All time favourite book would be-Nico (songs they never play on the radio) not that i’m exactly a fan of the late singers ‘cannon of work’ exactly,just the utter,utter brilliance of the authors pithy and acerbic chronicallings of a series of hilariously funny adventures organised by a hyper-charismatic, Mancunian,impressario called Demetrius,(actually a very influential mover and shaker)- Alan Wise,who frantically tries to create a ‘buzz’ based on Nicos,oh- so- cool connections with Andy Warhol and The Velvet- Underground circa,late sixties.Problem is, by this point in the early eighties,Nico is a serious heroin addict and the whole adventure revolves around her constant need to score her fixes.
Throw into the mix a coterie of fellow musos,(assembled by Demetrius )- also with the same requirements,including cameos from John-Cooper-Clarke and ex-Velvet-John Cale and you get a series of outrageously, hilarious, bitter/sweet,narcotic-tinged adventurelets, that are totally engaging and poignant into the bargain.I must have read it a dozen times and it feels like dropping in on an old friend.
The book is jam packed with surreal vignettes of the real underbelly of rock&roll, during a period of time, when vast ammounts of extremely pure- grade- Heroin arrived on Manchesters streets and like a bee to the hive,thats exactly where the Warhol muse Nico rocked up in the ramshackled envoirons of Didsbury.
Hope iv’e not damned it with too much faint praise but this ones a keeper.