in 1980 he managed to lose his virginity, to the sound – natch – of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks.

I lost my virginity to Never Mind The Bollocks.

She said "is this Johnny Rotten?" and I said "No, I've only used it twice."

It's was all the Isle of Man's fault - just ask Liz...

It did feel that the critic was reviewing the author rather than the book. I used to quite like Kershaw and was thinking about reading his book. I was wondering if it was any cop and after reading that review I'm none the wiser.

The Sisters at Leeds Uni, so he'll allas be a reet pillock in ma books!
Ah'll sithee.

It's readable. Funny. Scathing. And frustrating in what it skirts past. Actually, the most glaring thing that comes across is his almost total lack of modesty; something that could put many readers' backs up.

Still, to call this book self-obsessed is a bit rum - it's an autobiography for heaven's sake. And for a self-referencing Guardian review to go slinging accusations like that around is a bit of an own goal. On a side note, I had to smile at a reader's comment that the paper doesn't pay the reviewer to have an agenda - that's exactly what the paper's employed her to have.

Beany - there are many original Kershaw photos in it, including some rather splendid ones of motorbikes, funnily enough.

enduring memory of Andy Kershaw was his disastrous OGWT interviews with AC/DC and Van Halen on the eve of the 1984 Donington Monsters Of Rock Festival.
The BBC had sent him along presumably with clear instructions to film a piece ridiculing the burgeoning metal scene.
He breezed into their respective hotel rooms like a hyperactive George Formby seemingly bent on a combative exchange with the musicians.
David Lee Roth was more than a match for Kershaw however and simply threw his snide comments and sarcasm back at him with comedic interest.
AC/DC, meanwhile, disarmed Andy with typical humility and self-deprecation and seemed quite happy to agree with Kershaw's assertion that they had "made the same album 12 times".
The next time I became aware of the professional Lancastrian he had embraced World Music and exchanged ridicule for reverence.

suggested he could have made more out of some of the juicy titbits he lets go by with a barely a sentance or two. His three week fling with Carol 'Two from the bottom' Vordermann. Dancing at the Blues Jazz (Jazz Blues?) Festival with Princess Margaret and his "year of hell" is sped over without any real depth.

Maybe the reviewers are hoping for a more self flaggelating and tabloid tome

just that I'm still not sure if the books any good. We all know that some of the best autobiographies are by the 2nd-3rd diviision celebs either the insightful semi-outsider sharing their experience of inner circles or as in the this case the ones from people with little or no self-awarness producing page after page of solipsism. But there's not much in the review about how the book reads which seems to be an omission.

When someone is so saturated in self-regard and ego, they are always fair game - and particularly if they are so narcissistic as to write a "I did it my way" autobiography that is selective with events. He epitomises the snide 'received wisdom' canon of certain kinds of music fan; e.g., meat-and-potatoes 'authenticity', lumpen political rock (Billy Bragg, the 100% over-rated Clash), and sentimentalising African music (when I first heard the long guitar jams in the same key I thought I had heard west coast jamming moved to a different continent: but imagine his comments about hippie or psychedelic music). His righteousness and 'man-of-the-people' schtick makes me think his real name is Jeremy and he was raised in a leafier part of Cheshire, which would explain much of the '40-tabs and pints only' over-compensating. That he also had a bit of a problem with the devil's dandruff at one point may explain his 'always on' thing - and the ego that couldn't accept 'no' from another person: you can only imagine what being in a relationship with an ego like that is like. I venture some rawk poodles, at root, are less affected.

...he does seem to have a very unlikeable strain of self-aggrandisement. It comes across in any interview I've read with him, including one in the Times magazine on Saturday past - where apparently he's the last flag-flyer for freedom against the establishment because he smokes. (No Andy, it's just a stupid addiction.)

The worst example was when, a few months back, he was bigging up his reportage from war zones (while bumbling around field-tripping in Africa or wherever, as if he's the David Livingstone of our day) as being "100 times better than any journalist, and they all know it" or something like that.

He's just a bumptious, delusional bore.

They did not speak kindly of him.

and having seen - and heard - him in action, I don't think he's a very nice person.

in The Observer certainly gave him a good shooing yesterday and I think it's fair enough that a review of the person is integral to a review of his autobigraphy. She also mentions that he has a go at John Peel which does seem very odd. I though the review was fair enough, she clearly doesn't like him but also does review the book and comments on it pretty well. I wouldn't be surprised to see it sell well.

at a Bruce concert and he was charming but he doesn't come out of this review too well. I agree with others here, the review doesn't actually inform us if it's a good read or not. Put it this way though, i don't think I'll be taking it on holiday with me.

whether the book's any good or not. Toby Young is a wanker, but he actually writes about being a wanker quite well in "How To Lose Friends And Alienate People". On the evidence of these reviews, AK has delivered a "I knew I was right" diatribe reminiscent of Father Ted's three-hour-long Priest of the Year speech ("Right - that's enough about the liars, now let's get on to the cheats").

....yes, he had a go at Peel in the Times too: going on about how it was inexplicable that nobody ever pulled him up/commented on the fact that he changed his accent at least twice in his broadcasting career (presumably the Liverpool phony accent of his Texas period, then the affectation of the Perfumed Garden era then the splenentic/laconic Northerner of the 70s and beyond). Which is a fair enough point, though it seems petty to make an issue of it now. Curious that no one ever seemed to mind John Martyn - much more ludicrously - changing his accent periodically, from fey 60s RP to gor-blimey Londoner to completely non-understandable Glaswegian.

and often stubborn to the point of "I'm right, you are wrong". We can all behave like that sometimes. Who else but a daft sod would want to go into a war zone. At least he turned down I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

I hated it when the Beeb removed Tommy Vance's Thursday show from the Radio One schedules to make way for Andy. I learnt to appreciate the music he introduced me to, still a long way from the World Music he became evangelical about. In the days when he discovered Ted Hawkins, Michelle Shocked and the magical Swinging Swede, Jimmy Jenson it became a programme I looked forward to hearing (and recording).

I will read the book and hope I enjoy it as much as I am enjoying Mark Radcliffe's current offering. I am also interested in what he left out. I believe it has a happy ending, containing photographs of him reunited with his children. Perhaps now he may choose to calm down and grow old gracefully. Doubt it, silly bugger.

I hope he gets out of his rut, but I guess it wasn't just the Simon Bates and DLTs of this world who had the unbearable egos at Radio 1. Come to think of it, wasn't he lampooned as 'the earnest northern DJ' on the Smashie and Nicey mockumentary?

No one ever came close to introducing me to more music that I love than Andy Kershaw. From the mid 80's to the early 90's I happily recorded the entire radio show then dubbed the ones I liked onto cassette (with spoken intros and comments from Kershaw).

I have over 160 C90s of this and I've started to digitize them. There are loads of acts on the tapes that I heard first on Kershaw and ended up buying their entire catalogues (my home taping never killed music). Richard Thompson and John Prine for example.

I picked up quite a lot of world music from him but that never became a first choice of mine. He played southern soul a lot - James Carr comes to mind. He made field recordings; I recall D.L. Menard the great Cajun singer/songwriter being interviewed by Kershaw at his home in rural Louisiana. It all sounded so great that I wanted to go there myself - and I did. He argued the merits of Country long before anyone else of my generation (notable exception being Elvis Costello).

He always came across to me as someone I could get drunk with and drone on all night about music.

I fell truly sorry for everyone involved in any way in his downfall. Some of his behaviour was very poor. But who can say how anyone will re-act under mental stress.

Kershaw will always be on the side of the angels down our way.

So: what's Andy done that warrants the kind of unfettered hostility that's normally reserved for the clearly malevolent Jo Whiley?

He's a bit full-on, he's a tad northern, he has/had a drink problem, he hit the charley too hard for a bit, and he wouldn't take no for an answer when his wife left him because he fucked around once too often.

Oh, and worst of all, he's too lacking in self awareness to even see the game (let alone play it), he likes the Bhundu Boys, he called John Peel (who's dead) for what he was, and he thinks fags are great.

Tell you what; wake me up again when he's as rotten to the core as Keith Richard, or when he's made up some wars because Jesus told him to.

it would be wrong to call a twat a twat.

John Peel's dead? Any news on Gerry Rafferty?

By Rachel Cooke.She obviously has some axe to grind. She mentions that he skips over his 'unhappy year'. She fails to recognise that him being frank about this time would almost certainly see him in prison again.I would suggest also that his ex-partner may possibly have taken out a legal injunction on the book being released without her agreement - I base this judgement on fact that it was planned for release last september but was pulled only a couple of days before release.
She objects to his description of Live Aid being 'dubious' and 'Feminists' being humourless but I would suggest that both of these descriptions (with clarification) could be accurate. Whatever the size of his ego and whatever misdemeanours he has committed against her, the blatant prevention of him seeing his kids is pretty inexcusable. For someone who was clearly a fan but later got pissed off because of the failure to hold an interview it smacxks of sour grapes. What about the book Rachel? This isnt a book review it's a character assassination - shameful.

and it's why I rarely read them, even in Word, that a review says as much about the reviewer as the reviewed.

"Lets send Kershaw to Donnington" would have been a very funny suggestion at the time.

The 'school bully' made successful by a stroke of luck here. All fitted very comfortably into the 80's Whistle Test editorial line, with regard to Rock music. Here was another ludicrous fool, convinced that their own limited taste should be a kind of prescription for everyone. A few years later on Kershaw was even encouraged to deliver a kind of monolog. Where the entire genre was described as "an arpeggio away from Punk Rock". Because even Punk was of course "crap."

The trip to Donnington in the clip above, one carefully selected interview aside, seems to show more intelligence and humour than was intended. But against the plan, the humour is more directed at Kershaw. And modesty in the face of mocking hostility from those interviewed. You wonder what hit the cutting room floor.

Outside the box office "can you hear me mother?" someone calls out. I would assume more a suggestion about Kershaws pyjamas, than one merely aimed at his accent. Kershaw comes out looking like what he was, self righteous and arrogant, far beyond his age and musical experience.

Predictably, time has shown us the music that survived, and retained its audience. You won't find many listening to the poorly crafted and cruel rubbish that Kershaw was painstakingly 'interested' in at the time these days.

And in reference to the review of Kershaws character, more than the book - its spot on if you ask me. Maybe we all pay our dues, sooner or later.

...his 'interview' with "Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooli" Jon Roth is anywhere on youtube?

I read the article but not any part of his book. It sounds like Rachel's experience is of a time when AK was deep in the shit that alcoholism brings. I don't know Andy but I have known alcoholics and they are quite often decent folk transformed into complete cunts.

listening to Kershaw on Radio Aire in 1981/2 - he started doing the gig guide on Martin Kelner's early evening show and then got his own show. What I found really refreshing was that he was clearly not putting on an accent to sound "northern" nor was he modifying it for the radio, possibly the first person I'd encountered who sounded like a real person. For that reason I've always followed his career with varying degrees of interest and affection.

His subsequent career strikes me as the radio equivalent of another uncompromising and egotistical northerner with an (alleged) alcohol problem, Mark E Smith. I find the work of both generally great, but the more I hear of them as people the happier I am that I've never met them.

One final point - the Kershaw/Peel fallout was originally over Home Truths iirc - Kershaw thought it was dreadful southern middle class drivel and thought John Peel had in some way "sold out" (and told Peel so). I'm 100% with Andy Kershaw on Home Truths - one of the most awful programmes I've heard on Radio 4.

his introduction of the smiths doing "bigmouth" on whistle test is the truest greatest televised introduction of any band i can remember...

Let's face it, he is a cock. Without him we would not have middle aged white lefty types doing 'ethnic drumming' at local gala type gatherings.

.

and I'm loving it. Yes, he is opinionated and I don't agree with all of his musical loves. But he obviously loves music and is a total enthusiast.

When he appeared on Whistle Test laughing at Metal and then at Live Aid 'interviewing' Howard Jones and Phil Collins - I loved him for that. He was definitely speaking for me with his contempt for much of the mainstream.

Where's Sarcastica when you need it?

we really NEED Sarcastica, oh thanks

(same joke, different thread)

I only posted a link to a review and it has become one of the longest threads I have ever started. Not got much to do about AK anymore has it?

Still, LOOK AT THE SIZE OF IT!!!

...and I'm finding all that stuff about arpeggios probably as hilarious and bizarre as you are. In fact, round my way the sun's out, I'm off fora cycle in the country and in tribute to both that, the continued wellbeing of the Arpeggio Argument Society and the fact that we haven't had much music on this thread yet, here's the wholly appropriate 'Here Comes The Sun':

No, I don't think he does deserve it.

There are plenty of rock stars who behave much worse than the allegations made here, and yet they get a free pass, as others have said. I also hope that if my life is ever at a low ebb, that folks don't line up to give me a kicking.

Archipelago, Archie Valparaiso - they are all the same arent' they?

lets call a truce and leave it up to the Aristocats .....

was saying metal is punk with added widdle - and that's how I interpret his quote - then he was bang on wasn't he?

Let's get this debate back to rock and roll. Christ on a bike, Andy's even having a pop at Prog Rock! The bastard. He deserves all he gets now. Where's my incriminating photographs..?

Andy Kershaw: 'We've never really been very good at protest'

This will have to do for now. ;-}
Clearasil Ultra advert

When Mark's phone rang mid-way through the Beatlecast, my immediate thought was that Liz Kershaw was calling to say "Oi! Tell those gobshite bastards on your blog to lay off my little brother, OK! And it's Lancashire, not bloody Yorkshire, got that! Eee, ecky thump, Turned out nice again, etc!"

Tom Morton show yesterday (6th July).

The person that Tom mentions in his first sentence as having a ton of Kershaw tapes is me......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b0129c6h

on 5-Live.

(shouldn't have gone back to Melrose Ape's to watch The Apprentice' post quiz defeat) I caught a bit of Andy on 'Lorraine' (Kelly) on Daybreak, GMTV, TVAM, RISE, Big Breakfast - whatever.

She started the interview with talking about his 'year of hell' and he did get narky with her saying that's all most interviewers want to talk about.

Andy, that's the only reason the book was asked for and published. To the average punter they love a bit of fall and redemption. They really don't care about your championing of World Music, they listen to Snow Patrol. The trouble and strife is the interesting stuff for them and as its not the focus of your book they will probably be disappointed.

I'm gonna read your book cos of the music related side of your career and will skip over the last bit as I read about it at the time in lengthy interviews you gave. But I'm probably in the minority of the average person watching you on these mainstream shows.

Must say you seem v chipper and looking well so good luck to you, old son

Only just seen this.

If you want to calm down, the clique thread is chilled in comparison.

And I still don't know what an arpeggio is. But I'm sure they deserve a right kicking. That's what it's all about, right?

That's Liam and Noel's mum isn't it?

is a track called Pretty Arpeggio, I think

by James Medd in the current edition of our favourite magazine about Mr Kershaw, which seems to balance out the Guardian's take on him

...on both shoulders?

...I find myself at one with some - some! - of his views in the current issue's interview. The idea, for instance, that western rock/pop music has simply exhausted itself of fresh ideas through nothing more than longevity (60 years) is a compelling one.

...I've read a few of his interviews in my time and the current Word one is by far the one he's come out BEST in!

He strikes me as being a bit like Gordon Ramsay - hugely passionate, controversial, prone to having a hectoring tone, will just go and do what he wants no matter what, cos that's the kind of guy he is. Both men have their followers and apologists; most of us will, however, simply reach for the off switch and leave them to it. (Andy may not have one, but radios still do.)

...like a good plan to me!

In the 90s I'd occasionally run into Andy Kershaw at the TT Races. Occasionally over a beer he'd play me recordings of claasic motorcycle racers on a hefty old reel-to-reel tape recorder that he'd be lugging around with him. I don't know how long he'd been into bikes, but his enthusiasm seemed heart-felt.

He always seemed to me to be a nice enough guy, albeit a tad obsessive. Was very sorry to hear about his tough times, but can't help feeling that his obsessive nature was also a contributing factor. Hope he's coping better these days.

..the interview in the new issue last night - it completely changed my opinion of him and made me want to read the book. He comes across far better on paper than he does in person, (like a lot of born writers).

...Peel never compromised with his choice of records or seeking out new stuff, right to the end - how exactly did he let Kershaw down?

But given Kershaw's behaviour towards his ex-partner and his apparent belief that he's right about everything, perhaps Peel was right not to support him.

And the idea that Peel lowering his voice over the years is insincere and the same as Kershaw speaking in a Zimbabwean accent is ridiculous.

Kershaw also seems to suspend his critical judgement for any musicians outside Europe and US, as if 'Loco Acapulco from Guatemala with their reading of When I'm Cleaning Windows' is better than anything by The Arctic Monkeys or Franz Ferdinand (who would have been big in the post punk era Mr Kershaw).

I'll still buy his book though.

There's a great four-part interview with Andy Kershaw on Martin Kelner's website. Worth a listen, but it's a bit rude:

http://www.martinkelner.com/kelner_bits/The_Kershaw_Files.shtml

Subjects covered include almost decking Simon Bates, an accident on Mark Knopfler's carpet, presenting Whistle Test (whatever happened to his co-presenters?), Cyril Smith and some chancers called The Rolling Stones.

by rachel cooke - definitely very personal, and unfair. Also inacurate - she says he doesn't even bother to mention his ex wife until page 309 though they'd been together for 17 years - Bollocks he describes meeting her in some detail long before that (not naming her but clearly identifying her)

His stuff about Peel is what you want to know, not the usual 'lovely bloke' stuff - people are complex, they're not 2 dimensional - Peel wasn't perfect? quelle surprise. I don't think less of either man for it.

In all a good read, and Andy needs to be remembered for championing some excellent music that never got a look in anywhere else. 18th day of May spring to mind.

Rachel Cooke? what a bitch.

A tremendous autobiography and for anyone who hasn't read it he doesnt slag off Peel in any bad way at all. He questions his acquiescence to the demands made by the BBC but also understands he had a family to look after so was in a different position.
Incidentally much was made of his acrimonious split with his partner and how he had gone off the rails and behaved in a totally irrational and aggressive manner. Funny then that the courts awarded him custody of his son and his daughter stays with him on a regular basis. I would say the fight was worth it. Good on you Andy.

Now his stint on Radio 3 has finished, probably reading extracts from the book and talking about the characters he has met throughout his life to date. Surely a date in The Word podcast dressing up room beckons.

http://www.andykershaw.co.uk/

I enjoyed the book. And I can enjoy a book without wanting to meet the author. Who might think I am a git.