Get the latest gossip

PJ Harvey Reads Noted Cat Lover Captain Beefheart’s Poem About Her Cat

See PJ Harvey read Captain Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet's poem about her cat.

PJ Harvey paid tribute to one of her biggest influences, Captain Beefheart, by reading some of his poetry at a London art gallery a couple of weeks ago. The singer-songwriter — who befriended the pioneering art-rock bluesman, whose real name was Don Van Vliet, late in his life — recited a poem he wrote for her in 2001 titled “Man Can’t Anticipate Cat” at Michael Werner Gallery. “I grew up listening to Captain Beefheart, and he’s always been my hero and my kind of something to aim for.” After becoming friends with Van Vliet, she listed him in the “very special thanks” section of her Uh Huh Her liner notes that year.

Get the Android app