Wednesday

 

And talking of something where ABSENCE can make something far more electric than spelling it out ever could...

Who read that article in The Guardian yesterday - Rock Bottom, by "Caroline Butler" {don't know if this is her real name or not} - a mini memoir about being the long-term partner of some gone-to-seed 80s rock star with a MAJOR drinking problem? She omits his name - which only has the effect, I calculate, of making everyone wonder WHO THE HELL IS THIS THEN?! If she'd said who it was, we'd all just have thought, oh, him, yeah, I sorta knew that... and forgotten.
But now I'm fixated on finding out who it is.

My guess is someone from that Chums of Melody Maker sorta-Goth zone: The Mission / The Cult / The Cure ... ?

Does anyone actually know?
I know this is all shudderingly gossipy-superficial and frightfully un-Zizeck and all, but, uh, um... well, so am I, when it comes down to it.

posted by Ian 1/04/2006 10:29:00 AM

Comments:

Penman, for shame! Demi-gods of my teens should have richer fixations than this.

It's not as if 'Caroline' 's beau's fucked-upness is of a remotely interesting kind. In fact, what with the chucking of TVs out of hotel rooms (or did I make that up? Well, I'm confident about the hotel room & that's bad enough as a site of predictable bozodom), it's almost retro.

And laddish pissing on hotel canopies? Status Quo, in every sense.

You're right about absence & electricity, of course.

# posted by  Julian : 4/1/06

 

I assumed it was Shane Macgowan but she just changed various details to disguise the fact...

# posted by  Anonymous : 4/1/06

 

it possibly is as above as his ex v clarke has experience as a writer having written the worst biog ever, and there aren't many 'rock stars' as publicly drunk as she describes apart from m.e. smith and I doubt it's him

# posted by  Anonymous : 4/1/06

 

Well MacGowan is the obvious first thought - and I reviewed the "book" he did with Victoria Clarke, so that thought did cross my mind. But I really don't think it is him. He's sat on his arse for 15 years basically watching Once Upon A Time In America on auto repeat and smoking heroin, (ALLEGEDLY), from what I can gather. I don't think he tours (especially L.A.) - I don't think he WALKS if he can help it...

I.P.

# posted by  IAN : 5/1/06

 

it's the notion that this person was extremely talented - can't be a goth surely? And no suits either. Mariella Frostrup: what music program did she present then? I did see that this Butler person has taken it upon herself to write reviews of bands on Amazon and suchlike, but that doesn't help much, although it does position her somewhat as a budding 'journalist'. I'm going to check out 'west country festivals' to see if that leads anywhere

# posted by  Anonymous : 5/1/06

 

I'd go for Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode or, if she's a bit older, Ray Davies of the Kinks. Just done a quick google trail back to when Ms Butler worked for Moving Shadow and they seemed the most likely rock stars. If you have any more info, would love to know!

# posted by  Anonymous : 9/1/06

 

Gahan is clean & sober now, tho, isn't he? after he nearly O.D.ied circa 96 97 he cleaned up completely i think; before that i think heroin not booze was the problem anyway...

i saw Ray Davies in one of my local parks this last autumn: he looked in remarkably good shape! i know people who know him, and i don't get any hint of that i have to say...

who or what is Moving Shadow?!

# posted by  I.P. : 9/1/06

 

Post a Comment