Death of an Unsigned Band

Tim Thornton's second novel is an oral history of an unsigned band, comprising interviews, gig reports and straight-to-documentor narration as the band- comprising of: Russ (intense perfectionist), Karen (fit and semi-driven), Jake (clown who lost the drive) and Ash (just happy to be playing the drums)- navigate their way through the toilet tours of London's pubs, never realising their potential, recognising their innate pretensions or capitalising on any opportunities.

It's a hilarious book that relays the pathos of devoting your all to something that will never amount to anything, mostly due to your intensity causing pragmatic blindness and due to your being driven to succeed over concentrate on the music.

It's an endearing and engrossing process as we go through fall-outs, break-ups, demos, evil manager scum and the arrival of Josh, a posho singer who's more up his own bottom than the entire band put together. There are inner-band tensions, inter-band rivalries and the repetitive nausea of playing the same gigs at the same venues with the same setlists on the 'circuit' never progressing up to bigger venues, always relying on the dwindling interest of mates and colleagues to form your crowds.

If you've ever been in a band that went nowhere, read this book. Even if you haven't, read this book. If you've ever had an obsessive hobby, read this book. If you've ever fallen out with your friends over something stupid, read this book. It's enjoyable, funny, bittersweet, and like the epic powerballad the band sometimes ends on, ultimately triumphant.