Michael Des Barres is the light of my Instagram feed

The phone camera ‘rolls’: a distinguished, and very charming, rock n’ roller — in his seventies, but with a much more youthful demeanor — is standing in his tastefully modest abode, ready to rock. He looks into the camera and smiles, because we are here, with him. And he plays for us, from his home in LA, in the midst of a global pandemic.

Although my introduction to Michael Des Barres was in the mid-1980s, and through two unexpected sources — his recurring role as Murdoc on television show MacGyver, and taking the stage with The Power Station at Live Aid — Des Barres is a glam rocker from way back.

As the lead singer of Silverhead, he was a contemporary of David Bowie and Marc Bolan, and as such, he turns up in Simon Reynolds’ account of British glam rock, Shock and Awe. In fact, it was via Instagram that Des Barres himself recommended the book to me. How many people can say that a bona fide glam rocker gave them a reading suggestion? It’s a highlight of my PhD journey, for sure.

Des Barres has been the light of my Instagram feed for a long time now. He connects with his followers from, variously, his living room, the porch, the garden, and out walking. His presence is warm and welcoming, and his message radiates positivity, even with this contemporary moment pulling a new one on us at every turn.

It is medicine for troubled times: love, compassion, equality, and miracles; cancelling out fear, and standing up for what’s right. And he sings and he smiles, and for that moment, there is hope in humankind.

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather hear from Des Barres every day than from — well, many other sources.

He recently released a documentary — Who Do You Want Me to Be? — which goes into considerable depth on his life and career. The film’s title refers to a lyric from ‘Obsession’, a song originally written and recorded by Des Barres and Holly Knight in 1983, and covered by Animotion in 1984.

I’m looking forward to watching the documentary — the only reason I haven’t yet is that I can’t stream it from outside the US. But believe me, the minute it becomes available, I’ll be all over it.

Until then, at the least, I have those daily Instagram updates to help keep me sane. And, these really cool few minutes: