Mick Jagger wall lay forgotten in workshop

ROBYN EDIE/Southland Times

STONE ME: Invercargill City Council employee and former Civic Theatre worker Lindsay Frewen with what is believed to be an inscription by rock legend and Rolling Stone Mick Jagger.

WAS IT HIM?: A closeup of the inscription believed to have been made by Mick Jagger.

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The Invercargill man who had what could be an inscription by rock legend Mick Jagger hidden in his workshop says he simply forgot he had it and didn't really care for the rocker's music anyway.

The Southland Times yesterday reported the Invercargill City Council has what is thought to be a section of wall from the Civic Theatre signed by Jagger from the Rolling Stones' now infamous visit to the city in 1965.

Builder Myers Newsome said he had the inscription tucked away at home after it was removed for treatment for mould and dampness.

Mr Newsome was doing repair work at the theatre's band room five or six years ago.

"The wall with the signature got damaged somehow and was starting to get mouldy so I took the section home to treat it."

He said there was no mischief involved, he just forgot about it.

He gave it back to the council after finding it about two weeks ago because it was theirs and it was a part of the city and New Zealand's history.

"It's a young country so every little bit of history is important.

"I didn't like his music any way."

The Invercargill City Council yesterday unveiled the inscription, which will be kept in the archives of the city library, along with memorabilia from the band's 1965 visit.

Council employee Lindsay Frewen said it was always suspected the signature was somewhere in the theatre.

In the 1990s a TVNZ crew looked everywhere for it without success, he said. It took a case of bad odour coming from the band room to find it, Mr Frewen said.

"We took some lights down to see where the problem was and there it was, it stuck out like dog's balls."

After it was taken away there was so much fuss about the theatre's refurbishment it was forgotten, he said.

Whether it was authentic or not could forever remain a mystery but everyone was hoping it was the real thing, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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