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Clip of the Week

I’ve always been drawn to artists who push boundaries, and Living Colour did just that – fusing hard rock, funk, jazz, and punk with a social conscience that hit like a thunderbolt. Formed in the mid-1980s in New York City by the visionary Vernon Reid on guitar, with Corey Glover’s soaring vocals, Muzz Skillings on bass, and Will Calhoun behind the drums, they emerged from the Black Rock Coalition scene, challenging stereotypes in a genre dominated by white acts… (READ ON)

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This Week’s Book Choice

Penny Kiley may not be a familiar name to most readers but “Atypical Girl” – her newly published autobiography – is an entertaining, fascinating rollercoaster of emotions. It also shines a spotlight on the importance of women in the Liverpool scene from the 70s onwards, much as Audrey Golden’s “I Thought I Heard You Speak” did for the Manchester scene.

In 1977, Kiley arrived in Liverpool from Sittingbourne to study at the university just as punk was changing the rules of pop music. Within a few chapters, the author takes the reader inside Eric’s and introduces characters like Pete Wylie, Jayne Casey and Pete Burns. The Liverpool scene developed through and beyond punk in many directions as imaginary bands became real groups – Echo and the Bunnymen, OMD, The Teardrop Explodes, Dalek I Love You and more – and Kiley was there on the periphery documenting it all having established herself as a local correspondent for Melody Maker.

As the book progresses through the years, Kiley documents the successes and failures of both the local music scene and her own personal life with wit, wisdom and honesty. Working for Melody Maker and the Liverpool Echo through the turbulent 80s and 90s, the book becomes a history of the city’s highs and lows, told with love for her adopted home. It’s not just music either; names like Adrian Henri, Alan Bleasdale and Willy Russell are frequently mentioned – Liverpool has always had a rich cultural heritage and Kiley was in a position to promote it through her works.

There are a number of threads running through “Atypical Girl”. The first is about punk itself – what it meant in the 70s and how the attitude of punk can continue to influence your life choices decades later. The second is the need for connection – to be a part of ‘something’, whether it is a relationship with your partner, spreading the love for the music you enjoy, or a group of like-minded individuals. The third thread is about being true to yourself – discovering who you are. There are hints and signs throughout the book which lead to a revelation in the closing Afterword which had me cheering for joy. All I’ll say is I’ve been there too.

Penny Kiley’s book is a beautifully written memoir which I would heartily recommend to anyone who has an interest in the Liverpool scene and sits comfortably alongside “Head On”, “Bunnyman”, “Revolutionary Spirit” and “45”. Now, how about a collection of her articles and columns for various magazines?

Rob Morgan

Read all our previous book reviews here.

Toppermost Recommends

“Blown away by Madra Salach live at this year’s Momentum Festival in Galway which included an unbelievable rendition of their fabulous song The Man Who Seeks Pleasure from their debut EP It’s A Hell Of An Age. What a band and a great bunch of lads.” Damien Joyce

Madra Salach are a six piece contemporary folk band who met whilst playing in different outfits in Dublin’s indie scene and bonded over a shared love of the Irish traditional canon which led to them playing impromptu pub sessions.

Paul Banks, Adam Cullen and Dara Duffy founded the group as they played gigs across the Northside of Dublin. Three soon became six, with the additions of Jack Martin, Maxime Arnold and Jack Lawlor. They have built a reputation for their constant gigging and stirring live sets.

Taking inspiration from the growing experimental folk scene in Ireland, the group added instruments and electronic elements to emerge with their own compositions, which are at the same time strikingly modern and written with a voice that could have emerged at any point throughout the last century.

More info here.