> Does anyone else have any books they could recommend? > Last good music book I read was "Adventures on the Wheels of Steel: The Rise of the Superstar DJs" by Dave Haslam:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841154334/qid=1057157863/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3_3/026-4611651-9246805 It covers a suprising breadth of ground, not concentrating necessarily on big names, but also on the people who play for their own satisfaction. Dave Haslam, the Hacienda's resident DJ for years and years, is well placed in Manchester, where much of the ground-breaking work has been done over the years, from Jimmy Saville becoming the first big-name DJ (he relates that he never had any trouble at his club - troublemakers always had sideburns and if anyone turned up with sideburns the bouncers there had some clippers under the counter and if they let them shave them off they could come in), through clubs like the Reno, the Spinning Wheel and the Hacienda. There is even a rather odd chapter about the guy who DJs at a "Smiths" night, ticking off every track he plays on a checklist, with his mum charging on the door. Amazon are linking this one with another nice book, Adventures in Wonderland: A Decade of Club Culture by Sheryl Garratt, which captures a more international picture, with great historical details about the rise of techno in Detroit and house music in Chicago from disco from the Paradise Garage in New York, as well as the UK rave scene and Ibiza. David
