Book Description
This extraordinary memoir of a celebrated poet and 'failed' rock star tells how one boy grew up in the sixties, survived a British army upbringing, school, the Far East, south London and real trouble, only to go through the hell of being beaten, dabbling in drugs, overdosing, getting arrested, being busted, pop obsession and much, much more.
Joining Plod, a seventies glam-rock band, became the steadying influence in a life spinning hopelessly out of control. Told with hugely generous dollops of smut, pathos and irrepressible humour, Martin Newell's entertaining adventures make for a fast-moving page-turner for anyone who has ever dreamed of being in a band.
About the Author
Martin Newell was born in 1953 to an army family and he grew up in Hertfordshire, Hampshire, London, Cyprus, Dundee, Chester, Singapore, Malaya and Essex. In 1973 he joined the Colchester glam-rock band, Plod. Subsequent bands were Gypp, The Stray Trolleys and Cleaners From Venus. In between jobs included stints as a kitchen porter and gardener. Martin's latest album is The Spirit Cage (Cherry Red records). In 1990 Martin began working as a performance poet and took up a poet's residency in Middlesborough. He has had seven books published: five collections of verse and two long poems, Black Shuck and Wildman of Wivenhoe. Martin is resident pop poet for The Independent, and as a result he is the most regularly published poet in the UK. He lives in north-east Essex.
