Click here to edit title
Click here to edit subtitle
Books - P


PUNK AVENUE: Inside the New York City Underground 1972-82 - Phil Marcade {290 pages, Three Rooms Press}
It’s often said that truth can be stranger than fiction, and so it is with this memoir of how Phil Maracde, who was born in France, ended up being at the epicenter of the mid-late 70s New York City Punk explosion, and fronting the scene’s foremost exponents of 50s-esque Rock ‘n’ Roll - THE SENDERS.
The story kicks off in 1972 with Marcade (whose dad was a drummer and bought Phil his first kit at the age of 13) having already left France for Amsterdam where he meets a life-long friend in Bruce and together they travel to the US. There is an early mention of New York City which, at this stage, was viewed as dark, with the pair’s van being broken into. Come his 18th birthday, Marcade finds himself in Phoenix - and in prison.
By 1973, he is back in France and evades National Service. While living on a barge with his girlfriend, Bruce returns and is ‘Punked’. Suitably impressed, Marcade gets a month’s Visa and returns to the US - and somehow stays for the next 35 years!! He stays in Boston for a while, sharing a joint with pre-fame icons BOB MARLEY and AEROSMITH before seeing the NEW YORK DOLLS where he strikes up another life-long friendship with one JOHNNY THUNDERS - and the subject of their conversation? Real Italian tomato sauce!
On moving to The Chelsea Hotel in New York City, a party is arranged, which the RAMONES attend. From there, we get Marcade’s story of the next eight years in the city.
Needless to say, for anyone with even just a passing interest in NYC Punk, this is a gripping read. Among the copious stories are how Marcade got addicted to Heroin, became a roadie for THE HEARTBREAKERS, transcribed the French part of ‘Denis’ for Debbie Harry, got to know Nancy Spungen (and claims responsibility for sending her to the UK to chase Jerry Nolan), formed THE SENDERS, got married, joined GANG WAR with Thunders and MC5’s Wayne Kramer, had a jaunt in Los Angeles with The Senders and got to hang out with the GO-GO’s, shared a rehearsal building with both Madonna and SWANS and supported THE CLASH, all of whom were cool bar Mick Jones who comes over as totally prissy Rock Star of the worst kind. I’ve not even mentioned face vomiting, Spungen’s junkie cat, the ‘77 blackout or the spider. You’ll have to get the book for those - and many, many more.
Come the book’s final year, things take a dark turn as Bruce’s ODs, Senders gigs in Paris are cancelled after the band loses its management, AIDS appears resulting in several deaths, he gets divorced and is consumed by increasing Heroin addiction. It’s a bleak chapter that’s starkly written but one that has a welcome result as, after a 12-hour OD, Marcade finally kicks the habit.
The book is filled out with a selection of great photos, a foreword by Legs McNeil, a preface by Debbie Harry and a welcome list of the book’s characters.
Marcade’s narrative is quite addictive. He doesn’t go for the long, drawn-out chapters that eulogise his own coolness nor does he let any ego get in the way of his story telling. Instead, much of the book is written as a chronological series of incidents and laden with humour - just like the reader and Marcade are hanging out in a bar talking - and in that sense the book is stunningly engaging. If you are looking for scandal, or bitching, or some salacious story about Dee Dee Ramone (c’mon - there’s enough of those already!) then you are out of luck. What Marcade has created is something genuine, conversational, intimate and enthralling.
Naysayers may suggest that Marcade was only a bit-part in the NYC Punk scene. How wrong - and stupid! He was there, jamming with Thunders, partying with Dee Dee, hanging with Stiv, buddies with Debs and playing Max’s. Of all the books about that formative NYC Punk scene, this ranks right up there with the best and is the perfect accompaniment to Please Kill Me. Yep - that good. (17.08.18)