POW!: When UK Punk Went Pop 1980-84
About this ebook
Fletcher chronicled the early days of his life and career in Boy About Town (2013) but had enough extraordinary experiences left over for this colorful and engaging memoir.
1980–84 was an explosive time in British rock, as the disruptive energy of bands like the Clash and Sex Pistols gave way to more sophisticated and chart-friendly genres and bands. Fletcher was on the front lines, running a record label with Paul Weller of the Jam, attending many of the most important concerts and befriending some of the top acts, many of whom became MTV regulars: Madness, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Wham!, Echo & the Bunnymen, Killing Joke, Adam and the Ants, the Smiths and more. Then there's the time he interviewed Paul McCartney...
This is a complicated coming-of-age story, the tale of a naïve young man in a cultural whirlwind who learns some hard lessons about business, journalism, love and sex – all the while trying to get his own band a record deal.
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About the author
Tony Fletcher is the author of a dozen books, including best-selling biographies of Keith Moon, the Smiths and R.E.M., two memoirs, a novel and more. As a London teenager, he started a fanzine called Jamming! in 1977, followed by a record label of the same name. He moved to New York City in the late 1980s, and to the Hudson Valley in 2005. Fletcher has played in bands, promoted concerts, DJed, written for numerous publications, hosted podcasts and appeared on and/or produced TV and radio shows. The father of two adult sons, his hobbies include running mountains, from the Catskills to the Himalaya and any points in-between. He writes twice weekly at tonyfletcher.substack.com and makes music with the Dear Boys and Hudson Palace.
