Pretty Vacant: A History of Punk

Description

From the precursors of punk, through the famous Bill Grundy show when punk first hit the nation's consciousness to the modern-day heirs, such as Green Day, punk has evolved and taken over so many aspects of life that even banks now use punk lettering to appeal to their markets. In this brilliant account of punk, the author has interviewed all the major figures to build a complete portrait of a remarkable era of change in music and youth culture. The story features Richard Branson, Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, Tony Parsons and many more who took their early steps to fame and fortune around this time. Band members of The Clash, Stranglers, Sex Pistols and many others recall what happened, bringing their story to life with vivid anecdotes and telling detail.

Phil Strongman was at the 100 Club in 1976 when the Sex Pistols first performed there, was an extra in The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle and has known many of punk's greatest figures for many years. He is a journalist and author.

"Powerfully narrated and phenomenally well-informed, Strongman's book is less about punk as a street-level cultural movement than an epic account of its leading figures" Sunday Times "An accessible and entertaining account of a period that changed British culture" Choice