thompson says. “We’re turning into
a neo-fascist, totally money-oriented
nation. It just gets more crime and
punishment oriented. This is the first
time they’ve come after me specifi
cally. They picked the wrong case to
do it on. It’s a weak case.”
Thompson gets a little excited when
he talks about politics and Republi
cans. He becomes more reflective
when he thinks of District Attorney
Blakcy.
“I get a little bit of a personal
feeling myself,” he smirks. “I’d like
to march the guy through the streets
of Aspen with swastikas painted all
over him, naked. Behind him an old
German army jeep .. .”
Thompson trickles off in thought
for a moment
“They’re coming after me. I have
See GONZO on 10
MTV, colleges team up to ‘Save the Earth
By Julie Naughton
Senior Reporter
MTV and Ecology Now hope to
create greater awareness of environ
mental issues at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, according to
Melissa Keitges, MTV’s UNL stu
dent representative.
“We’d like to encourage people
to recycle everyday,” Keitges said.
Today through Friday, MTV and
its 20 representative college campuses
will be sponsoring their first “Save
the Earth” campaign. The campus
campaigns are a cooperative effort
with MTV’s broadcasted “Global
Environmental” public-service cam
paign.
During the week-long campaign
at UNL, booths will be set up in the
Nebraska Union’s Main Lounge be
tween 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to col
lect recyclable materials.
Kcitges and Ecology Now will be
showing MTV-provided public serv
ice announcements and giving away
MTV merchandise, as well as intor
mation about what students can do to
protect the environment. They will
collectaluminum.non-biodegradable
paper products (such as newspaper)
and plastic bottles.
Keilges and Ecology Now then
will take the materials to a local recy
cling plant.
MTV will shoot their annual
“School’sOut” weekend program at
the college gathering the highest total
of recyclable material. The “School’s
Out’’ weekend will be shown during
the month of May on MTV.
“I’d like to see the University of
Nebraska win,’’ Keilges said. “I think
it’d be neat if MTV could come here
and film us partying. It would show
them that we’re not the cowboys a lot
of people think we are.”
Keitges said this is the first time
MTV has “combined a benefit and a
promotion.’’
“MTV recently decided that the
environment will be the primary cause
that they will work for,’ ’ Keitges said.
MTV needed a co-sponsoring stu
dent organization, and according to
Keitges, Ecology Now was a “logi
cal choice.’’
“They are the most active student
environmental group, ana nave aone
a lot of things towards promoting
environmental awareness,” Keitgcs
said.
Kcilgcs said the group has been
busy but they were ‘‘happy to squeeze
this one in.”
Participating schools include New
Jersey’s Rutgers University, New
York’s Cornell University, Alabama’s
Auburn University, the University of
Southern California, the University
of Colorado and Arizona State Uni
versity.
Former Bunny man McCulloch debuts
with haunting vocals, harmonious guitar
By Brian Moves
Staff Reporter
Ian McCulloch
“Candleland”
Sire
Ian McCulloch made a wise choice
when he decided to quit Echo and The
Bunnymen and pursue a solo career.
McCulloch’s debut solo album,
“Candleland” does justice to the
talent he had been boxing up with the
Bunnymen.
“Candleland” is a complete ef
fort by McCulloch. On the album,
McCulloch plays guitar and handles
all of the vocals, and Ray Shulman
plays bass and the keyboards.
The entire album is dominated by
McCulloch’s original vocals that
border on greatness. At times, he sings
in a happy mode, but most of the time
in a eerie haunting voice.
You almost can feel the songs
permeating your soul.
Not to go overlooked on * Candle
land” is the excellent use of guitars
and keyboards. McCulloch stirs his
harmonious guitar in and out of every
song, putting to rest any critics who
said he couldn’t play guitar.
On “The Cape,” he surprises
everybody by playing some Jesus and
Mary Chain-esque distorted guitar riffs
throughout the song. Also in the be
ginning a New Order-like keyboard
sound can be heard.
It is obvious that McCulloch still
is feeling the effects from the recent
death of his father. The entire album,
including the cover, is surrounded
with a sad blackness which radiates
among most of the songs. Although
many of the songs are sad, they still
are entertaining. All of the songs are
very good, and the lyrics express
McCulloch’s intelligence.
Lyrically, McCulloch concentrates
on heavy subject matters: death, past
remembrances and reincarnation.
The best song, “Faith and Heal
ing” starts with electronic drum beats
and synthesizer sounds, similar to New
Order, which add variety to the song.
McCulloch’s vocals flood over the
music subtly letting you almost for
get about the music. The chorus
mourns:
“Lost all reason and belonging/
Can’t do right for doing wrong and/I
don’t like die way I’m feeling/Need
your faith, faith and healing”
On the song, “Candleland,”
McCulloch is joined by Elizabeth
Frazer from the Cocteau Twins on
backing vocals. Frazer adds a beauti
ful high-pitched voice to put some
diversity in the album.
McCulloch has more than proven
that he can be successful without the
Bunnymen. He has so much talent
that it would be best if he stayed solo
so he could concentrate on his own
ideas.
“Candleland” is an enjoyable
album from start to finish. But don’t
expect to come away feeling happy,
because it was not made to make you
feel that way.
Courtesy of Sire
