Cider With Roadies

I admit to being biased, I love Stuart Maconie. When he moved from radio 2 to 6 music, I pestered my husband for a DB radio, so I could continue to listen to him. And this manages to be him, but in print. Some books you can almost hear them being read - and this is one of them. I love the wry humour, the little jokes, the erudite references and the observational quality of the writing. Never short of a good anecdote this book tells of his encounters in music, from attending a Beetles concert (aged 3) to leaving NME as a assistant editor in the early 90s.It takes in all sorts of music along the way, some if it memorable, others less so. I can't say that I remember a lot of the bands mentioned - he's about 10 years older than me and show more clearly wasn't a teenage girl in the 80s who worshiped at the shrine of the New Romantics - but then we all make musical choices we come to regret in later years. But even not being fans of the same thing doesn't stop this being highly entertaining. I imagine it might not have the widest appeal of any book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and had a good giggle at it. show less

As amusing and likeable as Maconie's books always are. I don't much share his musical taste, but he is quite refreshingly honest (for a music journo) about liking and having liked some very uncool stuff. Perhaps most interesting in what is not said: there are several people he worked with on the NME who are mentioned, but not described or dealt with at all. Read into this what you will. Usual crop of badly researched mistakes .. really, is even 5 minutes on Wikipedia too much, Stuart?

(08 May 2004)

A jaunt through Maconie’s early life up until his leap from journalism to radio broadcasting. Extremely amusing of course, and I also enjoyed a lot of the points about dealing with interviewing music people which are even more interesting for me now that I transcribe a lot of these (not for Maconie, I hasten to add). His sheer joy in music and bands shines through the humour of course … and also, I have to say, shines through the typos with which the text is littered. But a good, fun read. I can’t find my original review of this at the moment, as I would have read it about a year before I started book blogging online, but will dig it out of my notebooks and add it.

An interesting and well-written autobiography of someone who clearly loves the music business, but doesn't take himself too seriously. Highly recommended for those interested in any way in the music of the 80s and 90s.

A highly entertaining and colourful memoir written with tongue firmly in cheek (apologies for the slightly mixed metaphor).

Cider With Roadies by Stuart Maconie takes a little getting going, partly because having read Maconie's later book Pies And Prejudice last year, he seems to be covering identical ground here in the opening sections. Once the Northern-boy scene-setting is out of the way though and Maconie's love affair with pop begins, it's as enjoyable a memoir as you'd expect from the ex-NME writer and current Radcliffe-botherer.

Read the full review at my blog.

A very funny autobiography from a man obsessed with music and from Wigan. He became an NME writer and able to indulge his interest in music. Many shared influences & lots of joke.