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Post by andyloneshark on Mar 23, 2022 16:31:25 GMT
...Johna already has 'Part Two' written and ready to go - it is more about the actual gigs, more factual.
The first edition of Part One sold out, which is very encouraging for Johna as this is his first books and intends to write more.
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Apr 4, 2022 13:36:32 GMT
Ant mania in the USA
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Apr 7, 2022 18:12:23 GMT
...Thank you. I was pleased with how the review turned out. I've ordered a copy of the Johna's Ants book Looking forward to it |
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Post by Billy Idle on Apr 10, 2022 8:09:31 GMT
I 've got a copy of that book as well . Not read it yet but will start soon .
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 4, 2022 16:01:05 GMT
...Johna already has 'Part Two' written and ready to go - it is more about the actual gigs, more factual. The first edition of Part One sold out, which is very encouraging for Johna as this is his first books and intends to write more. Nearly finished Johna's book One question Andy that you might be able to answer, why is it labelled "A Novel"? It's clearly almost completely a memoir Is he worried about get sued by some of the people who appear? Or has he made some stuff up? Anyway, for a debut writer it's very enjoyable if you have an interest in the subject matter  |
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 4, 2022 16:28:50 GMT
...it is a Novel, rather than a Memoir, because not everything in the book actually happened  hence me mentioning in a previous post on this thread, that i can appreciate that the Pulp Fiction aspect of the book may confuse people a bit. As i understand it, one of the prerequisites from the publisher, was that Johna had to include these aspects of the story. But the chapters about the actual gigs (apart from the first one) are all pretty much fact based. |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 4, 2022 18:43:09 GMT
Gotcha
Thanks
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 5, 2022 8:24:50 GMT
I've finished Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears: The Original Adam & The Ants story 1977-80 (2022) by Johna Johnson. Here's my review...
Before Adam and The Ants hit pay dirt in 1980 with Dog Eat Dog they spent three years building up a fanatical cult following. Most critics hated them and success seemed unlikely. It all changed with a line up change and a new sound - and Adam the pop star was born - but that’s a whole other story.
I saw Adam and The Ants a few times in their more uncompromising punk incarnation and enjoyed their intense performances and rabid fans. They were violent times and the hardcore Ants fans had a well deserved reputation for being able to handle themselves.
Johna Johnson, a Bradford punk, was a keen Ants fan who went to as many of their gigs as time and money would allow and was in with all the most hardcore fans. Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears: The Original Adam & The Ants story 1977-80 (2022) is the first part of story. It’s described as a novel but reads more like a memoir and is clearly almost wholly based on first hand experience.
It’s a little repetitive and could do with a damn good edit but, if you have an interest in the era and this scene, it’s solid gold. It’s fascinating to hear from a Bradford based punk who took every opportunity to get down to London and other places whilst remaining in his home town. Letter writing and occasional phone calls were the way people kept in touch, and the Ants ephemera he acquires is sacred treasure.
I’m not sure why this has been split into two parts and wonder what more there is to be said in the forthcoming second part. One thing that has always fascinated me is the sense of betrayal that the original fans must have felt when Adam Ant became a commercially successful pop pin up. Johna Johnson covers this to an extent in the opening chapter, which describes the last Ants gig he attended and when it became obvious that his favourite band had completely changed direction and forsaken their punk roots.
One other weird aside, this book has no page numbers. I’d guess it’s about 200 pages long but I’ve no intention of counting them.
4/5 |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 9, 2022 8:00:43 GMT
Now playing this beaut
Adam & The Ants - Family Of Noise
Adam & The Ants - Family Of Noise
Adam & The Ants - Family Of Noise
Adam & The Ants - Family Of Noise
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 9, 2022 10:00:16 GMT
I've finished Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears: The Original Adam & The Ants story 1977-80 (2022) by Johna Johnson. Here's my review...
Before Adam and The Ants hit pay dirt in 1980 with Dog Eat Dog they spent three years building up a fanatical cult following. Most critics hated them and success seemed unlikely. It all changed with a line up change and a new sound - and Adam the pop star was born - but that’s a whole other story.
I saw Adam and The Ants a few times in their more uncompromising punk incarnation and enjoyed their intense performances and rabid fans. They were violent times and the hardcore Ants fans had a well deserved reputation for being able to handle themselves.
Johna Johnson, a Bradford punk, was a keen Ants fan who went to as many of their gigs as time and money would allow and was in with all the most hardcore fans. Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears: The Original Adam & The Ants story 1977-80 (2022) is the first part of story. It’s described as a novel but reads more like a memoir and is clearly almost wholly based on first hand experience.
It’s a little repetitive and could do with a damn good edit but, if you have an interest in the era and this scene, it’s solid gold. It’s fascinating to hear from a Bradford based punk who took every opportunity to get down to London and other places whilst remaining in his home town. Letter writing and occasional phone calls were the way people kept in touch, and the Ants ephemera he acquires is sacred treasure.
I’m not sure why this has been split into two parts and wonder what more there is to be said in the forthcoming second part. One thing that has always fascinated me is the sense of betrayal that the original fans must have felt when Adam Ant became a commercially successful pop pin up. Johna Johnson covers this to an extent in the opening chapter, which describes the last Ants gig he attended and when it became obvious that his favourite band had completely changed direction and forsaken their punk roots.
One other weird aside, this book has no page numbers. I’d guess it’s about 200 pages long but I’ve no intention of counting them.
4/5Is this review posted in a blog, L.E.? OK if i forward it onto Johna? He has told me he wants to read reviews, good or bad to get a feel for what people like or don't like about the book and learn from it. I mentioned the lack of page numbers to him on his Facebook page when the book was first published and i got quite a 'sharp' reply from the publishers  |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 9, 2022 10:12:14 GMT
I've finished Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears: The Original Adam & The Ants story 1977-80 (2022) by Johna Johnson. Here's my review...
Before Adam and The Ants hit pay dirt in 1980 with Dog Eat Dog they spent three years building up a fanatical cult following. Most critics hated them and success seemed unlikely. It all changed with a line up change and a new sound - and Adam the pop star was born - but that’s a whole other story.
I saw Adam and The Ants a few times in their more uncompromising punk incarnation and enjoyed their intense performances and rabid fans. They were violent times and the hardcore Ants fans had a well deserved reputation for being able to handle themselves.
Johna Johnson, a Bradford punk, was a keen Ants fan who went to as many of their gigs as time and money would allow and was in with all the most hardcore fans. Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears: The Original Adam & The Ants story 1977-80 (2022) is the first part of story. It’s described as a novel but reads more like a memoir and is clearly almost wholly based on first hand experience.
It’s a little repetitive and could do with a damn good edit but, if you have an interest in the era and this scene, it’s solid gold. It’s fascinating to hear from a Bradford based punk who took every opportunity to get down to London and other places whilst remaining in his home town. Letter writing and occasional phone calls were the way people kept in touch, and the Ants ephemera he acquires is sacred treasure.
I’m not sure why this has been split into two parts and wonder what more there is to be said in the forthcoming second part. One thing that has always fascinated me is the sense of betrayal that the original fans must have felt when Adam Ant became a commercially successful pop pin up. Johna Johnson covers this to an extent in the opening chapter, which describes the last Ants gig he attended and when it became obvious that his favourite band had completely changed direction and forsaken their punk roots.
One other weird aside, this book has no page numbers. I’d guess it’s about 200 pages long but I’ve no intention of counting them.
4/5Is this review posted in a blog, L.E.? OK if i forward it onto Johna? He has told me he wants to read reviews, good or bad to get a feel for what people like or don't like about the book and learn from it. I mentioned the lack of page numbers to him on his Facebook page when the book was first published and i got quite a 'sharp' reply from the publishers  Yes, feel free to send it to Johna I posted it to GoodReads and Amazon to encourage others to give it a go What did the publishers say about the lack of page numbers then? Maybe adding page numbers is harder than it appears. It's easy enough on a word processing document so surely it's just a few clicks? Maybe not? |
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 9, 2022 10:28:32 GMT
...personally, i think leaving page numbers off a book is rather unwise. Hardly anybody has time to read a book in one sitting these days, and they are a good way of establishing how far through a book you are and a reference, if you are trying to draw a paragraph/chapter to someone's attention. I can't remember what there reply/reasoning was, to be honest. But i wasn't convinced!  Thanks - i shall forward your review onto Johna |
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 14, 2022 13:50:37 GMT
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 14, 2022 15:56:57 GMT
Splendid Is your order in ALS? Or are you in line for another review copy? Still confused about why this book has been split into two parts - apart from to make it more expensive to buy |
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Post by andyloneshark on Jun 14, 2022 16:55:27 GMT
i wasn't sent a review copy... i am just a fan and the review i wrote was for a fanzine, which i didn't know i was going to be invited to do, until after i had read the book  I think it has been split into two volumes as 'Two' is more specifically about certain gigs, with the Pulp Fiction elements of volume one being toned down (or removed completely) |
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hence me mentioning in a previous post on this thread, that i can appreciate that the Pulp Fiction aspect of the book may confuse people a bit. As i understand it, one of the prerequisites from the publisher, was that Johna had to include these aspects of the story.
