About Me
The Secret Life of a Teenage Punk Rocker:
The Andy Blade Chronicles
BY ANDY BLADE
Cherry Red Books ISBN 1-901447-50-3 12.99Brilliantly cutting, idiosyncratic punk autobiography from former
child-star.With a foreword by Henry Rollins, a cover endorsement by
Jonathan Ross, and great, previously unseen photos, this is
arguably the very best inside account of Punk Rock in London
1976 –77, and far from being just the story of school-kid punk band
Eater. ‘The Sid and John Stories are worth the price of admission
alone’, says Henry, and if you want to know which member of the
Clash had the biggest dick, then you’ll find out from these
hilariously, frank chronicles. Of all the books on punk, this is
destined to be the peoples favourite, as it is the most intimate,
personal, cutting and basically the most honest. It’s how one
person saw it, felt it, and lived it. The fact he was a naïve 15 year
old at the time helps immensely as the whirlwind journey of
discovery is recalled with amazing clarity. He can spin a yarn too
and he doesn’t hold back on all the gory details. Being on the
receiving end of a washing up liquid bottle full of piss being used a
water pistol, by a Sex Pistol after being caught in bed with said
Pistols girlfriend is a particular highlight.There’s a lot more to this book though. It is about being an outsider
as a child in the 70’s, Blades parents divorce resulted in
school-phobia and he withdrew into the fantasy world of pop music.
His ‘secret life’ was as much about being a fan initially as it was
being a performer, see the segment on how he stalked the
Runaways, issuing fake bomb threats to the hotel they were
staying in, hoping they would emerge, semi-clad or otherwise.
You really get inside Blades head reading this intense, dramatic
yet funny book and get to understand how shy school kid Ashruf Radwan transmogrified into teenage ‘low-rent rock star’ Andy Blade, and, having burnt out before his 18th birthday descended into his ‘drug hell’ and made it through the other side.Instead of chronological history, boring statistics, exact dates and details of recording sessions, socio-political theory or analysis you get stories of encounters with a bizarre cast of supporting characters; an armed and dangerous Spike Milligan, a surly Bob Dylan, a polite Lou Reed, a shambling Muhammad Ali, a self-righteous Cat Stevens, a confused Bay City Roller, a self-important Mickie Most and needless to say Rotten, Strummer, Scabies, Weller et al. On top of that you get a true ghost story, sections on Islam (his brothers became converts), a cold turkey travelogue (Egypt & Israel where he went to get cleaned-up), and a guide to how transcendental meditation can help you win on the horses.If I had to pick one thing about this book that will leave a lasting impact then it’s the fact that at last we discover the true significance and importance the blowjob in punk history.Sack the proofreader but a fantastic read and a must-have for anyone interested in punk.GED BABEY
