And so it came to pass … it appears that it was on the 7th of May 1979 - just before my 17th birthday - that I went to Middlesbrough Rock Garden to see the acoustic punk troubadour Patrick Fitzgerald supported by The Wall, from Sunderland, and The Teardrop Explodes, from Liverpool. As I remember, it was a bright sunny day outside the dingy music venue and quite appropriately, it was the bottom of the bill The Teardrop Explodes who stood out. I saw them again later that year at the Leeds Futurama, and they really were terrific. And I saw them at least once more, when they were well on their way to deserved commercial success.
These are the sort of memory sparks that were kindled when I was reading Paul Simpson’s whipcrack of a memoir Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism. This really is a speeding read full of loss, hope, humour, adventure, tragedy, and an unerring belief in the power of the imagination.
At first glance. it looks like Simpson is a kind of Zelig of the post-punk music scene (s) but very quickly you realise how much of a prime mover he was, and how important he was to shaping the music , and the worldviews that came with it.
Simpson can really spin a yarn, and Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism is an engrossing look at a man coming to terms with his limitations and, more importantly, embracing his many strengths. A corker, then.
And on … If you were ever in a band or knew someone in a band who almost but not quite made it big, you must read this. Alan Savage was the singer, guitarist and main songwriter in New Wave indie band Basczax (pron: Bassax) and his autobiography is a poignant, funny and ultimately, life-affirming story of his obsession with music and growing up in the 70s, a personal journey that moves from Glam to Punk and beyond.
Even if you weren’t born in that decade, Alan Savage makes you feel that you could have been there. His vivid command of language brings the sights, sounds and smells of the 70s right into the present. Th roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd. Grab it from Amazon.com , Amazon.co.uk and the like.
And on … Before reading Lawrence Donegan’s Four-Iron In The Soul, I knew very little about golf apart from the Rat Pack, Tiger Woods, Jimmy Tarbuck and, er. bogies. Indeed, for me, golf was just something that was on TV in the early hours in the days before proper 24-hour telly.
And I suspect that I haven’t learned much more about golf after reading Four-Iron In The Soul but the book is an absolute beaut.
Lawrence Donegan used to play the bass in a couple of tasty Scottish post-punk bands – The Bluebells and The Commotions. But in the ’90s he decided to put away his childish things and become a journalist, working for, er, The Guardian.
Although I was well aware of Donegan’s musical endeavours I can’t say I paid much attention to his career in journalism. But a few weeks ago, somewhere on the internet, I bumped into Four-Iron In the Soul and took a punt. And I’m glad I did.
In the mid-nineties, Donegan contacted the obscure – to me at any rate – Scottish golfer Ross Drummond and asked to be his caddy for a season. Drummond agreed and Donegan ended up following the golfer around Europe and beyond. Along the way, he encountered all manner of misfits and oddballs. There were highs and lows, comedy and disappointment.
Lawrence Donegan really is a cracking writer who can fire off sharp one liners as well as many a crime writer. Indeed, Four-Iron In the Soul is as gripping as it touching. Though I’m a bit surprised that no one asked him if his old man was a dustman Four-Iron In The Soul is highly recommended.
And on … Ian Moss has apparently been an integral part of the Manchester music scene since god was a lad. His latest band is the brilliantly named Fourcandles, and 100 Unhip Albums That We Should Learn To Love is his massively enjoyable tribute to the flotsam and jetsam of music. Interesting – and sometimes odd-records that seem to have passed many people by.
As someone who worked in a second-hand record shop for many years, quite a few of these LPs were familiar from the 50p section – Montrose! – and there are just as many records in this scattershot collection that I’ve never given the time of day to. But Ian Moss’ enthusiasm is infectious and have led me to dipping more than a toe or two into this proudly unhip selection. 100 Unhip Albums That We Should Learn To Love is a cracking read with more than a few top musical tips. Highly recommended.
© Paul D. Brazill.
Must get that 'Unhip Albums' book - cheers