Elastica's Justine Frischmann on the Godlike Genii of Mark E. Smith

This article appeared in NME some years before Smith actually received the NME Godlike Genius Award.

As far as Godlike Genii go, Mark E. Smith comes the closest, he’s one of the few current musical heroes I have left. I would have said Paul Weller, Terry Hall or Debbie Harry, but none of them are still doing it with such finesse. I just love the way he’s such a miserable fucker: he’s so funny on record and so miserable in real life, he’s curious. I’ve got a funny story about him. Damon and I were in Notting Hill and we went into this Indian restaurant and he came in and sat next to us. I was so overcome I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t eat. I wanted to stick my head in a bucket of cold water. He was just sitting on his own, reading and eating a lamb curry, he was so close he could hear us talking. I felt like a twat. He has a real mystery about him, he’s just cool and has a fantastic limp. I like the way he’s had a proper length career too, and he does what he wants without getting fucked over. I don’t know if he’d agree, he always seems quite bitter, but to me it always seems likee he’s handled it quite well. And he’s a purist which I envy. (When asked what she would do if she had to present him with the Godlike Genius Award she replied I think I’d faint, or at least blush).

The article has a an inset of Frischmann (fag hanging out the mouth) next to a larger picture of Smith and is accompanied by the words ‘Mark E: bound to be impressed by Justine)