Mick O'Shea

Chronicles the life of the acclaimed British singer, covering her childhood, career as a successful musician, troubled personal life, and early death at age 27.

A Losing Game

Amy Winehouse

Ilya Kaminsky

Glam rock began in the UK in the early Seventies performed by musicians with outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. The flamboyant clothing and visual styles of performers were often camp or androgynous, and have been described as playing with other gender roles. British glam rock artists include David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Sweet, Slade and Roxy Music. Those not central to the genre, such as Elton John, Rod Stewart and Freddie Mercury of Queen, also adopted glam styles. US glam artists included The New York Dolls, Sparks, Suzi Quatro, and Iggy Pop

Pocket Guide to Glam Rock

Having witnessed a young woman, he knows to be Princess Rhiana of Abador, being handed over to the blood-lusting Galyaks, Lucian sets forth for Abador. Arriving at the walled city, he discovers the city is under the control of Nikobar, a sinister Cygian sorcerer, who has orchestrated the princess’s kidnapping so that he might sacrifice her to his infernal Dragon Lord, Gazankulu, on Asima Na and condemn the world to eternal darkness. All is not yet lost, however. If Lucian can unite the fabled Xavier Knights, together they might still snatch Princess Rhiana from the Galyaks and in turn, thwart Nikobar’s fiendish plans.

Kingdom of Conscience

"In November 1977, Warner Bros. secured rights to release the Never Mind The Bollocks in America. The following January, The Sex Pistols were discovered by unsuspecting American audiences in an infamous U.S. tour, accompanied by sensational media coverage and moral panic. Drawing on input from fans, the author chronicles the Pistols' first and only U.S. tour"--

The Sex Pistols Invade America

The ‘Anarchy in the UK Tour’ should have just been a collection of twenty gigs like any other, spanning venues across the UK… It was December 1976, and a coach drove off down a London street like any other. On board were the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Heartbreakers, while The Damned, who were also on the bill, followed behind. However, two days earlier on the Today Show, tour, the Sex Pistols’ had lit a fire in the popular consciousness. What should have been an inconsequential three-minute interview descended into farce when the show’s host goaded Sex Pistols’ guitarist Steve Jones into saying ‘something outrageous’. Local councils began to ban the tour and agreed “Most of these groups would be vastly improved by sudden death”. Author Mick O Shea dissects the whirlwind that followed these punk-rock heavyweights and the sheer force of their rebellion against popular culture. He has interviewed band members, managers, roadies and audiences to tell the true story of how anarchy once gripped the nation.

The Anarchy Tour

Easy to read guide to everything Guns N' Roses -- from 1975 through to the present day.

Dead Straight Guide to Guns 'n' Roses

Cemetery Gates takes you inside the minds of the most twisted icons of heavy metal - including Ozzy Osbourne, Axl Rose, Nikki Sixx, Trent Reznor, Peter Steele, Dimebag Darrell, Cliff Burton, Layne Stayley and John Bonham. Whatever their deadly sin, these prodigiously talented musicians haveall come dangerously close to the edge. Cemetery Gates is the ultimate tribute to the stoical survivors who dragged themselves back from the abyss - as well as the sainted icons who weren't so lucky. The likes of Dio and Dimebag may be gone, but this riotous epitaph - to men who've lived every day as if it was their last - ensures they'll never be forgotten.

Saints and Survivors of the Heavy Metal Scene

Cemetery Gates

Knights of Abador is the first instalment of the ‘Tales of the Knights Xemplar’ trilogy. It tells the story of Lucian, a 17- year-old farm boy who accidentally witnesses the kidnapping of Princess Rhiana of Abador by the blood-lusting Galyaks. But he arrives at the walled-city to tell of what he has witnessed to find High King Ocwan – having been deceived into thinking it was the neighbouring Huskenbachs that have taken his daughter—has already set sail for Varnia with the army. In the High King’s stead Abador is under the rule of his new chief consul, Nikobar. But Nikobar is a Symian sorcerer who is in league with the Galyaks, and has arranged for Princess Rhiana to be abducted in order to bring about a war between Kalimar’s two strongest kingdoms. For once Abador and Varnia have all but destroyed each other, the Galyak Warlord Salakhan will be free to launch an invasion. Nikobar has no intention of allowing a simple farm boy to ruin his carefullylaid plans and sends assassins to murder Lucian, but they are foiled in the attempt by Sir Amicob of the legendary Knights Xemplar. In a race against time, Lucian and Sir Amicob, together with his fellow Knight Xemplar, Sir Kulos, set out from Abador for only by uniting the Knights Xemplar will they have any chance of rescuing Princess Rhiana and saving Abador.

Knights of Abador

Five boys. Millions of devoted fans. One Direction! Since graduating from TV talent show The X Factor in 2010, cleancut cuties One Direction have taken the pop world by storm, breaking chart records on both sides of the Atlantic with their debut album Up All Night and setting girls' hearts racing. Packed with sumptuous full-colour photographs of Harry, Niall, Zayn, Liam and Louis, No Limits tells each member's story in full and chronicles the group's journey to become the hottest boy band in the world. Whether you love Niall's Irish charm or go weak for Harry's cheeky grin, One Direction: No Limits is the perfect addition to any fan's collection.

No Limits

One Direction

Already dubbed "the new Twilight," and based on the best-selling series of young adult books, The Hunger Games is set to be one of the most exciting films of 2012. Beyond District 12: The Stars of The Hunger Games provides an exclusive look at the up-and-coming young actors behind the three main roles of Katniss, Gale, and Peeta. The book features detailed biographies outlining Liam Hemsworth’s, Jennifer Lawrence’s, and Josh Hutcherson’s early lives, their first forays into acting, and how they landed the most sought-after roles in Hollywood. Packed with behind-the-scenes gossip from the film's set and details of the trio's on- and off-screen antics, Beyond District 12 is an essential guide to the movie phenomenon.

The Stars of The Hunger Games

Beyond District 12

Alan G. Parker

When the late great Sean Body, founder of Helter Skelter, commissioned this book he wanted the style to be that of 'two mates having a chat over a pint'. Parker, with O'Shea, has captured that brief brilliantly in a book that features many unique anecdotes about the Sex Pistols from inception to (numerous) comeback gigs. Parker's close relationship to Malcolm McLaren, Glenn Matlock and Anne Ritchie gives him a privileged inside view of the band and both authors have grown up the Sex Pistols providing the soundtrack to their lives. The book has to cover the obvious ground, such as the infamous Grundy interview or the death of Sid Vicious in New York, but it is the new anecdotes that will appeal to fans - anecdotes supplied by people who were there, such as the roadie Roadent who quit working for the Clash for the Pistols and therefore is well placed to comment on the feud between the two bands. The many re-formations are also covered. Soundcheck Books is proud to have licensed this never before published work from Helter Skelter. First mooted in 2005, Parker's stock has since risen by his film work - particularly as the director of Who Killed Nancy. He has fully updated the work, including a touching tribute to McLaren who died in 2010. There hasn't really been much of note written about the band since Jon Savage's England's Dreaming, making Young Flesh Required timely and relevant. The book has an 8 page plate section of colour and b/w images as well as 35 b/w images of memorabilia in with the text - many have never been seen in a book before.

Mick O'Shea

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