The publisher of Jamming! and numerous other books talks about his latest release.

Author event with readings and Q&A hosted by Gavin Hogg, co-author of 'We Peaked At Paper: An Oral History of British Fanzines'. Books will be available for purchase on the night.

Before authoring eleven books, including best-selling biographies of Who drummer Keith Moon, R.E.M. and the Smiths, Tony Fletcher was a teenaged music magazine publisher in his native England. But, with a degree of industry that sounds absolutely exhausting, he also ran a record label, interviewed rock stars, led a band, promoted concerts, worked as an on-air TV interviewer — and still found time for romance.

Fletcher chronicled the early days of his life and career in Boy About Town (2013) but had enough extraordinary experiences left over for this colorful and engaging memoir. 1980–’84 was an explosive time in British rock, as the disruptive energy of bands like the Clash and Sex Pistols gave way to more sophisticated and chart-friendly genres and bands. Fletcher was on the front lines, running a record label with the Jam’s Paul Weller, attending all the important concerts and meeting the top acts, many of whom became MTV regulars: Madness, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Wham!, Echo & the Bunnymen, Killing Joke, Adam and the Ants, the Smiths and more. Then there’s the time he interviewed Paul McCartney...

This is a coming-of-age story, the tale of a naïve young man in a cultural whirlwind who learns some hard lessons about business, journalism, love and sex – all the while trying to get his own band a record deal.

About the author

Tony Fletcher is the author of eleven books, including best-selling biographies of Keith Moon, the Smiths and R.E.M., a memoir, a novel and more. As a London teenager, he started a fanzine called Jamming! in 1977 followed by a record label of the same name. He moved to New York in the late 1980s. Fletcher has played in bands, promoted concerts, DJed, written for numerous publications, hosted podcasts and appeared on and/or produced TV and radio shows. His hobbies include running mountains, from the Catskills to the Himalayas and any points in-between. He writes twice weekly at tonyfletcher.substack.com.

Praise for POW

“Tony Fletcher, one of the great post-punk inspirational writers and thinkers: his fanzine Jamming! inspired me to start Creation. POW! is his story of that period. Take a bow Tony, you always were a cool chap.” Alan McGee, author of Creation Records: Riots, Raves and Running a Label

“What makes POW! special is that it captures the early ’80s UK music storm not from the top of the industry but from knee height, through the eyes of a 16-year-old who had somehow blundered into the middle of it.” Mark Jay, author of The Nudniks of 1977

“Tony writes with the energy of the music he loves and knows. Forward motion: it’s the life he’s lived.” Johnny Marr, author of Set the Boy Free: The Autobiography

Description supplied by the event organiser.