Product Description

`Witty, anecdotal and relentlessly vitriolic, this is a no-holds-barred demon exorcism by a man who clearly wants everyone to hate him. And, er, you will.'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4218 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 243 pages

Review
'A compulsive read, part Oswald Spengler, part Spike Milligan, and very, very funny.' --David Peace

`A compulsive read, part Oswald Spengler, part Spike Milligan, and very, very funny.' --David Peace

Review
'As acerbic and hilarious as you'd expect from a man who thought it completely reasonable to call a pop single "unsolved Child Murder". Haines clearly relishes - and shines in - his role as the Ancient Mariner at the Britpop party.'

Review
`In this acidic counterweight to the story of the flag-waving pop elite documented in John Harris's Britpop romp THE LAST PARTY, Haines casts himself as the Britpop pariah, glaring through the window at the self-congratulatory oiks laughing inside ... There are enough punch-ups, bad drugs, mind games, self-sabotage, lunatic fans and bizarre self-surgery to make BAD VIBES occasionally read like NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE were it written about Philip Larkin rather than Jim Morrison ... This is an imperious and wincingly amusing memoir that's often so sharp it could take your eye out.'

Customer Reviews

Starstruck
This is a, hate to say it, "must have" buy for all Luke Haines fans. That said, every release by the man has fallen into the category, but this, his first foray into print, is a real treat. It would work for both the devotee and the casual music fan, as a historical, completely biased treatise on that most diabolical of concepts, Britpop.

The book is disappointing in only one regard, and that is that we know little more about Haines the man than the public persona that he presents in his bitter, beautiful music. It's possible to feel some of his anger, and disappointment at his lack of commercial success, but he never makes it totally clear how he feels. Maybe I'm a little disappointed because last years amazing indie autobiography, Black Postcards by Dean Wareham was so candid that at times it felt intrustive, set an unrealistic benchmark for just how good any autobiography can be. Personally, I'd have liked to have learned a bit more about Haines as a person, and about the life experiences that have made him such a unique talent in music, and the forces and influence, on his person as much as his art, that made him write such brilliantly vitriolic and angry pop music whilst his contemporaries created such dirge and called it Britpop.

As this covers the period 92-97, I'd love to see a follow up. Arguably, Haines best work came after this - his solo efforts, and chart success with Black Box Recorder followed. It would be great to see this chronicled and laid bare.

Overall, a great book, but not as great as it could have been. As an aside, it is interesting to note the influence of his acquaintance David Peace, particularly GB84 on the style of the prose and structure of the book.

Tres Bon
Superb page turning diatribe of bile! I loved this - his description of Chris Evans as 'a shallow bullying man-child, a jumped-up kissogram-turned-light-entertainment-colossus' is worth the cover price alone -

Hilariously bitter and twisted.
The best Rock Curmudgeon alive today. If you were even slightly a fan of all things Britpop - this is a must read. He hates everyone (except the drummer from Suede). His self-belief is unstoppable and his proclaimations of genius many. No one is safe from his scathing criticism,(yes, that includes YOU Justine Frishmann)and this book is all the more funny for it.
Recommended.