Almost since the inception of punk rock, various forms of
fictional media have misrepresented the genre. Sure, there have been a few
films, books, etc. over the last four decades that have gotten it right, but
there are many, many more that miss the mark completely. Almost without fail,
the fiction that gets it right succeeds because the creator is someone who actually
has a stake in the game. Enter David Agranoff, a writer who is not shy about
the fact that he’s been deep in the trenches of punk rock and hardcore for a
very long time. Aside from a couple of rookie mistakes that I promise to give
Agranoff a slap on the wrist for next time I see him, such as claiming Toxic
Reasons were from Indiana when they were actually from Dayton, Ohio, and the
strange phonetic misspelling of Die Kreuzen (I realize most people mistakenly
pronounce this band’s name “Die Krusen,” but that’s no excuse!), the details
and the vibe are authentic. Anyway…allow me to move away from the nitpicking
and onto the story.
Punk Rock Ghost Story blends two eras together, the first in
1982, when hardcore punk was still raw and fresh and bands were attempting
their best Lewis and Clark impressions across America, and the second in 2006,
long after punk had gone through many different forms and become commercialized
to a sickening degree (despite the best efforts of those committed to the hardcore
underground). A young band from Bloomington, Indiana, named People’s Uprising,
set to go on their first cross-country tour, purchases a van that once belonged
to a semi-legendary local band from the early 80s called The Fuckers, whose vocalist
vanished in the middle of their only tour and was never heard from again. Oh
yeah—did I mention the tour van is now haunted? Because that definitely throws
a major wrench in the gears of the People’s Uprising tour. Things eventually go
very wrong, but you’ll have to read the book to find out the details.
Arguably the greatest strength of Punk Rock Ghost Story is
Agranoff’s ability to zero in on the ups and downs of being in a small,
virtually unknown band on tour (something I can speak about from experience).
Sometimes being on the road is wonderful and humbling, while other times it’s possible
to come close to the brink of despair. Every new town promises wonders, but
many do not deliver. If I am to offer criticism on the book (aside from the
many typos throughout that I promised myself I wouldn’t mention…oops), I will
say that I wish there had been deeper insight into the lives of the members of
People’s Uprising. I can relate to the fact that, at that age and at that level
of involvement in the punk rock scene, it can consume most of your life.
However, I would have liked a little more information about their individual
lives outside of punk. We get a glimpse of this with some of the members of The
Fuckers, which I appreciated, but I wanted more.
Agranoff’s pacing is brisk, the story is a fun ride, and I
think every modern touring band should probably carry a copy of this book in
their van and read it at their darkest moments, if only to remind themselves
that things could always be a hell of a lot worse.
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