The Memoirs of Damage & Vom (Misadventures in Doctor and The Medics)

Dicky Damage (Richard Searle) and Mr Vom (Stephen Ritchie) were aboard the fastmoving punk-psych juggernaut that was Doctor and The Medics; a heady roller-coaster ride that famously peaked, when music industry moguls deemed fit to hype the band to Number One in the charts with a version of Norman Greenbaum's classic Spirit In The Sky, in the summer of 1986. 

      This memoir is a re-telling of their story, the rhythm section (Damage on bass, Vom on drums), that started from humble in-crowd nightclub origin, to television saturation, massive shows, and industry infamy.

The two friends parted company at the tale end of the Eighties, Searle went to to join proto Brit- Pop-clothes horses Boys Wonder, later to morph into Acid Jazz funksters Corduroy. Ritchie, having played with punk originators The Boys, eventually settled behind the kit of Germany's stadium rockers, Die Toten Hosen. Circumstance contrived to re-unit the duo some twenty years later, an eclectic low-fi indie rock album was the result, Perfect Crime, released under the moniker Wet Dog, on Ritchie's own Drumming Monkey Records. This collaboration inevitably served to re-stoke the flames of former glories, memories faded from the forgiving mists of alcohol and denial; two years in it's conception, a hundred beer soaked 'memory sessions' later, The Memoirs of Damage & Vom is the result set to ink.

The usual rock n' roll antidotes are present, groupies, substance abuse, lives put in danger etc, plus others that frankly are not for the squeamish, but the overall impression of this collection of funny stories is that of being a 'how to – and how not to succeed - in the music business' manual. The Medics achieved great things during the decade, the book details a route from garage-punk oiks to Top Of The Pops darlings. But their inevitable fall from grace was the result, apparently, of poor decision making and ego.

The humour is dry, and on occasion hilarious. The pace is fast and often bewildering, but if you only read one rock memoir this century, read this one...you might learn something.

Richard Searle – The Memoirs of Damage & Vom (Misadventures in Doctor and The Medics) with Forward by Stephen Ritchie, is out now on ebook and paperback.

Groovy books

Christmas is coming and it's time to start that Xmas list. Mod Speed is proudly giving the gift of printed words this year. Books, like computers but they don't crash.

The former bass player and co-founder of Acid Jazz funksters  Corduroy and comedy psych-punk garage-glam band Doctor and The Medics, has two such inky offerings. One, a novel, the other a collection of cartoon art.

The Absurdist is a light hearted, science-fictional tale about the illusionary nature of reality, lethal cocktails, hairy heroes, unrequited love and wasp hammers. Rude and irreverent, this funny philosophical caper, about two young scam-artists caught up in unusual events, features the prettiest of girls, silliest of toys, quantum physics and giant space propellers in an adventure of absurd proportions. Now in it's second edition. 

'If you are a fan of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, the chances are you're going to enjoy The Absurdist......

It's a witty whimsical tale of two college friends and the success and failures of various scams and inventions - space burials, purple vodka and the wasp hammer, which fool no-one and everyone. It's an observation on media manipulation, a modern day Emperors New Clothes.

Where the answer was 42 in Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, the theme running through The Absurdist is the power of three, we always have 3 choices in life -  and as readers of the book, you too have three choices, will you dismiss the book as silly, take a deep philosophical interest, or read it and enjoy its wit and wonderings?"  

Jennie Baillie (2011) Double Breasted Magazine.

  

And for those who prefer to look at the pictures, Sketchistentialism, a collection of cartoon art from the pen of Richard Searle.’

Featuring embarrassed dogs, vengeful fish, pointless super heroes and dubious religious iconography, Sketchistentialism is beautifully drawn, oddly philosophical and blatantly daft.

Published by the Bohemian Underground Movement.

Get both books  here , click on the pictures.... or find them on Amazon or here.

Have a cool yule !

Corduroy boy draws book.

Followers of Mod Speed may already know that former bass player and co-founder of Acid Jazz band Corduroy has turned his hand to writing books.

Believed to be a member of the mysterious Bohemian Underground Movement, the precocious author has expanded his bibliography with a collection of cartoon art. 

Featuring embarrassed dogs, vengeful fish, pointless super heroes and dubious religious iconography, Sketchistentialism is beautifully drawn, oddly philosophical and blatantly daft.

Get your copy here.

LOL.

Cartoon Book (here).

All books (here).


From Amazon (here).

Corduroy boy writes book.

The Absurdist by Richard Searle.

Born in South East London, England, during the swinging sixties, Richard had always wanted to become a cartoonist when he grew up. His ambition to publish a coffee table book of existential drawings never realized, instead fate dictated that he should become a professional musician.

The former bass player and co-founder  of Acid Jazz band Corduroy, recorded five successful studio albums during the nineteen-nineties and travelled the globe many times over.

Previously, Richard spent five weeks at ‘number one’, in the British and International pop charts with the record ‘Spirit in The Sky’, in the comedy psych-punk garage-glam band Doctor and The Medics, touring heavily throughout the nineteen-eighties and surviving much rock mischief.

He finally retired from the stage in the year two thousand, other than the odd cameo session-man appearance, considering himself lucky to withdraw with his sanity and hair still intact.

Believed to be a member of the mysterious Bohemian Underground Movement, Richard still releases music under various guises and is now writing (and drawing) books.

The Absurdist is a light hearted, science-fictional tale about the illusionary nature of reality, lethal cocktails, hairy heroes, unrequited love and wasp hammers. Rude and irreverent, this funny philosophical caper, about two young scam-artists caught up in unusual events, features the prettiest of girls, silliest of toys, quantum physics and giant space propellers in an adventure of absurd proportions.

Buy paperback here.

Buy digital book here.

Amazon books here.

All books here.

Rare Mod Books

Acid Jazz have turned their hand to book publishing with a series of Rare Mod books. Three are currently available from HMV and good book stores.

 

Circles - The Strange Story Of The Fleur De Lys. Authors Paul Anderson and Damian Jones have interviewed every surviving member and tell a fascinating story of sublime talent, missed chances and mismanaged business opportunities. Names like Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Aretha Franklin and The Who weave in and out of the story and the result is a must for 60s fans, soulboy and mods as well as anyone with an interest in youth culture.

Rock On Wood - The Origin Of A Rock & Roll Face. Written by acclaimed music writer Terry Rawlings, Rock On Wood is the story of a musician who has worked his way through some of the best-known bands of the 1960s and 1970s.Starting with his childhood and chronicling his career with now legendary groups like The Birds, The Creation, The Yardbirds, The Small Faces, The Jeff Beck Group, and, of course, The Rolling Stones, the book explores the life of one of Rock’n’Roll’s hardest grafters. 

The Small Faces - The Young Mod's Forgotten Story.The re-release of the super-rare 1994 publishing debut, written by renowned music author and journalist Paolo Hewitt. The Small Faces’ legacy is far-reaching, musically as well as stylistically, yet onlyrecently are they generally being recognized as one of the influential bands of the 60s.

 

Perfect for boho-bookworms, beatnick mods 
and kitch koffee tables everywhere….....skill !