Author’s history:
Baron Von Zubb A.K.A Rich Kid A.K.A Jake Heretic’s parents hailed from Stepney but by the time he was born they’d left that all behind and joined the ranks of northwest London’s middle classes. Nice, this rather bored our Baron so after being expelled from school, squatting, punk rock anarchism, heroin and general delinquency as chronicled in the book, Baron went to Asia for several years. There he worked as a small time smuggler, a tailors tout, a film extra and drug dealer.
He has traveled overland to Asia 3 times, smoking opium and drinking alcohol in the Ayatollahs Iran, visited the closed area in Pakistan that is now home to enemy number one Mr. Bin Laden and spent 3 months at The King of Thailand’s pleasure in Klong Prem jail.
He’s lived for months under trees on beaches and swam in the planets cleanest jungle streams in India and Malaysia
His long suffering partner Kay and him organized and actualized a small relief project in the immediate aftermath of Sri Lankas tsunami.
They now live in Brighton, have two nieces and a nephew to keep them sane, are trying to be middle aged and eat masalla dosa weekly.
They visit Asia every winter.
Synopsis:
Here’s some extracts from the unpublished novel ‘The Joys of Work’, by Baron Von Zubb; the story of one kids journey from a nullifying suburban background to the revolutionary barricades of post Thatcherite Britain.
Via getting expelled from school, punk rock, squatting drugs, crime, autonomist politics, and the 1981 summer uprisings in Britain’s inner cities, the book chronicles an alternate history of the times.
Written as I travelled in Asia in the mid 1980’s, it was intended to be the first in a trilogy of books, the following two postulating alternate futures, ironically thanks to global warming, based on environmental and societal collapse.
My nomadic lifestyle meant that too many copies just got lost on the way so along with the rejections of ‘The Joys of Work’.
I called it a day.
Thanks to Mickey Penguin and all The K.Y.P.P. crew for putting this up.
The following books are published, recommended and available:
A.K.A. Martin Wright: Anti Fascist Action street fights in London and elsewhere during the 1970’s > ISBN 094898435X
A.K.A Daniel Wright: Thieving, drug taking, homelessness in London, true account of Martin Wrights (above) deceased brother > ISBN 1871593212
A.K.A. Bob from Blood And Roses: Early punk days in Australia, thieving, drug taking, homelessness in London, true account by Bob Short (not deceased, surprising if you read it!) > ISBN 9780975825846
A.K.A. Nick from Rudimentary Peni: Semi autobiography, shyness and fragile ego, punk, depression > ISBN 0952574403
A.K.A. Sian from The Lost Cherries / Blyth Power: Squatting in Brixton, gigs, crusties, lost loves, Tinsel and even ‘Mickey Penguin’ is mentioned a couple of times in this book > ISBN 1412026814
A genuine KYPP success story. Exactly six months after uploading this KYPP post. Jake finally gets these writings into print form. Go get it from lulu.com or alternative bookshops > ISBN 9781409245964
Jah Pork Pie
June 12, 2008 at 1:20 amPoint to all this? Well…
I think that Jake’s book could be a good non-fiction thing (add in some of the posts from this site) OR a novel written from many perspectives (some more writing involved from Jake) OR kept as it is and presented as a document of what was going on as written by somebody who was there (let the reader make their mind up).
One thing I DO know is that if people hadn’t been able to express themselves because their style was all wrong, their lyrics didn’t scan properly or their music wasn’t complex enough (or similar enough to existing material) to attract musicologists and broadsheet newspaper reviewers, there would never have been any punk for us to participate in. I didn’t go along to punk gigs to analyse them endlessly, I went along for energy, excitement and venom. And for the fact that a lot of the time I was as good a musician and/or lyricist as the people on the stage. That was important. I don’t see why it should be any different with books. Get out there and do it. Fuck the reviewers, they’ll learn to love it.
The Hippo
June 12, 2008 at 6:06 amBoth of McInnes’s other London novels are equally good in their own way as Absolute Beginners Pork. I think one of the reasons his superior hip character in AB worked was because he’s inclusive and conversational. I heard a documentary on the radio recently about songwriting and they mentioned part of The Beatles appeal was something similar. Paul Weller always wrote stuff like:
“What’s the point in saying destroy,
WE want a new life for everywhere”
Jah Pork Pie
June 12, 2008 at 12:00 pmThat was the thing with Mod(ernism) v. Punk nihilism. Mod(ernism) wanted to destroy and then re-create newer and better. Punk was just quite happy to have stuff destroyed and then gloat at the ashes. I think there’s a parallel with Hippy naturalism in Punk really: knock the fucking lot down and let nature overgrow it.
baron von zubb
June 12, 2008 at 7:24 pmThe musical HAS to be done.
Brilliant stuff Pork,
And I’m not being cool & self depricating here.
I may have wanted to be the ’70’s Genet. ‘Our lady of the flowers’ was actually the inspiration for me to write, as Sam somehow remembers The Mmalean Syndrome which led on to J O W.
But the facts are facts.He did have an incredibale talent. Mr Baron aint. I think Nic is just being realistic.
And yeah I think Bobs tone is spot on. Its more how i remembered it than the stuff i did.
And unfortunatly some of the stuff thats not on this site is worse. If i’d written it, and had my agent send it out in, say 1982, the content may have won over the poor form. C’est la vie.
I’ll get on it, and we’ll see what happens.
baron von zubb
June 13, 2008 at 7:15 pmIts being put on to disco in PDF.
Pork I’ll take you at your word & mail you the file.
If you wanna make it into a musical thats cool.
Enough.
So, Absolute Beginers?; alright.’city of spades’ much better.’white teeth’ better still.’geat ape'(i think)by will self ex smack snorter on PM’s plane.Is that the ultimate london novel.? Thesis were all monkeys.conclusion theres
fuck all we can do about it.
‘we all dont know nuffin
and all dont care….’
Jah Pork Pie
June 13, 2008 at 11:18 pmLook forward to getting the file mate. I don’t know if I’ll need the full version of Adobe Acrobat to get a writeable copy of it, but I’m sure I can acquire one if so.
Will knock up a laid-out version for you and mail it back. Shouldn’t take long.
I’m sure there would be some drama students at the local Uni where my partner works who’d love to have a look at a musical production.
The (Sri) Vindaloo Felonious BA LLB
June 17, 2008 at 8:21 amGreat reading! I’d love to see it in published (or even ebook) form!
(Ideally the former so the author can get his fair share of the scrilla), but in full form regardless!
Graham Burnett
June 17, 2008 at 9:00 amI mentioned this book to Penny Rimbaud yesterday – he thought it sounded like the sort of thing Jon Active would certainly be interested in publishing (he also told me that Jon Active has a new completely re-edited version of Last of The Hippys’ in the works (the essay that came with Christ the Album, not the CJ Stone book))
Jah Pork Pie
June 17, 2008 at 11:05 am@BaronVonZubb-> Haven’t got the email of the PDF from you yet. Have you tried to send it?
danmac
June 19, 2008 at 2:25 pmbaron – check the print on demand section on this website:
http://www.openmute.org
haven’t checked it properly but seems promising
baron von zubb
June 21, 2008 at 10:04 amGraham, how does one get in contact with this jon active?
cheers for info, people.
BVZ
Oh & click on Sri felonious’s name & get to a side of India that is not chillums, sadhus & hippies.
eeh oop
Penguin • Post Author •
June 21, 2008 at 11:44 amJon Active contact details are: http://www.activedistribution.org/inquiry_new.php
You will also find this site and many others of interest on the KYPP wonderful ‘links’ section.
Have a look at the Active Dist catalogue whilst you are at it.
So have The Heretics split up now or what?
Jah Pork Pie
June 25, 2008 at 11:46 pmIt ain’t easy being a Heretic these days, what with the Religious Hatred Bill and all that.
I foresee a comeback tour by Terry Tolerant and the Vague Dissenters instead 🙂
baron von zubb
June 28, 2008 at 8:14 amsplit up?
were doing a load of secret rehersals.Gonna blow the Pisteleros off stage at Hammersmith.
……Bin grafting bruvas. Too knackered to do any of this .
Cheers for that penguin.
Jah Pork Pie
July 1, 2008 at 11:37 am@All-> Damn, the Baron’s blown the gaff on the secret rehearsals now. For God’s sake don’t tell anyone or the whole 3-year plan’s gonna fall to pieces 😉
@Sam-> If you have any of your memoir from the early 80s (as you mention above) and wouldn’t mind me using some of it in with The Baron’s material can you let me know please mate?
Sam
July 1, 2008 at 8:30 pmCertainly not. It’s embarrassingly bad.
Jah Pork Pie
July 2, 2008 at 1:08 amWe were all embarrassingly bad. I still am.
Sam
July 2, 2008 at 5:16 amSorry…not being funny. It really is pure shite.
Jake…I owe you an email. I’ll get onto it but I’ve been busy.
luggy
July 18, 2008 at 9:29 amAny prospective authors out there might be interested in this software, available free today only:
http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/liquid-story-binder-xe-291/
Nic
July 18, 2008 at 9:52 amThanks Luggy – it looks very interesting…
Mike Diboll
November 23, 2008 at 10:32 amFYI “Zubb” is Arabic slang for “Prick”.
Mike Diboll, Bahrain.
baron von zubb
November 23, 2008 at 5:00 pmIf that’s you Mike ‘ello!
I do hope youre not insinuating anything there bruv!
If you are im gonna have to go get nursey.
What you up to in Bahrain?
baron von zubb
November 23, 2008 at 9:05 pmYou aint Dibbol…
Thats true about ‘zubb’ though.
And here’s a thing.
My mates fluent in manderin & cantonese and he’s just told me that ‘Dai bol’ is cantonese slang for ‘salt fish’. And thats a term they use for police informer.
How weird is that?
Reminds me of my Hungarian gran laughing alot at the word focker.
Inocuous in her language but in ours, very naughty.
Penguin • Post Author •
November 23, 2008 at 9:47 pmIt IS the guy from Toxic Graffity Jake by the look of the email left in the system. Bahrain sounds nice, how did you end up there Mike?
baron von zubb
November 24, 2008 at 12:24 amBlimey Mike! We have all been waiting for ages. Dont be shy! The rumours are that youre a proffesional author?
Do tell us some tales of Arabesque glory.
Infact it was the interview & pics that you did with us (Heretics) that I was tracing for me nieces that got me hooked onto all this.
You are, still, responsible!
baron von zubb
November 24, 2008 at 11:30 amWell well.
I bought Bob Shorts book the other week and realised that Lulu offer a print to order publishing thing. A completely new concept to me the luddite that i am.
So .. here it is.
http://www.lulu.com/content/4875148.
A massive thanks to all on this site who have made encouraging comments about the bits you read, and for info given.
Why have I done it?
Well not just cos im an egocentric vain git.
Also because there is, as far as i know, nothing in print about ‘us’, the London punks of that era from ’78 to the riots of ’81.
I wrote it 20 years ago, so I owe to that person and all of us who have survived, to complete.
Allen Ginsburg it aint but its a slice of history.
Penguin you can add it to your list of real books with covers & isbn and keep/delete the excerpts. Whatever ypu want.
The .99p that I get is going to charity.
So go to lulu and buy it for xmas!
The perfect tome for credit crunch Britain.
cheers again.
Jake
Penguin • Post Author •
November 25, 2008 at 12:40 amGonna order a copy or two this week Jake…
chris
November 25, 2008 at 4:03 pmPenguin, could you please order me one or send me the link.
I also wanna get a copy of Bob Short’s book (in fact, didn’t you give me one , but I forgot to get it from you one night we were out drinking…can’t quite remember, no worries either way)
Sam
November 26, 2008 at 6:27 pmJust ordered it Jake. $26.00 is daylight robbery! I hope The Hippo fares well ya bastard!
baron von zubb
November 26, 2008 at 8:28 pmCheers gents .
I tried to barter them down on the price but they wouldn’t have it.
Sam, in hindsight you definatly come out of it as the wisest one amoungst us. One character had to be anti the collective will.
IE strong enough to stand up for what he believed in. And that was The Hippo. I hope it comes across that way.
Another one of our number has surfaced;
I cant keep it to me self any longer…
Its driving me nuts!
Yes people, Wankenstain is joining the party. He’s a luddite like me so it might take a while. I’ll say no more.
xxx
baron von zubb
November 26, 2008 at 11:19 pmOh my brothers.
Maybe publishing is a bit risky? I dunno?
But just so its perfectly clear to anyone who may recognise themselves represented in any characters in the book, I didnt put it to print to rekindle anything from the past. That was then. Its just a bit of history. Written a long time ago. A quarter of a century!
More of interest to the next generation than to us possably.
We’ve all re met up on this ‘ere site and we can take it from now, if we want to.
Cheers jake
Sam
November 27, 2008 at 7:28 pmOnly joking Jake. I look forward to reading it and to the possible appearance of Wank.
baron von zubb
November 27, 2008 at 8:27 pmBTW ‘crooked road’s a damn good ditty.