(Richard Neville is the editor of OZ, the British alternative culture magazine. This article was originally published in England, in INK, a weekly UPS paper)

Two weeks ago, Mick Jagger gave his first performance in public since his January “farewell England” tour. He married Bianca de Macias. This spectacular invoked most of his features common to Jagger’s previous appearances. It was violent, sexy, expensive. JAGGER WEDDING DAY ROUGH HOUSE frontpaged the Daily Mirror, billing its two burly reporters as personal bodyguards who safely steered the bridal couple through the punches and pandemonium. Always more concerned with property than people, the Sun splashed JAGGER BRIDAL CAR IN CRASH, spotlighting the wrecking of a white Bentley. British press men were shocked by the gratuitous violence — not just the random brawls and verbal cockfights, but incidents such as the French photographer who swirled his camera like a mabe and chain to clout a Stones road manager, who then sank, blood gushing.