LivLit (Johnson, Drummond, Cope)

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I think three writers are enough to stick a quirky little scenelabel on so let's discuss.

I'm reading Holly Johnson's autobiog at the moment. It's quite readable but he comes across as a real spoilt little shit. A case of believing some of his own hype and nevereverever letting it go. And he's just screamingly pompously wrong about so many many things:

"I wonder why the French get almost everything right except pop?"

(ok ok, maybe he's looking at it from an 80s perspective but it still fucking grates)

His smirky way of referring to his straight bandmembers as "The Lads" (complete with ""s) detracts from their own vulgarity and makes him seem like a self-important fool. As the general consensus is that without Trevor Horn he'd be NOTHING this all starts to grate after 249 pages of non-stop "and they bullied my poor poor boyfriend mercilessly, those boorish brutes so I stayed in a different hotel. That showed them. Did I mention how ZTT ripped me off?" it all starts to grate a bit. Also, it was illuminating/surprising to see good ol' Bill Drummond described as a ruthless backstabber and the Bunnymen (along with the rest of Liverpool) described as rampant homophobes. Still, I'll give him his dues for the first two Frankie singles and while he might be an rodentlike little looker I've found myself adopting his little kisscurl look lately.

Drummond. '45' is the most inspiring book I've ever read, totally love it. 'How To Be An Artist' is pretty dull, much waffling about flags and countryside but at least it has a nice slategrey cover. 'Bad Wisdom' is barely autobiographical but is pure brilliance and I'm chomping at the bit in anticipation of Manning/Drummond's new trip-down-the-Amazon opus.

Cope's autobiogs have been mentioned before and are fantastic. Drummond again portrayed as a corrupt selfish fiend, which makes me sad.

I'd half-like to read McCulloch's memoirs but just KNOW they'd be a whole load of self-mythicising drivel. Maybe it's a Liverpool thing and they'll be wonderful.

Is there anyone else?
Your thoughts please.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Wednesday, 19 March 2003 21:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Drummond is an endlessly entertaining writer, but from what I've read about him, he doesn't come across as being the nicest guy around.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 20 March 2003 00:28 (twenty-three years ago)

How do you mean? What else have you heard apart from that mentioned above? I like to see him as this affable buffoon with wild ideas who lucked it in the music industry, but this is probly all wrong. We can turn this into a Kill Drummond thread if need be.

(i wish i'd proofread my posts before sending, apologies for all the needless grates)

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Thursday, 20 March 2003 00:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Liverpudlians whose autobiographies I'd like to read:

Pete Wylie for *his* definition of rockism
Lori Lartey
One of those people from the Hellfire Sermons
Steady Mike Jones
John Hodge for the moment when he slots in that third goal against the Argyle and does a forward roll. Happiest day of my life, etc etc.

I think you're being a touch harsh towards "How To Be An Artist", Ian. It seems to me that it's a necessary expansion upon the heroic failure theme of "45": even in the course of the scheming and execution of a Grand Projet is tedium and dissatisfaction. I love it.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 20 March 2003 10:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I can imagine Wylie coming out with a good read - I understand he's a cockhead as well. Balfe should release his memoirs too, but in weekly installments on the internet because surely no one would bother buying a book of it. Fuck knows who them other Liverpudders are.

'How to be an artist'. I chuckled at Drummond getting annoyed when someone told him about that old philosopher guy who threw a load of gold in the sea and beating him to the 'burn a million' schtick but reading it was like a being ON a long long car journey - boring for aaaages with a couple of interesting bits. The whole concept doesn't engage me, I'm a pop fag and I don't know enough about art to appreciate this one. Still, I don't think it's rubbish, just not as smackhot as 45 or BW. Are his little £1 squares still on sale? And are the offers of paint, carpet, etc for real?

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Thursday, 20 March 2003 19:52 (twenty-three years ago)

OT but is Brain Donor any good?

― dave q, Thursday, 20 March 2003 21:30 (twenty-three years ago)

What is it?

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Thursday, 20 March 2003 21:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Has anyone read that new Paul Du Noyer book about Liverpool and its music?

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 20 March 2003 22:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Ian SPACK - 'Brain Donor' = J Cope's cock-rock Montrose tribute

― dave q, Friday, 21 March 2003 14:57 (twenty-three years ago)

does anyone know where you can buy bill drummond's 'silent protest' anti-war cards?

― pete b. (pete b.), Friday, 21 March 2003 16:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Jerry - not me but perhaps I should. Does it cover the good L'pools like OMD and Cope and them or does it sprawl out into Beatlesdom?

Dave - ah I think I heard one of their songs a while back. Noizy nu-Stooges type stuff, not my bag at all but maybe you'll like it. I never thought much much of the TD stuff either (except Treason and Reward natch) so I'm not the best person to comment. I could probably send you the mp3 if you're madkeen to hear it.

Pete B - I've not checked but www.penkiln-burn.co.uk (I think this is the right url) is Drummond's site so that's probably your best bet.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Friday, 21 March 2003 18:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Pete B - saw some in the window of the 'Ad Hoc' shop on Kings Road. Also in Blue Audio on Upper Street

― dave q, Saturday, 22 March 2003 11:59 (twenty-three years ago)

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