Time to put the kettle on, grab a penguin (the biscuit variety), put your feet up and enjoy this March edition of my Anointy newsletter. Plus you can win a copy of my book wot I wrote if you know the answer to the very tricky question below….
LATEST ON HARRY/ANOINT MY HEAD FILM
You may recall from last month’s installment some talk, made-up or otherwise, of Harry Styles possibly playing me in the film of my book Anoint My Head. Well, I had a lovely conversation with a senior representative of Mr Styles team, and unfortunately, the feeling seems to be that not only would Harry be too old to play a 23-year-old aspiring indie-rockstar called Horace. He is far too busy.
It’s a shame and slightly embarrassing as I had told the rest of the band, family and friends, anyone that would listen, that Harry was in the bag. However, to be having a serious conversation about whether the biggest pop star in the world is the right fit to play a fictionalized version of my younger self feels something of an achievement.
And all is not lost, as said representative told me that the current market for nineties nostalgia means my book has some potential and is now winging its way to various movie movers and shakers in America. Who knows where this could lead. Quentin? Leonardo? Harry & Megan? I wonder if talking about having a film made of your book is just as good as having a film made of your book.
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF
Brett Anderson now has not one, but two best-selling memoirs out about his time in Suede. They are both very well written, but it’s funny how history repeats itself. All those years ago, the Pointy Birds tried to follow in Suede’s footsteps with our demo in hand, and now here I am, trying to peddle my book in the shadow of his memoir successes. What is quite freaky is that his first memoir Coal Black Mornings takes place in the early nineties, and so does mine; his memoir also rewinds to his childhood in leafy Sussex and then college years in London, and so does mine! And his book recalls forming a band, playing the toilet circuit and hanging out at ULU with Ricky. And so does mine! His book finishes just before his band go on to become global rockstars. And that’s where the similarities end.
ANOINT MY HEAD AUDIOBOOK LAUNCH
Now that spring is in the air, and we are soon to be released from prison, thoughts have turned to finding a pub and launching Anoint My Head proper with drinks, a reading and some Vol-au-vents. I have been asked at least three times if the Pointy Birds might reform for such an occasion, and I can confirm talks are on-going at the highest level. The actual band members seem keen as mustard, but it is still unclear if/what Ricky’s involvement could be. He is probably considering whether he has the time to jump back on board the band management bus. Anyway, I’ll keep chasing him (and I don’t mean across the heath), although that might become an option.
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The launch will hopefully coincide with the audiobook release, which will be available on Audible and various other digital platforms very soon. (Exact details in next month’s newsletter.) There are also plans for the audiobook to be serialised on Radio Fandango interspersed with songs that feature in the book*. What is Radio Fandango? I hear you ask. Well let me tell you….
RADIO FANDANGO
With my other hat on, we launched Radio Fandango last week, a brand new internet radio station with a mission to ‘support the support bands and bring new music and comedy to your ears!’ Think seventies pirate radio meets American college radio. No algorithms, no genres and the odd bit of swearing. Lots of great podcasts like Brian & Roger, Wooden Overcoats, Songs From a Padded Envelope, to name but three, and lots of great new bands like Stokie Local, Moon Panda and Modern Hinterland, to name but three.
You can also listen to a new three-part podcast called Endangered: 25 Years of Fierce Panda Records, where I interviewed my long-time-gig-promoting-partner-in-crime Simon Williams over three afternoons at our Canonbury HQ. On each occasion, we opened a bottle of Prosecco and filled our tea mugs. It was a nice way to spend an hour in the office as the chat got more silly and giggly, and we talked about his love of going to gigs, releasing records and bears. Plus, stumbling across this band playing the Camden Falcon, who called themselves Coldplay.
For the Radio Fandango promo video below, we channelled our inner Jacques Cousteau shining a light on the weird and wonderful creatures at the bottom of the sea. The lyrics are a kind of mission statement, and the chorus doubles up as the jingle for the station. But beware, it’s very catchy. Try not singing along, like not chewing a fruit pastel; it’s impossible. RADIO. F-F-FANDANGO…
www.radiofandango.co.uk
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COMPETITION TIME
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I have not one, not two, but THREE signed paperbacks of Anoint My Head up for grabs if you can answer this very tricky question: What is the name of the Steve Martin film that contains the Pointy Birds poem? a) Spinal Tap b) The Man With Two Brains c) Withnail & I Reply to this email with your answer & postal address. Entries close on Sunday 7th March 2021! Three lucky winners will be notified on Monday 8th March 2021!** That’s pretty much it for this month. I’m thrilled that Anoint My Head keeps selling, and lots of lovely reviews keep coming in, so if you have bought/read/enjoyed/LOl’ed/reviewed the book, thank you very much. If you have read it/enjoyed it but not yet left a review, then here is a link where you can leave one (good or brilliant, I don’t mind). It helps kickstart the dreaded algorithms, which help sales.
For those who haven’t read the book, you can either try on for size by downloading part one for free here (PLUS, you also get a free pointy birds tune).
Or, without wanting to jump aboard the mixed-metaphor bus to analogy hell, you can go the whole hog, jump in at the deep end and get the full-fat version right here (PLUS you get TWO pointy birds tunes. (Hopefully, that is an incentive!)):
And here are some recent readers reviews from some lovely people who are clearly highly intelligent, have exquisite taste and a wonderful sense of humour: “Anoint My Head is a memoir about failure, and yet, it is everything but that. This book is a joyful read. It riotously and unapologetically revels in what it is to be a dreamer in a world that is simply getting on with other things. The warmth of the writing is beguiling and I warrant you will read it in one sitting. I rarely say this, but it really is unputdownable. A truly wonderful read. I highly recommend everyone reads Anoint My head, especially in these dark days. It will bring you some light. I promise.” The lovely Nydia “A warm and vivid read and the perfect escape from lock-down. Glorious, charming, evocative and a reminder of days when life seemed much simpler and anything was possible.” The lovely Ken “I actually saw The Pointy Birds once in a pub – they left very little impression (they were no S Club 7, believe me!) so I was genuinely surprised to read how close they came to hitting the big time. This is a very funny account of their ultimately pointless journey, plus a nice reminder of all the really good bands around in the 90s. A heart-warming tale of ambition and mediocrity – it’s message seems to be: “even if you’re average, go for it! You just won’t get anywhere.” The lovely Lisa Lastly for more info about Anoint My Head and/or some of my other writing/recording projects that are starting to see the light of day, you can check out my new and improved website. Ok, enough of my yakking, until next time, Andy www.afmproductions.co.uk * See Anoint My Head Spotify playlist ** Winners can have the e-book version instead if so desire PS: A few people have been asking to hear some of the funny stories about our family dog Max the golden retriever. Max is referenced several times in Anoint My Head, and it’s true I did have people rolling in the aisles when I told them all about the time Max got stung by a wasp etc. Max sadly departed us back in 1998, and I’m now in the process of getting some of his best ‘tails’ (Woof!) down as part of a possible short story/book called Three Dogs and a Bitch. He was such a lovely, soppy old dog who only had licks and a waggy tail for people. Pointy Bird Marcus’s claim that Max was actually quite vicious and once bit him is an outright lie. Here is a photo of this impeccable pooch circa 1994. We went everywhere together like this. Does that look like a dog with a dark side?
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