Wednesday January 23rd

The papers have lately been full of accounts of Prince Harry behaving like his Shakespearean namesake, Prince Hal in Henry IV. Also known as the inspiration for Keanu Reeves’ character in My Own Private Idaho. Young, good looking and rich, who can blame him?

It reminded me of when myself and the rest of Fosca went for a meal in Kentish Town before our recent show at the Verge. We went to Pizza Express, as all the cafes with bolted-down seats that I like (and prefer) were closed. Behind us was a table of a dozen VERY well-spoken thirteen-year-old-girls all out to celebrate a birthday, but seemingly without a chaperone or adult in sight. I know that’s perfectly legal as long as they don’t try to buy alcohol, and perhaps a few of them were actually a bit older than they looked, but it was still vaguely unnerving. They were all dressed in glitzy off-the-shoulder designer tops, drinking water and Coke like wine, and applauding the jazz singer raucously as if they were any gaggle of twenty-something women on a girls’ night out. Except they were children. In number. With no adults in charge. With their own money. And plenty of it. A dangerous combination. Hence I’m not in the least bit surprised at Young Prince Hal. It’s only a matter of time before his party friends will be getting the “I know thee not, old man” line.