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NINE EIGHT BOOKS

Miki Berenyi

Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success

    'Compelling, funny, vivid.' Mojo
    'Beautifully written.' Stylist
    'Remarkable, revelatory.' The Times

    Formed in 1988, Lush were part of the London gig scene during one of the most vibrant and creative periods in UK music. Now, Miki Berenyi tells all. From the bohemian ways of her father's social circle to the privileged glamour of her mother's acting career, Miki's young life was a blur of travel, celebrities and peripatetic schooling.

    But frequent relocation, parental neglect and the dark presence of her abusive grandmother resulted in crippling shyness, mental-health issues and a vulnerability to exploitation. The route out of this hole was music - a passion shared by schoolmate Emma Anderson. The teenagers began attending gigs together and would ultimately go on to form Lush.

    Talented and exuberant, the band became hot property, swiftly transitioning from shoegaze icons to Britpop darlings. Re-living the tours, recording sessions and music-industry madness they experienced along the way, this uncompromising memoir documents Lush's thrilling rise and untimely fall. Yet at the heart of the book are Miki's own battles: the conflict between her mouthy public persona and her thin-skinned private identity; the trials of being a woman in an infuriatingly male world; the struggle to find a middle ground between 'safe' indie obscurity and 'sell-out' international success.

    Miki also explores her complicated relationship with Emma - one that has fluctuated between camaraderie and rivalry over the years - and addresses the devastating tragedy that led to the band's split. Told through frank confession, wry humour and searing emotional honesty, this is the incredible tale of a trailblazing woman and a seminal band.

    Nige Tassell

    Whatever Happened To The C86 Kids? : An Indie Odyssey

      In 1986, the NME released a cassette that would shape music for years to come. A collection of twenty-two independently signed guitar-based bands, C86 was the sound and ethos that defined a generation. It was also arguably the point at which 'indie' was born.

      But what happened next to all those musical dreamers? Some of the bands, like Primal Scream, went on to achieve global stardom; others, such as Half Man Half Biscuit and the Wedding Present, cultivated lifelong fanbases that still sustain their careers thirty-five years later. Then there were the rest, who ultimately imploded in a riot of paisley shirts, bad drugs and general indifference from the record-buying public. Now, for the first time, music journalist Nige Tassell tracks down the class of C86 and recounts their stories, both tragic and uplifting.

      Yet, while the pursuit of long-lost musicians can often manifest as earnest hagiography, Tassell's unique, light-hearted approach makes this a very human story of ambition, hope, varying degrees of talent and what happens after you give up on pop - or, more precisely, after pop gives up on you. It's a world populated by bike-shop owners, architecture professors, dance-music producers, record-store proprietors, birdwatchers, solicitors, caricaturists and even a possible Olympic sailor - and let's not forget the musician-turned-actor gainfully employed as Jeremy Irons' body double... More than simply the tale of the tape, Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? is an exploration of C86's wide-reaching and often surprising legacy.

      Gordon King

      When Does The Mind-Bending Start? : The Life And Times Of World Of Twist

        'Most underrated group? World of Twist.' - Liam Gallagher'
        They're a top band. No one could do what World of Twist do, except World of Twist.' - Noel Gallagher'
        A band ripe for rediscovery.' - The Guardian

        Welcome to World of Twist: the greatest lost band of all time. While fame, glory and untold riches seemed like an inevitability for this group at the turn of the '90s, the world was simply not ready for a band of retro futurists, psychedelic adventurers and cosmic tunesmiths.

        Too late for Madchester, too early for Britpop and too much fun to pigeonhole, World of Twist went on to face a demoralising string of 'what could have been's. First, their debut single, 'The Storm', peaked two places outside of the UK top forty, meaning they missed out on a guaranteed Top of the Pops spot; then, when they were close to signing with Alan McGee's Creation Records, the label decided to go with an unknown band called Oasis instead. Finally, World of Twist fell apart in a torrent of drugs, mental illness, musical differences, sartorial contretemps and all-round shoulder-shrugging apathy.

        But they burned bright and left an indelible mark on everyone who looked deep into their light, including fellow Mancunians and Oasis superstars Noel and Liam Gallagher. Now, for the first time, co-founder, guitarist and principal songwriter Gordon King tells the incredible inside story of his time with the band. Revealing the jealousy, anguish and personal demons experienced by the clashing personalities of King and late singer Tony Ogden, this compelling memoir is the story of triumph, tragedy, comedy, drama, demise and recovery.


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