Powder: An Everyday Story of Rock'n'roll Folk
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Keva McCluskey, lead singer of Liverpool band The Grams, is convulsed with jealousy when their inferior rivals Sensira hit the headlines. But a fortuitous meeting with society Trustafarian Guy de Burret boots the unsuspecting Grams straight into the harsh limelight. The band's camaraderie is rent asunder, as a bewildering host of journalists, music moguls and parasites works its sinister magic. The Grams have to fight to save their minds, their bodies and their friendship. They win, lose and ultimately, win again in this bacchanalian tale of sex, drugs. And rock'n'roll.
Powder describes a world riddled with falsehoods in an entirely truthful voice. Sampson knows the business inside out, and the book teems with the sort of detail few music lovers could conceive of. Ordinary lads turned rock gods acquire some laughable foibles, and Sampson draws his characters, and their picaresque adventures, with laugh-out-loud wit and often moving warmth. (Keva's worst fear is turning 30, while drummer Beano only wants a nice girl to cook him stew). This is a breathless, adrenaline-fired tale-- whether you are a vinyl junkie or watch the pop world in fascinated horror, you will find Powder as bewitching as the world it depicts. --Matthew Baylis
Review
"Tells it like it is -- Sampson is never better than when revelling in the sex, drugs and the rock 'n' roll -- All young bands should be made to read "Powder; if it doesn't put them off, nothing will." -- "The Times
"A pacey and hilarious catalogue of vanity, insecurities, bitchery, bonhomie and belligerence.... a portrait of the contemporary music industry that is almost uncanny in its accuracy." -- "Independent
"A code-red book -- drop what you're reading and read this immediately -- a rip-snorting, rollicking ride from obscurity to rock 'n' roll debauchery and through the other side." -- Alex James, "Blur
"The best book ever written about being in a band...Read it and weep. And think twice before you give up the day job" -- "NME
"A pacey and hilarious catalogue of vanity, insecurities, bitchery, bonhomie and belligerence.... a portrait of the contemporary music industry that is almost uncanny in its accuracy." -- "Independent
"A code-red book -- drop what you're reading and read this immediately -- a rip-snorting, rollicking ride from obscurity to rock 'n' roll debauchery and through the other side." -- Alex James, "Blur
"The best book ever written about being in a band...Read it and weep. And think twice before you give up the day job" -- "NME
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Have just given up on this book - boring is the only word I can be bothered to think of to attribute to it. So painfully contrived with all the name dropping of bands names .. don't waste any of your time on it. I agree with the person who recommended Espedair Street instead.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I play for a band, struggling a bit - and this book gave me so much inspiration! I think it's grounding in semi-fact with the ficticious The Grams and Sensira is its biggest hook. Love the way it uses authentic muso Liverpool hangouts, and typically unreasonable scallies! In the words of James Love - read it an' that.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
How often do you a buy a book of 500 pages and read it within a day? This is one I just could not put down. It came with me on the tube, in the bath and, erm...on the loo (highest accolade in my book!)The pop-arty cover gives a hint of the sex and laffs and joie de vivre of Powder, but what came as a real surprise is the depth of emotion and the real sense of journey for all the main characters. It's a savage, funny, brilliant book and anyone who's ever tuned into Radio One will absolutely love it. Can not recommend too highly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointing
I rarely give up on a book, but I may have to make an exception for this. It has such a good base for a fantastic story, but I end up not caring about the characters or their... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Helen Johnson
You'd think you were reading a biography of a band/the record industry
I bought this book after reading the author's prevous books Awaydays and Leisure and being a big music fan I can't help but compare the book to real bands as Kevin Sampson has... Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2009 by Ross1927
a fun read, but in need of a decent editor
I enjoyed this book - it's an involving plot, and you're drawn in by the rise and fall of the band and the odd cast of characters, as well as by the author's genuine love for the... Read more
Published on 26 Aug 2009 by book devourer
Poor effort.
This is a surprisingly unsurprising read, simply cataloguing what we already know goes on in the music industry through the eyes of a band as they rise and fall. Read more
Published on 7 July 2009 by Script Angel
Rubbish
I did get recommended this book in the first place by 2 people, i was attracted by the cover, (i always like to judge books by their covers,) so was relatively enthusiastic about... Read more
Published on 3 April 2006 by T. D. Kirk
A waste of trees
This is a very bad book.
The characterisation is tissue-thin, the events arbitary and the themes non-existent. Read more
Published on 2 May 2004
The worst book I've read
I chose this as a dumb, airport kind of book.
What I found was an extraordinary book.
Extraordinarily terrible. Read more
What I found was an extraordinary book.
Extraordinarily terrible. Read more
Published on 6 May 2003
A great read!
This is a great book that I couldn't put down until I'd devoured every Rock 'n' Roll page. The style is enjoyable and this is easily Kevin Sampson's best book. Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2002 by Mr Kirk J Kenny
Quite Simply Gorgeous
Fell in love with the enchanting tale very early on. Steeped with emotion, tragedy and melancholy this book will grab you where it hurts. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2002 by pippawells@hotmail.com
Dial-a-cliche
This book contains just about every rock cliche available and doesn't contain a single likeable character. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2002
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