Anorak

Anorak  I Was There  Carl Stickley foreword by Jeff Dexter

Anorak. Train-spotter. Geek. There’s a part of all men that is forever a boy. Saint Peter spoke of putting away “childish things” but, if you’ve ever heard a bunch of blokes talking football in a pub or visited a comic shop or seen vinyl junkies at a record fair, then you’ll know that it’s not that easy to do. For Carl Stickley it’s music. The songs, the history, the look, the sound, the smells, the myths. For him music can make or break your day. For every gig that he’s attended he’s kept a ticket or advert. Anorak? Sure. But he’s not alone. The tickets show the journey through the years: the changes in music, society, history, himself. A record of rock music since 1978. After 30 years of gig-going that’s a lot of tickets and a lot of memories. Each entry is a testimony to not only the gig but also its context within its period of rock history. Nothing happens in a vacuum though, so the bands’ places in the larger scheme of things are considered. In this it works as a social history of rock culture over the decades. There are personal and poignant stories, some laughs and some righteous indignation. From The Clash to The Stones, Chuck Berry to the Grateful Dead, Carl’s seen many of the bands that helped write The Great Book of Rock. The ticket designs also show the changing face of the Marketing of Rock, before bands became brands. And with e-booking such little relics are becoming a thing of the past. For younger readers, marvel or scorn at what happened. Or you can just look at the pictures. Let’s Boogie…  Carl Stickley did a degree in Film & Media studies then started working in TV, including a spell at MTV and working in Rome. He’s filmed numerous bands over the years and has a keen interest in all things counterculture.  Hardback £15, Kindle edition £5 Non-fiction/memoir The Ship’s Cabin, Spring 2012, 338pp, original tickets, illustrations, all rights available  Deck

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