Powder - A Rock n Roll Novel [Paperback]

Kevin Sampson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 2002

Liverpool -- 2002. Keva McCluskey is down and almost out. Despondent, embittered by the meteoric rise of a local rival, Sensira, he's close to quitting his dream -- of leading his own group, the Grams, to the acclaim and success it unquestionably deserves. But fortune starts to smile when the Grams get picked up by Guy de Bure, a hot young producer with a point to prove who is launching a new label. So begins the Grams' roller-coaster ride to the top. Fame, money, drugs, women -- they get more of all of these than they can cope with. But it's on their return to the States, for a grueling thirty-five-city tour to crack this elusive but enormously lucrative market, that things truly start to unravel. From the city that gave the world the Beatles comes Kevin Sampson's riotous, knowing, and totally compelling novel about a band on the make. Powder is also a frighteningly accurate lowdown on the machinations of the music business written by a man who has experienced them from the inside. "Read it and weep. And think twice before you give up the day job." -- New Musical Express (London) "All young bands should be made to read Powder, if it doesn't put them off, nothing will." -- The Times (London) "A pacey and hilarious catalogue ... a portrait of the contemporary music industry that is almost uncanny in its accuracy." -- Independent (London) "A code-red book ... drop what you're reading and read this immediately." -- Alex James of Blur

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former manager of a Liverpool band, Sampson takes a lengthy, labored spin through the world of sex, drugs and rock and roll in his turgid debut novel, a formulaic rags-to-riches saga about an alternative British pop band called the Grams. The primary narrator is 30-ish lead singer Keva McCluskey, a charismatic, moody lad who is obsessed with the Grams' rivalry with Sensira, another London band led by his former best friend. Sampson shifts gears to cover the band's initial success through his secondary narrators, the self-important manager, Wheezer Finlay, and the slick but unfulfilled producer, Guy de Burret. What follows is a not so magical, decidedly unmystical tour through virtually every clich‚ of the rock novel, from the landmark first gig, the big contract and the first album, to the penultimate make-or-break tour and the inevitable meltdown that follows. The plot hits all the overfamiliar moments, with overwrought scenes about rivalries within the band; snapshots of the lavish, over-the-top tour lifestyle; and incidents in which the band manipulates the fatuous rock press. The characters are decently drawn despite the triteness, but Sampson makes the hedonistic rock lifestyle as boring and pedantic as that of an accountant. If this imitative plot had been more concise, it might have been effective, but Sampson insists on chronicling virtually every aspect of the band's progress and setbacks. The result is a novel that feels as long and tortured as a two-hour drum solo and as predictable as the three-chord, verse-chorus-verse structure of every pop hit released in the last 50 years.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Canongate Pub.; 1st Printing edition (August 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841953717
• ISBN-13: 978-1841953717
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,580,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sampson gets lazy..., April 30, 2002

By 

Chris Chandler (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Powder (Paperback)

The first half of this book is quite good, and Sampson does a nice job of developing the characters and allowing you to feel what they feel - the fame, the reluctance to it all, the quick embrace of it, the awkwardness of certain situations... But, the author almost seemed to have given up on the novel halfway through. The second half was a chore to get through, and most of the magic that was built in the first half was gone. Overall, a decent read with lots of unrealised potential.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Rocking Good Read, September 23, 2002

By 

Sid Goldberg (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Powder - A Rock n Roll Novel (Paperback)

I bought this book because I thought I'd relate to its subject matter, being as I am a musician myself. Sampson does a great job of bringing to life the snotty, self obsessed tortured genius that is the budding rock star. His players are riding the whirlwind of stardom, each one with his own voice.

One of my favorite aspects of Powder was the bizarre almost Clockwork Orange-esque flavor of the language. These moody Brits pepper their slang about in a casual manner, and it is quite a fun read - a "pint of piss" really.

The Grams (the fictitious band that is the subject of the book) are filled with glorious cliche's, especially the emotional lead singer and the deleriously horny drug addict guitarist. The rhythm section plays a bit part in this fable, as they do in most real life bands. At times their rise to stardom reads like a primer for what it's like to get "big" in the music biz, all from Sampson's real life dealings in the industry I'm sure.
Over all, Powder is a fun rock-n-roll fable. It may be enough to get you to finally learn to play that guitar!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best bloody book ever! (pardon the Cockney from a texan.), February 7, 2001

By 

Kevin M Burns (College Station, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Powder (Paperback)

The way the book is written--with the idioms and speech spelled out so you can actually hear them talk--this book has a face and a sound. I feel like this work is gritty, right off the street and straight from the heart. IF you want to jump into brit life, start here. Kevin Sampson rocks the house...all blokes, journos, and punters should enjoy