Smashing It Up A Decade Of Chaos With The Damned

From rank outsiders to pop stardom a decade later, The Damned blazed an anarchic trail through punk rock to achieve massive chart success. A beacon for the Sex Pistols and The Clash to follow, they flung down the musical gauntlet in 1976 with Britain’s first punk single ‘New Rose’. Smashing It Up: A Decade of Chaos with The Damned is their definitive biography, drawing on new, in-depth research and interviews with associates and band members – including founders Brian James, Chris Millar (Rat Scabies), Raymond Burns (Captain Sensible) and David Lett (David Vanian). Conflict was rife: managers and labels came and went; bridges were burnt; opportunities squandered; and Kieron Tyler reveals how – and why – the wayward, wild and wilful Damned are the punk band that survived, and why they truly led the British Punk movement and outshone their contemporaries.

From their 1974 debut at New York's premier punk dive, through the classic albums and blistering live sets, The Ramones cut an unforgettable swathe through two decades of pop, setting the scene for punk and hardcore with honed-down songs and ferocious 20 minute sets, but always putting the music first. Seen through the eyes of the people who were there at the time, including musicians, managers, producers, publicists and New York punk scenesters, this book shows the heroic Ramones staying faithful to their own unique musical vision right to the bitter end. This updated edition now climaxes with the sad death of guitarist Johnny Ramone.

“1977 is the Queen's jubilee year, well let's make it our year as well. Let's get out and do something. Chuck away the f•••••g stupid safety-pins, think about people's ideas instead of their clothes. This "scene" is not just a thing to do in the evening. It's the only thing around that's honest...” Omnibus Press presents the definitive collection of Sniffin' Glue… And Other Rock ‘n’ Roll Habits, the most vital and cutting edge punk fanzine of its time. This book features both a digital recreation of every issue and all the original prints in their entirety. Danny Baker, who wrote for the original fanzine over four decades ago, provides a full-length interview on its impact. During its brief existence Sniffin' Glue… chronicled the birth, rise and demise of punk rock in the UK. Starting with a print run of a mere 50 copies, by Issue 3 the circulation was into the thousands. Interviews and reviews of all the key punk artists - The Damned, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Generation X, Chelsea, Blondie, The Jam, Iggy Pop and more - alongside news, editorials and gig reviews depict the grassroots punk scene from the inside. Its authentic voice made it a cult classic of its time and a much sought-after historical artefact to this day. On the 40th anniversary of the magazine’s final publication, Omnibus Press are providing the definitive edition of Sniffin Glue…. This is the best possible way to experience the counter-cultural revolution of the ‘70s that spread anarchy throughout the UK.

Listen to Punk Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre discusses the evolution of punk from its inception in 1975 to the present, delving into the lasting impact of the genre throughout society today. Listen to Punk Rock! provides readers with a fuller picture of punk rock as an inclusive genre with continuing relevance. Organized in a roughly chronological manner, it starts with an introduction that explains the musical and cultural forces that shaped the punk genre. Next, 50 entries cover important punk bands and subgenres, noting female punk bands as well as bands of color. The final part of the book discusses how punk has influenced other musical genres and popular culture. The book will give those new to the genre an overview of important bands and products related to the movement in music, including publications, fashion, and films about punk rock. Notably, it pays special attention to diversity within the genre, discussing bands often overlooked or mentioned only in passing in most histories of the movement, which focus mainly on The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Ramones as the pioneers of punk.

The ‘Anarchy in the UK Tour’ should have just been a collection of twenty gigs like any other, spanning venues across the UK… It was December 1976, and a coach drove off down a London street like any other. On board were the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Heartbreakers, while The Damned, who were also on the bill, followed behind. However, two days earlier on the Today Show, tour, the Sex Pistols’ had lit a fire in the popular consciousness. What should have been an inconsequential three-minute interview descended into farce when the show’s host goaded Sex Pistols’ guitarist Steve Jones into saying ‘something outrageous’. Local councils began to ban the tour and agreed “Most of these groups would be vastly improved by sudden death”. Author Mick O Shea dissects the whirlwind that followed these punk-rock heavyweights and the sheer force of their rebellion against popular culture. He has interviewed band members, managers, roadies and audiences to tell the true story of how anarchy once gripped the nation.

The story of The Pogues has been as riotous as their most rabble-rousing songs. From the streets of 80s London the Celtic Punks unleashed their hellraising 20-year career and in the process became legends; mythic troubadours whose popularity endures. This Omnibus Enhanced edition of Kiss My Arse has been revamped with an interactive digital timeline which paints the journey of The Pogues with videos and images of live performances, interviews, memorabilia and more. Also included is an integrated Spotify playlist containing the band’s greatest performances. To tell their story author Carol Clerk has interviewed Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy, Jem Finer, Andrew Ranken, James Fearnley, Cait O'Riordan, and a clutch of associates, friends and fans. All paint a picture of a fiercely loyal group of musicians, their arguments and drunken spats, their love affairs, the drugs, the hirings and the firings, the marriages and deaths… but, above all, the music. This is their story, bared for all.

Written by longtime fan and author of the popular Damned website, Barry Hutchinson, celebrates the band's first 20 years - often referred to as the chaos years.

Based on original interviews, 1970s Rock details the decade's huge range of popular music, evocatively chronicling the artists, trends, and songs of this vibrant period. The scope of sub-genres covered includeds Glam rock, Southern rock, country rock, progressive rock, art rock, folk rock, heavy metal, punk rock, disco, jazz-rock fusion, New Wave, and singer-songwriter oriented material. Artists that get particularly trenchant coverage include Neil Young, The Sex Pistols, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Bruce Springsteen.