Brother Xanadu

ARCANIA (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Set in three major cities, 'Arcania', by Brother Xanadu, will take you on a roller-coaster ride through the wild, crazy life of a rebel funk musician. There are lots of brutally funny details of the kids of 70s London and their arty underground scene. Sex, drugs, punks and squatters all have their part in this unique tale.

Described as 'Infectiously discordant' by one New York agent, this book deals with the joy and the madness of the life of a London musician as his life careers widely through a bizarre series of events, from success to homelessness, and back again.

Alex Gordon, the author, chose to use the pen-name 'Brother Xanadu' in order to have maximum freedom when crafting fiction narratives out of real scenarios in the music world - ie a cover was needed. The phenomenon of self-publishing also helped his focus considerably.

"Rather than write pretty lies for money, I was able to tell them the real deal," he claims. And the Arcania trilogy certainly holds nothing back. Everything you always imagined that musicians were up to, behind the scenes is here.

It has been said that the life-style of the artist is often more interesting than his work. With this in mind Brother Xanadu has created a dry Brit-humour classic in this rollickingly cynical portrait of musicians and their circus-like excesses in times long-gone.

Arcania is a hilarious, disjointed, yet compelling account of a lone musician in 70's London, fighting his way through the circus of 'sex, drugs and rock n roll' which characterised this era. There's lots of satisfyingly unique dialogue including slang from the very maw of Brixton, heart of the rebel subculture. Squatters, eccentrics, artists, junkies and outcasts of every possible type. Outsiders all. Scandals, literary erotica and an exclusive behind-the-scenes insight into the British music scene at its rollicking, roaring peak. This is also a book about tortured, fragmenting relationships and about the mysterious connections between money, power, drugs and the ultimate dream, success in pop music. And then an astonishing, unexpectedly spiritual finale.

'A great pianist, a visionary musical imagination and now a compelling and hilarious writer to boot! You cannot afford to miss out on Brother Xanadu's new offering' - Paul Gilroy (holder of Anthony Giddens Professorship in Social Theory - London School of Economics.)

'Arcania' has been reviewed by Stuart Nulman on Montreal radio CJAD, Stanley Asher on radio Centre-Ville and Peter Anthony Holder on radio CJAD. It has been exhibited at NCBA, Oakland and at the Frankfurt International Book fair.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Worldgig.com
• Seitenzahl: 320
• Erscheinungstermin: 27. Juli 2022
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781777475710
• Artikelnr.: 64827981

Autorenporträt

BROTHER XANADU, MAX FABIAN & ZANDY ALEXANDER are all pen-names (and music names) of Alexander Gordon. He is mainly known as ZANDY ALEXANDER, and has toured and performed internationally for many years. Today he is based in Canada, where he also runs an audio-video production studio.

MUSIC & AUTHOR CVs

Zandy Alexander has written 13 novels, 2 poetry compilations and more than fifty short stories and essays. Most have been self-published and many are featured on the internet in critical writer groups, webzines and and blogs. A member of the literary workshops of Pierre Faucher and Faye Porter, his work has been favourably reviewed in 'The Big Issue' magazine and also in the 'Manhattan Mirror,' a NYC newspaper which has also published regular articles of his. Having been interviewed on radio many times by Stuart Nulman and also by Stanley Asher, his writing has been described as 'slick, British humour' by Professor Leanne Saunders, and Professor Gilroy (FRSL FBA, English sociologist and cultural studies scholar), once stated 'You cannot afford to miss out on those novels of his which document the music scene of London, Rome and New York'. Alexander has contributed to many spoken word projects, notably with Marina Fiorentini and Peg Pegley. A former friend, the painter Lucian Freud once commented that 'Zandy Alexander is totally dedicated to his craft', and Alexander's work has also been acknowledged as crucial and revelatory by Cathal O Searcaigh, the foremost poet of the Irish language.

MUSIC CV

1954 - Born in London, UK
1962-72 Attends University College School, Hampstead, London UK
1972-3 Student teacher at Chwele School, Bungoma, Kenya
1972-4 Numerous jazz workshops including three terms at Barry Summer School, receiving tuition from Ian Carr, Don Rendall, Stan Tracey, Mike Gibbs, Manfred Man, Gordon Beck, Tony Oxley and Maggie Nichols
1973-4 Attends Barnet Art College - completes Foundation course
1973-4 London music dates with Paul Gilroy - FRSL FBA, English sociologist and cultural studies scholar.
1975 - Concert at the London College of Oriental Studies with Lord of Storm.
Showcase at the 'Marquee' with the George Hatcher band
1976 - Three month residency at the Ambassador Hotel, Dubai
1977- UK tour with Jon Owen band, including a concert at Chelmsford prison. UK tour with Bruce Ruffin. Residency at 'McKinlie's' (formerly the 'Country Club', Belsize Park), with C...