Overview

"An intimate, coming-of-age memoir by legendary guitarist Kid Congo Powers, detailing his experiences as a young, queer Mexican-American in 1970s Los Angeles through his rise in the glam rock and punk rock scenes. Kid Congo Powers has been described as a ""legendary guitarist and paragon of cool"" with ""the greatest resume ever of anyone in rock music."" That unique imprint on rock history stems from being a member of not one but three beloved, groundbreaking, and influential groups--Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Cramps, and last but not least, The Gun Club, the wildly inventive punk-blues band he co-founded. Some New Kind of Kick begins as an intimate coming of age tale, of a young, queer, Chicano kid, growing up in a suburb east of East LA, in the mid-'70s, exploring his sexual identity through glam rock. When a devastating personal tragedy crushes his teenage dreams, he finds solace and community through fandom, as founder ('The Prez') of the Ramones West Coast fan club, and immerses himself in the delinquent chaos of the early LA punk scene. A chance encounter with another superfan, in the line outside the Whiskey-A-Go-Go to get into a Pere Ubu concert, changes the course of his life entirely. Jeffrey Lee Pierce, a misfit Chicano punk who runs the Blondie fan club, proposes they form a band. The Gun Club is born. So begins an unlikely transition from adoring fan to lauded performer. In Pierce, he finds brotherhood, a creative voice, and a common cause, but also a shared appetite for self-destruction that threatens to overwhelm them both. Quirky, droll, and heartfelt, with a pitch-perfect evocation of time and place, and a wealth of richly-drawn supporting characters, Some New Kind of Kick is a memoir of personal transformation, addiction and recovery, friendship and belonging, set against the relentless creativity and excess of the '70s and '80s underground music scenes."

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9780306828027

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Reviews

An entertaining, funny, illuminating, and at times harrowing story from a man who was slap bang centre of the 80s alternative scene... Brian Tristan comes across as a really nice guy. Kid Congo Powers as one of the coolest. --Louder than War ... Fans of early punk rock will revel in this pungent evocation of the scene. --Publishers Weekly A beautifully edgy tale of a kid discovering himself through music. --Booklist

... Fans of early punk rock will revel in this pungent evocation of the scene. --Publishers Weekly A beautifully edgy tale of a kid discovering himself through music. --Booklist

**A Los Angeles Times Bestseller** **A California Independent Booksellers Alliance Bestseller** [A] whirlwind of discovery and debauchery that is... loaded with iconic scenes and scenesters... --Washington Post A dreamlike narrative that maintains a kind of spiritual innocence even as it wades into a sea of rock & roll action, back alley sex, and drugged glory. --Aquarium Drunkard A juicy and humble account of a joyful yet traumatic life spent in three of the most beloved alternative bands of the 1980s. --The Fat Angel Sings An informative, fun, and easy to read recounting of life on the frontlines of underground music at a time when there was equal amounts of danger and excitement in the air; with no easy paths to take, and little thought of commercial success. --Midnight to Six Immensely entertaining. --Bay Area Reporter An entertaining, funny, illuminating, and at times harrowing story from a man who was slap bang centre of the 80s alternative scene... Brian Tristan comes across as a really nice guy. Kid Congo Powers as one of the coolest. --Louder than War ... Fans of early punk rock will revel in this pungent evocation of the scene. --Publishers Weekly A beautifully edgy tale of a kid discovering himself through music. --Booklist

A beautifully edgy tale of a kid discovering himself through music. --Booklist

Author Information

Kid Congo Powers is a guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his work with The Gun Club, the Cramps, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He is currently the frontman for Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds. He lives in Tucson, AZ. Chris Campion is a British author, journalist, editor, and music producer. His writing, exploring the extremities of popular culture, as well as its beating heart, has been published in The Guardian, LA Times, The Telegraph, Rolling Stone, Bizarre, and Vice.

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