Style Icon: Syd Barrett
The fascination with Syd Barrett by music journalists and fans alike has always revolved around his talent as a musician, an artist, and the heavy drug use that resulted in his departure from Pink Floyd in 1968. Rarely assumed to a be style icon, Syd’s image captured the essence of the London Underground scene when he founded the progressive rock band in 1965, alongside Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. His inexplicable allure is documented in the series of photographs Mick Rock took for the cover of his solo album, The Madcap Laughs. Rock went to Barrett’s Earl’s Court apartment without any pre-conceived ideas for the shoot – the photographs simply exposed Syd’s way of living in his passive attitude to the fame and the subsequent attention he received.
He wears the same red trousers and a muddy-brown trench coat in all the shots, and looks dirty and disheveled, his curly matt of hair only offering a glimpse of his kohl-rimmed eyes. Engulfed in the psychedelic rock culture that was steadily infiltrating the mod scene of London in the late 60’s, Syd’s nonplussed attitude to life translated into his clothes; another series of Mick Rock’s photographs show him in a tie-dye t-shirt, polka dot trousers and a skinny tie, all of which look dirty and worn.
The subdued air he maintained throughout his life is perhaps what draws people to him with such admiration and enthusiasm. After releasing “The Madcap Laughs” and a second album “Barrett” as a solo artist, he slowly distanced himself from the music scene. He wandered the 50 miles back to Cambridge from London in 1982 for good, in true mysterious Syd fashion.
