Extract from an interview with Patti Palladin,
June 19th 1983, by Nina Antonia.

You and Johnny have similar backgrounds, what was it like growing up in New York?

...to survive in that sort of environment, it's essential to develop your 'attitude' at a very early age. Although I grew up in Brooklyn and Johnny grew up in Queens, the similarity of our backgrounds is strong -- the basic 'neighbourhood mentality'. The neighbourhood was sliced into 'gang-governed territories'; my neighbourhood was more or less shared by The Phantom Lords and The Hell Burners, Jerry was a 'Young Lord'. The letters D.L.A.M.F. (Down Like A Mother Fucker) and D.T.K. (Down To Kill) were a common at one-way signs. Yet, STYLE, not violence was the main motive... your main concern was really your profile. Mind you, there was a fair amount of bloodshed over who had more style -- violence was merely the result of too much style and too much attitude. I can't erase all that, and I'm sure Johnny and Jerry can't either, but I also can't erase the fact that I've lived in London for the past 10 years.

What made you decide to live in London?

It was more a conclusion, I just didn't want to be in America anymore. There are things that are not specifically New York that are decidedly America, that make me ill; certain views inherent in the American mentality that are fundamentally lame. Mind you, at that time, it was nowhere near the ridiculous levels it has now reached... actually, my decision to leave America was probably more intuitive than anything else, I don't regret it.

And why England? Do you really prefer it here?

At the time, it was a pretty obvious move... I was much more interested in what was happening here -- creatively, socially -- generally. London is metropolitan, and of course the fact that there was no language barrier made it all the more attractive. New York had had it's heyday. You could no longer stroll into Max's and find Truman Capote sharing a table with Lee Radizwell, Brian Jones and a local wino. It seemed to be slipping into a state of animated suspension. Don't get me wrong, there was lots of activity, but at that time it seemed to lack direction, and somehow it just became rampant energy.

You've collaborated on a lot of stuff, what's he like to work with?

Working with Johnny seems such a natural thing to do... besides, it's the only chance I ever get to play the 'cocky dumb bitch from Brooklyn', I suppose it's obvious really. I couldn't think of playing that role for anyone else: Johnny genuinely does in many ways see women as dumb bitches. He's playing that Stanley Kowalski role and he needs someone to play against, can't think of anyone in London who could do it better, can you?

From "Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood: The Official Biography" by Nina Antonia, (ISBN 0 9511963 0 8).