Lizzy Goodman

Meet Me in the Bathroom has appeared on many band forums since its release, especially those bands who are currently working on new albums. (We fans need something to tide us over while we wait not-so-patiently). I first heard of this book via The Killers subreddit but it’s appeared on others since (a bit of a chicken versus egg story as I’ve discovered/rediscovered many bands since starting this book). Essentially, this is the story of the revival of rock and roll in the noughties from show more the viewpoint of New York City.

Why NYC? Well, NYC was undergoing something of a revolution of sorts with a new mayor with new ideas, followed by 9/11. All that plus people being over grunge/trance/dance/techno/pop brought forward a new sound. (Perhaps not new exactly, but something that jaded fans could get behind). The most well-known band to rise in New York was The Strokes. A group of mates got together, formed a band and became the new cool that set forth in motion a number of great bands. (For example, The Killers who were a fledging Las Vegas band at the time ditched all their songs except Mr Brightside after hearing The Strokes’ debut album, Is This It. Arctic Monkeys are big fans of The Strokes, with Alex Turner opening with , ‘I just wanted to be one of The Strokes’ in Star Treatment from their latest album Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino.) But this isn’t all about The Strokes. It’s about other bands, some of which aren’t remembered as well (Fischerspooner, Jonathan Fire*Eater) and some that are still part of a worldwide conversation (Interpol, Kings of Leon, Vampire Weekend). Others have fallen off my radar but are now firmly back on (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The White Stripes, The National).

What makes Meet Me in the Bathroom extraordinary is the way the story is told. It’s a collection of interviews with people who were there – the artists, the record company people, journalists, bloggers, DJs, producers…the whole works. (If you’ve read Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is the non-fiction equivalent in style.) What Lizzy Goodman has done is compile those hundreds of interviews and put them together in a chronological fashion charting the rise of rock and roll coming out of New York City, hitting a peak and moving across to Brooklyn. It’s addictive reading as you watch The Strokes going from shows of 30 people to world wide tours. Interpol move from being a band practising in a dodgy loft space to being courted by mainstream record labels. Most of the bands mentioned are American (Franz Ferdinand, The Vines and The Hives are all mentioned) and this is understandable as this rise came out of America.

There are also no holds barred in these interviews. There are plenty of drugs. Business partnerships become friendships which breakdown to the point of no return. Dreams are achieved and then dashed. Some people in hindsight, are tools. But overall, the story is one of success, friendships, good times and bloody good music. The book also charts the rise of the blogger and the internet as the main medium to get music heard and listened to. (Napster, Limewire, CD burning…all a time of discovery as music became accessible to everyone and you didn’t need to scout the overseas magazines in record stores for info). It was also a time of breaking down barriers, that it was OK to like rock and dance music.

This book is so detailed and gives an insider’s view of what it was like to be part of that scene. But the best thing is – it’s not too late to go out and catch some of these fine bands live.

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Oral history in the style of Please Kill Me hyping up a more recent New York music scene. Not nearly as iconic or fun to read about as the 70s punk scene in Please Kill Me, but still an entertaining and nostalgic look back on a time (not that long ago) when rock music still mattered. Right from the beginning I was not feeling the over the top glorification of New York City (THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD that matters for cool people apparently), nor did I think the long page count was show more justified. I picked this up because of The Strokes, so I enjoyed following the career trajectory of this band along with the gossipy commentary. Made me appreciate The Yeah Yeah Yeahs a little more, but still couldn't convince me to care about Interpol! show less

My favorite book of 2017. Yes, it's a complete circlejerk, but it is MY circlejerk. Any book that has a chapter dedicated to how great Dark Room is, and then a separate chapter dedicated to shitting on Piano's, is an instant-classic.

The low rating is based on two factors:

1). I love oral histories but the actual structure used in this book is extremely hard to follow. People pop in and out without any reintroduction or explanation for why they are there. Some anecdotes are placed right in the middle of longer overarching stories with no point or connection.

2). The people covered in this story are just not that compelling. As opposed to say Please Kill Me, or Other Hollywood, a lot of the stories told are thorough snore show more feats that alternate between doing too much coke, or having too much sex. I guess that is cool, but that won't sustain a 600 page book.

If you are a super fan of the Strokes, or Yeah Yeah Yeahs, or Jonathan Fire*Eater, this book. If you are looking to read a compelling oral history I would check elsewhere. show less