Pandamonium! How Not To Run A Document Label by Simon Williams
9 Eight Books – out now
Pandamonium is the story of 1 man’s life which appears like each indie child’s dream – greater than a decade as a author with the NME, his personal radio present with XFM to not point out the small matter of 28 years as head honcho of iconic label Fierce Panda, releasing in extra of 650 information and serving to to launch the careers of bands comparable to Coldplay, Keane and Embrace. Journeys to Australia with Rubbish, LA with Rage In opposition to The Machine and Milan with the Treatment, Steve Lamacq as finest man and Clint Boon as DJ at his marriage ceremony, staging gigs by The Arctic Monkeys, The Kaiser Chiefs and the Futureheads, and on and on (and on). The huge fly within the sweet-smelling indie ointment that’s the lifetime of Simon Williams is that, on New 12 months’s Eve 2019, he tried to finish it.
It’s not too a lot of a spoiler to inform you that the writer’s dramatic suicide makes an attempt fortunately failed, which is why he’s right here to share his exceptional story with us in the present day. This can be a fascinating e-book for any lover of indie music and people wanting an perception into the machinations of the unforgiving, cut-throat music trade. It is usually a salutary reminder of the fragility of the human situation, even when every little thing appears to be like good from the skin. Most of all, it’s a most entertaining and, sarcastically, life-affirming learn written with Williams’ trademark wit, mild humour and, let’s be sincere, silliness. Even the diary entries from his darkest hours are suffering from quips; ‘The flying A & R man, mendacity dying in A&E. How poetic’ and, after 14 hours unsuccessfully making an attempt to take his personal life; ‘In brief, I feel I’ve misplaced the need to die.’
One would assume that most individuals who determine to put in writing a e-book about their life is perhaps a little bit filled with their very own significance even to suppose that folks would have an interest within the story, however one factor Pandamonium positively isn’t is an ego journey. Williams offers us a few of his background story to set the scene, together with the way in which his love for radio first blossomed throughout a chronic spell in hospital as a child. However this isn’t a linear autobiography laboriously itemizing each insignificant element of the writer’s existence, and also you get the impression that the unassuming writer doubts anybody can be bothered. Referring to his imperfect methodology of drawing collectively random reminiscences while sitting within the pub, he explains; ‘Nonetheless, not less than it saved on having to transcribe hours of mine or anybody else’s jib-jabberings.’ As a substitute, we’re handled to a conversational stream of reminiscences and themes which helps to make Pandamonium such an entertaining work.
What we do study is that, regardless of rubbing shoulders with potential stars of the longer term, attending trade bashes and staging offered out reveals, the lifetime of an indie document label boss is much from being all glamour. One of many recurring themes of Pandamonium is the fundamental contradiction between wanting the credit score and success you deserve as a champion of upcoming bands and shunning the very mechanics of the trade which make this possible and even potential. Williams clearly likes to do issues the proper method however, because of this, it has typically meant that bigger labels have reaped the rewards of Fierce Panda’s uncompromisingly unbiased stance. Moreover, the countless rounds of dwell performances, and attending numerous gigs to make sure that the standard management is carried out first hand, is a surprisingly lonely existence, particularly for somebody with the writer’s unremitting work ethic. It’s one factor travelling the world to hang around with prime acts, one other to do the Billy No Mates routine night time after night time on the bathroom circuit for concern of letting one slip by way of the web.
It’s not clear precisely what pushed Simon Williams to his nadir, most likely an accumulation of things, however there does appear to be a recurring (if utterly unjustified) sense of self-doubt, describing himself at one level as ‘The imposter boy for the damaged era’. The irony is that, regardless of the e-book’s title, that is in some ways an excellent success story. A fast take a look at the Fierce Panda web site reveals you that the label has a really robust roster to this present day, even in an age when streaming is king, and the exhaustive discography on the finish of the e-book is kind of spectacular. Certainly, the writer admits elsewhere that Fierce Panda is in actual fact fairly effectively run and that ‘How Not To Construct A Document Label’ may need been a extra apt subtitle. With Pandamonium coming sizzling on the heels of his 1-2, Reduce Your Hair! – The Story Of Johnny Moped e-book, we will add ‘completed writer’ to the lengthy listing of achievements.
Fortunately, it appears that evidently Simon has weathered the storm and his renewed optimism and enthusiasm is obvious all through the curler coaster trip that’s Pandamonium. There’s a robust sense that it is a cathartic train, placing issues in perspective and studying from expertise with classes for all of us. Firstly, that is an unremittingly exhilarating journey into essentially the most alluring however most punishing world of the music trade, written with the aptitude of a pure storyteller who has positively been there and carried out that.
~
Simon Williams will probably be in dialog on the Louder Than Phrases Competition – tickets right here
All phrases by Robin Boardman. Extra writing from Robin on Louder Than Conflict might be discovered at his writer’s archive
