![]() ![]() The fight for women’s suffrage still has a lot further to go with Elf’s father saying that his bank had a policy of not hiring married women and Elf herself fearing Utopia Avenues’ failure would result in her being stuck working in a typing pool. Racism was not discreet with Dean’s landlady adding the words “No Blacks, No Irish” to her room letting advertisement. Whilst homosexuality had just been decriminalised in the UK the band constantly fear for the safety of their “out” manager. Whilst Mitchell accurately depicts the magic of the bustling music scenes of London and America in 19 he deserves even greater credit for accurately depicting the reality of the many social ills that defined this period. Nonetheless one appreciates the authenticity and how these relationships solidify so harmoniously despite the many tragedies and troubling situations the individual band members find themselves in. On the surface, this appears to be all too convenient and to quote Mitchell “utopic”. ![]() Whilst they do occasionally disagree a collective solution is found which almost instantly puts things to bed permanently as opposed to keeping them brushed under the carpet like dormant volcano. The antithetical band members and manager Levon form bonds and lasting emotional friendships very quickly. Despite this novel not being accompanied by a soundtrack the individual and collective band member’s songwriting and musical arrangement process is deftly documented from experimenting with time signatures to the way Dean tunes his guitar to DADF#AD with the capo on the fourth fret. ![]() Some of the many interactions with celebrities and infamous characters include Elf talking about the Lord of the Rings books (the films hadn’t been made yet!) with Mark Bolan, Elf chickening out of LSD with her ex Bruce and Alan Ginsberg, the band performing their debut single on Top of the Pops hosted by Jimmy Saville, manager Levon’s encounter with Francis Bacon at a Bill Evans jazz gig, Dean putting Jimi Hendrix and Brian Jones numbers into his little black book and the band going to a Chelsea Hotel party hosted by Janis Joplin where Lenny (Leonard Cohen) plays an acoustic set.ĭespite the band members not knowing each other until they were thrown unexpectedly together by Levon the way the band members bring their musical influences together with Dean (R&B), Griff (jazz), Elf (folk) and Jasper (virtuosity) is incredible. These interactions get more insane as Utopia Avenue achieve acclaim. The hilarious fictional interaction with real-life band members and celebrities is delightfully absurd. The road to recognition, record contracts and chart entries is a slow journey earned with hard labour whilst at times is hard reading. The next gig venue is ninety per cent empty, the police are called and Dean gets beaten up. Naturally, career progression of Utopia Avenue was not as easy as agreeing upon a band name. With a nod of approval from the man who would soon be named as “The Thin White Duke” the four band members had found their band name. Post-gig the band accompanied by David Bowie (who is talking about his dream of Berlin) walk around Soho and stumble upon the street name called Utopia Avenue. Syd Barrett is immortalised with his “stagecraft and Byronic looks” whilst Roger Waters’ “cloak and dagger smile” is also referenced. The year is 1967 and initially flirting with the band name “The Way Out”, the band play The UFO Club opening for Pink Floyd. Elf, who has just been dumped by her ex Bruce (who she was in a folk duo with) is then recruited as the lead singer and keyboard player after the four men see her perform at Les Cousins. At 2i’s Levon and Dean poach Dutch bassist Jasper de Zoet and northern drummer Peter “Griff” Griffin from the Archie Kinnock Band. He is saved by Levon who remembers his talent in his previous band Battleship Potemkin and takes him to the famous 2i’s venue (which launched the careers of Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin) at 59 Old Compton Street to talent scout. ![]() The first band member we are introduced to is Gravesend cockney Dean Moss who within less than one day hits rock bottom. The reader explores the lives of the four band members coming from different walks of life who are put together by manager Levon Frankland. From the opening line Mitchell festoons this novel with music references beginning with London’s Denmark Street with its array of music shops and (once upon a time) cascade of music venues and bars. Utopia Avenue is the ninth novel by David Mitchell but is his first attempt at delving into the labyrinth of the late 1960’s music scene. ![]()
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