Post Everything

I've just finished reading the second volume of (former Auteur, former Black Box Recorder man) Luke Haines' memoirs. At the start of Post Everything Haines claims that since his first book Bad Vibes, set in the mid 90s against the backdrop of Britpop, he's calmed down a bit, mellowed out, and is not going round creating feuds with all and sundry. The 239 pages of Post Everything then detail mainly what he hates about the early 2000s- the music industry, his record companies, his record company bosses, one of his record company's boss's dog, Primal Scream (Must not end up like Bobby Gillespie he notes), The Verve, Richard Ashcroft, the mythologisation of The Clash, the mythologisation of the MC5, his own bands and the albums they make, band reunions, the New York Dolls reunion, the relationship between his bandmates (John Moore and Sarah Nixey), New Labour, Noel Gallagher and Alan McGee hobnobbing with New Labour, Glen Hoddle, Camden, Paul Morley, The Osbornes, digital recording, gigs, tours, Bono ('Two words... Massive twat'), several men called Graham at the National Theatre, Banksy ('the 21st century's worst man'), The Cellist.... the list goes on.


Things Luke Haines likes/tolerates- the National Pop Strike (his idea). New York Dolls (before they reformed). Mott The Hoople. Laudanum. His musical about Nicholas van Hoogstraten.


Things Luke Haines loves- his wife, who he woos when she is already courting the editor of a major music magazine, which ensures zero positive press from that magazine thereafter.


It's a festering, scabrous, entertaining read, shot through with brains and outsider wit, is utterly misanthropic, and very funny. 

Going Off My Rocker At The Art School Bop