Before It Went Rotten takes a trip back to the world before punk.
When Anarchy in the UK appeared, London enjoyed one of the most vibrant music scenes in the world. A network of mainly Irish owned pubs and clubs provided music every night, much of it free of charge, whilst working as a testing ground for up and coming talent.
This book traces the evolution of what was quickly labelled 'pub-rock': from rock and roll revival acts via late blues bands, country rock, funk, soul and art school bands to the sound that eventually burst on the scene as punk rock in 1976. Specific chapters cover the career of Brinsley Schwarz, the Southend bands and the step by step rise of the Sex Pistols.
Among those interviewed are former members of Fumble, Darts, the John Dummer Blues Band, Blue Goose, Legend, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Brinsley Schwarz, Bees Make Honey, Ducks de Luxe, Kokomo, Roogalator, Burlesque, Kilburn and the High Roads, GT Moore and the Reggae Guitars, Clancy, the Fabulous Poodles, the Sex Pistols and Meal Ticket.
With acts like Dire Straits, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and Graham Parker all emerging from this terrain, the reader is asked to consider, what, if anything, would have been different if McLaren's band had never been around.
Extensively researched, and drawing on contemporaneous reviews and articles from the music press of the time, Before It Went Rotten bids fair to be the definitive study of an overlooked era.

About the Author
Simon Matthews has had a varied career including a spell running the British Transport Films documentary film library and several years singing in semi-professional rock groups. He has contributed articles on music, film and cultural history to Record Collector, Shindig! and Lobster magazines. Psychedelic Celluloid, his illustrated history of UK music, film and TV between 1965 and 1974 was published by Oldcastle Books in 2016.

Reviews
Absolutely extraordinary... The work of a master. So beautifully constructed with so many elements and angles woven together seamlessly -- Billy Jenkins, former member of Burlesque
Simon Matthews takes the much overlooked era to task and, through a tonne of research and interviews with the folk who lived through it, uncovers the whole vibrant story of what went on in 1970s London between the demise of the Swinging 60s and Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's black-eyed golden dawn, bringing to life an array of characters and venues that very nearly slipped out of the pages of the history books -- Heyrichey * The Edge of Arcady *
You'll find some very decent music that you probably don't know... There are terrific stories... takes us right back to the Music Hall -- Alwyn Turner * Lion & Unicorn *
Excellent... an atmospheric, (usually) tuneful look back at the 'pub-rock' era -- Graham Sharpe, author of Vinyl Countdown



Book Information
ISBN 9780857305749
Author Simon Matthews
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Oldcastle Books Ltd
Publisher Oldcastle Books Ltd