Additional information
by Esperanza Romero (Illustrator), Richard Dudanski (Author)
This musical memoir traces the author's life in the corrugated-iron clad ruins of West London's Squat Land during the two years immediately prior to the Punk Explosion of '76, playing with Strummer's seminal garage band "The 101'ers" in the spit-and-sawdust music bars of the capital. The thrills and spills of a crazy, quirky, hand-to-mouth existence gives way to relative disenchantment with the oncoming of the Punk Uprising, which for the author represents, at least partly, a sell-out to the Machiavellian Managers, as much as the vaunted revolution in British popular culture. After an aborted venture with the iconoclastic "Tymon Dogg and the Fools", a stint with Lydon's metal box period "Public Image Limited", a term with the Dantesque-dub of "Basement Five", Dudanski's tale relates the ups and downs of his involvement in a myriad of bands forming part of a fringe underground London scene through the late 70's and 80's - "Bank of Dresden", "The Raincoats", "The Tesco Bombers", "Vincent Units", "The Decomposers", and his eventual move from London to Granada...Forming an integral part of the book are the illustrations by Esperanza Romero (Richard's partner) many of which were drawn "in situ" back in time...
Author Biography
Richard "Snakehips" Dudanski. Real name Richard Nother, b. 1952, Isle of Sheppey, U.K. Finishing a degree in zoology at Chelsea College in 1974, was invited by his friends to occupy the vacant drum stool of a fledgling rock band rehearsing in the basement of a neighbouring squat. This book tells what happened next... Esperanza Romero (b. 1956, Melilla, Spain). Aged 17 travelled independently from Malaga to London. A multi-faceted artist, studied Ceramics (B.A.) at Camberwell School of Art (1977-81), and obtained an M.A. from the Royal College of Art, London (1982-85). From her own workshops first in London, later in Granada, has created a continually evolving body of work encompasing the disciplines of Ceramics, Painting, Drawing and Engraving. Has exhibited in the galleries and museums of many european countries, the U.S., China, India and Japan. Partner of Richard since 1975 and mother of their two children.
