Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll?
Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll? is a history of alternative rock from John Robb, with the music still ringing in his ears. This collection follows John’s journey from the late 1970s, when he was first caught up in punk’s high-octane thrill, to the present day, via the early days of the rave scene, the birth of electronic and techno, and myriad bands that spun off on their own idiosyncratic paths.
John was the first person to write about Nirvana, he coined the term Britpop, and he documented the Stone Roses’ rise out of Manchester before anyone else was interested. He was at every pivotal gig, and has interviewed every key player in the business, including Jordan, the queen of punk, founding father of new American rock Steve Albini, goth-rock guitarist Daniel Ash, infamous Oasis co-founder Noel Gallagher, and music greats like Lemmy and Poly Styrene.
Few others have witnessed first-hand so many important moments of the last forty years of rock history. Here, they come together to form the essential history of a personal quest to document the ever-changing soundtrack of the modern world.
John Robb is an award-winning journalist, author, TV presenter and boss of the music website Louder Than War. In a forty-year career, John has written for every major music magazine and national newspaper, interviewing thousands of bands from all around the world. He formed the seminal punk/alt-rock band the Membranes in 1977, and still tours with them and as lead singer of his band Goldblade. He has written highly acclaimed biographies of the Stone Roses and the Charlatans, as well the extraordinary Punk Rock: An Oral History. @johnrobb77