Jimi: All Is by My Side

- -

Ladies and gentlemen, please remain patient.

We apologize for the continued delay...

in this evening's performance by the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

- We hope to bring you the show presently. -

There's so much competition right now-

Cream, The Who-

No, no, no. No, no.

I wouldn't-I wouldn't say “competition,” no.

Well, do you think you're better than all of them?

Hey, sorry to bother you. Um, Linda Keith?

You are Linda Keith. Fantastic!

I was over there with my buddies. I knew it was you!

Can I have your autograph, please? Can you make it out to Ted?

Then you can tell your friends you've done the closest thing...

to sucking a Rolling Stone's cock.

And that's what you really want, isn't it?

- -

Mark, can we go over, um-

- What do you say? - Well, I don't know.

Listen, I'm here with a couple of my friends over at this table here...

in case you want to come over, grab a few drinks or something.

- - You got some lemons?

- Oh, sweetheart, I forgot the lemons. - No lemons?

Come on. You know you need lemons.

Gin, gin, gin, gin. Can you pass me the gin out there, please?

- - Not too much.

- I won't put too much in. -

Howlin' Wolf?

Robert Johnson?

T-Bone Walker?

It's a promotional copy. It's completely fresh.

Whatever's cool.

I trust you.

Roberta.

- Dylan, huh? - Yeah.

- Well, I dig his hair. -

Do you want to try something?

First time, you don't look in the mirror.

All right.

f Just like a mattress balances on a bottle of-I."

These guys are setting themselves on fire. You know?

Taking a stand for what they believe in.

Close your eyes for me.

- Really? - Yeah. Yeah.

- I really, really like it. - Yeah?

Of course I do, because it's your real name.

Yeah.

You know, I think Jimmy James sounds very-

- Well, that's just- - Singsongy.

It's just for the act, you know.

Why do you need an act?

Well, I get on stage and I gotta perform.

Yes, why can't you just... get on stage and perform?

Why do you have to be a character?

- Just a thing, you know. - It's not.

It's not a thing. it's nothing. it's-

it's you just sort of standing up there with processed hair...

- and a leopard-print jacket. - I do think-

- maybe that could be you. - it's not leopard. it's cheetah.

- Oh, really? - Yeah.

You know, Cheetah Club, cheetah jacket.

- Really? - Yeah.

I didn't get that.

Yeah.

You know what Johnson said?

You're gonna have your cheetah jacket and you're gonna be in hiding.

He said the suicides were tragic and unnecessary.

And I just really-I don't see the-

Why not? Why not?

Semi-literate kids are being-

- I know where this goes. - Where does it go? What do you mean?

- Nowhere. -

You're so serious. We're just-just having a good time, you know.

Do you think I'm wrong?

We all have situations. Yeah.

Do we?

Yeah, we do.

At least we have each other.

Most of my friends have burned their cards.

No, if you were done with...

the sort of cheetah and leopard-print...

aspects of it all-

- You mean, done with Curtis? - Yeah, I mean-Mm-hmm.

I mean, why? Why would I want to-

I think that the act at the moment is perfectly adequate.

But I think that that's, um... the best thing that I can really say about it.

You can't get down on a man's hustle. That's his thing.

I'm not. I've got nothing against his hustle.

But...

how much hustle...

does it take to get you and your cheetah jacket booked into an empty club?

Well, that's how it is. Right?

So I'm makin' the bread.

We all have our own situations.

Yeah, but if you were done with him-

- Do we? - You're high.

I'm-I'm asking you...

if you were done with Curtis...

what sort of music would you play?

I don't know.

It's like asking, if I had a spaceship would I go to Venus or Mars?

No, it's not!

I'm asking you, if you could play your music...

how would you do it?

If I could do things my way, like-

I-I'd do that, you know. I'd just do something new.

You know, do my own thing. You know?

Yeah.

But I can't split Curtis now, so-

it's his guitar, so I'll just-

I don't even have a guitar. You know?

[ stops I

Jimmy.

Jimmy!

I wanna go to the village with you.

There's nothing down there.

Can I borrow me a couple of bucks?

What?

I'm not gonna be able to play tonight, so I need to eat.

You spent my last dollar buying that goddamn record.

- It's Dylan. - It is my money.

And you take it and you run around and do whatever with it?

I'm not borrowing you anything.

Are you listening?

If you want something, you take me with you.

There's nothing down there.

Shit.

Better bring me some food.

Thank you.

Don't come back with any more goddamn white boy albums.

- Jimmy. -

- Jimmy! -

- And you weren't impressed at all? - He's nothing.

You didn't see the way he plays?

- No, he's less than that. He's rubbish. - Watch his hands.

Christ.

His hands... are amazing.

He is an incredible guitar player.

It's not like the world's short on guitar players.

And what was he playing? A bloody hodgepodge full of nothing.

I'd lose more money on him than I'd ever make.

- He's brilliant. - Look, what am I to do? I'm your boyfriend's hire.

When he comes off tour, shall I inform him...

that you'd have me divide my time between him and your friend?

Linda, I understand more than you know.

I'm sure I tire of being simply the Rolling Stones' manager...

as much as you do of being described as Keith Richards' girl...

as though that were a job description.

Identity is a wonderful thing.

I encourage you to have one.

But for God's sake, a little discretion wouldn't hurt either.

Come on.

- Linda. - Have a good night.