The Wirebender presents a reading by Chris Salewicz. It was recorded during a book presentation in a book store in London. Dead Gods describes the lifes of pop and rock stars who died at the age of 27. Salewicz’s style is a mix of hard-boiled detective and gonzo-journalism, a very pleasant listen.

The Wirebender says

“Chris Salewicz has documented popular culture for over three decades, in print and on television and radio and as features writer for the New Musical Express from ’74 to ’81.
As a newspaper boy in my local village he was part of the communication chain of politics, punk and reggae. He overlapped the time that John Pilger corresponded for the Mirror and helped open up a teenage mind to an alternative view of mainstream politics and popular culture .

Chris has continued to write via mediums such as the Sunday times the Daily telegraph, The Evening Standard, Q Mojo and the Face. He is also the author of twenty plus books including Redemption song the definitive biography of Joe Strummer which he performed at the Mau Mau bar in London as the book was nearing completion.

He has also previously allowed me to record extracts from his book Bob Marley the Untold story at the Rude Boy event at Somerset house which the we previously covered on Radio On.

His latest reading Dead Gods was performed to an excited audience at the Notting Hill bookshop. The Q and A was presented by Mark Ellen presenter of the Old Grey Whistle Test.

The show features tracks inspired by the book with artists such as Little Roy covering Nirvana, alongside tracks by Brian Jones, The Jolly Brothers and Bongo Joe and the Waldo’s band cover of Sympathy for the devil. Hendrix’s Let me stand next to your fire by the Gullcatchers performed at Deptford’s Birds Nest.

Dead Gods covers members of the Infamous 27 Club featuring chapters on Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, alongside Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain.

Previous books published

-Redemption Song -The definitive Biography of Joe Strummer

-Bob Marley The Untold Story -Harper

-Mick and Keith

-Reggae Explosion The Story of Jamaican Music

-Rude Boy Once Upon a time in America

-Oliver Stone Close up

-George Lucas – the making of his movies

-Dead Gods ISBN-13 9781784291334.”

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