Author:John Robb
'To see The Clash on the White Riot tour was like discovering how to be a rock star: you just did it yourself. You didn't wait for someone to come and discover you. That was the most important thing that came out of punk... We came home and we cut our hair and bought skinny trousers. It was year zero. That was the moment for me' Billy Bragg
Punk Rock is a book like no other. It is an oral history of a radical movement which exploded in Seventies Britain. With its own clothes, hair, artwork, fanzines and radical politics, Punk boasted a DIY ethos that meant anyone could take part. The scene was uniquely vibrant and energetic, leaving an extraordinary legacy of notorious events, charismatic characters and inspirational music.
John Robb has spent over a year interviewing more than 100 contributors including Glen Matlock, Mick Jones, Don Letts, Slash, Billy Bragg, Hugh Cornwell and Captain Sensible. Now, for the first time, they give the inside view on events such as The Sex Pistols' swearing live on the Bill Grundy TV show and staging their anti-Jubilee riverboat party on the Thames, famous gigs at The Roxy and 100 Club, and the groundbreaking records by The Pistols, The Clash, The Damned and others.
From the widely debated roots of punk in the late-Sixties through to the fallout of the post-punk period in 1984, and the ongoing influence on today's bands, Punk Rock is the definitive oral history of an inimitable and exciting movement.
John Robb is a great writer... and he is supremely qualified in my opinion to talk about punk rock
—— Mick Jones, The ClashJohn Robb is as punk rock as The Clash
—— Alan McGeeWith so many books and courses available to the beginner now, it's great to find one that gets it spot on. In future isf anyone asks me for tips on DJing, I'll simply tell them to read this
—— Rocky, X-Press 2Full of vigour and colour...Ms Blackburn's portrait of a unique artist is moving, revealing and quite unforgettable
—— EconomistJulia Blackburn...has contributed much to the legacy of a remarkable human being
—— New StatesmanWith her assured touch, she has transcribed and framed the verbatim accounts into a resonant piece of social history, never losing sight of the woman who enthralled everyone with whom she came into contact
—— Financial TimesOften books about jazz musicians make the mistake of over-focusing on the music. Blackburn is more interested in Billie as a person
—— Mike Figgis , GuardianThis is a really marvellous book, the most uninhibitedly intimate portrayal ever of the short, hard life and overall musical triumph of Lady Day...With Billie vividly reflects the chaos that Billie Holiday was born into and only rarely escaped from
—— Spectator