Allllll Night…he wants the young American…
Yes, he does, and not in the way your over active imaginations are working, I can see them now zero to sixty in 0.5 seconds. Settle down young ‘uns, for I have a tale to tell. Welcome to the dirty, dingy, and dank underbelly of the glitzy, glamorous and glittery world of music. We find ourselves in the 80’s (that’s 1980 and not 80 years old y’understand) and our hero Martin Mills, a talent scout, has the dubious task of turning muck into gold, some say he has the Midas touch judging by his past successes. The band is Stunted Growth and singer Billy has been hailed “the voice of a generation” by Diane, who is the toxically lethal combination of manager and girlfriend.
Reeking corruption, blackmail, lies, greed, power and downright blatant ghastliness, we have a delicious pot of chaos gently simmering on the stove. Don’t be late to the dinner table folks. This beautifully crafted comic, created by award winning music producer Jeff Rougvie, who has worked with David Bowie (RIP) and Elvis Costello (don’t stop me talking…), drags us face first through the dregs of humanity as we witness the complex and unenviable tasks that make the music business what it is.
There is a purpose, a significance to all the craziness, as fans expect only the best, so only the most capable artists get the best deal. There is humour “Welcome to Shithole Arkansas” which delightfully explains the touring troubles many bands face. It is eye-opening in that a lot of experiences are written about in the press, but to read it here somehow validates all the stories you may have heard. I found it quite sad too, as the reality of the financial screwing over is brought out of its darkest depths and the dispels the myths surrounding overnight success and overnight millionaires.
The artwork is stunning too, perfect pictures by Moritat (Harley Quinn), breathe life into the words and characters. The comic is accompanied by a soundtrack that includes Sisters of Mercy (Andrew Eldritch…sigh…. swoon…), Oasis and David Bowie and my own Birmingham heroes Duran Duran, amongst others.
We have a fantastic mix of words, pictures and great music to entertain and intensify the shady dealings of the music business. Crudeness and ruthlessness are the key skills needed here but maybe they are all part and parcel of surviving such an industry.
As fans, we see the end product, all shiny and new, and ready for our consumption. We can now see the elaborate shenanigans behind the scenes, played out truly, quite madly and deeply dangerously.
Gunning For Hits by Jeff Rougvie out now