Early reviews of 'A Hardcore Heart' are starting to come back to us as more and more reviewers get stuck into this beast of a book.
They all seem very positive so far, with the latest from Vlad at Kraykulla saying;
"Well, growing up as hardcore kid in the nineties I can totally relate to this book. This is a really big book which tells about David´s adventures as a guitarist for touring bands. What I always loved reading in fanzines is tour diaries and this book reminds me of just that. Touring. All the troubles, all the joy, all the problems with promoters, sound, van breaking down or having a puncture, job worries. David is best known as guitarist for UK melodic punk band Couch Potatoes but also being a part of the UK hardcore punk scene for more than three decades now. This book is in fact a document of this life and work, but also a tour de force document about history of UK DIY hardcore punk scene in the nineties and all the bands, I must admit that I found couple of that I never heard before and will definitely investigate and have a listen. This book is just hardcore from the heart, written by hardcore kid for hardcore kids. More than 600 pages topped with superb photographs and also flyers and gig posters. A document about time which may have passed but remains in heart, also a coming of age story."
Tony of Suspect Device said “There have been hundreds of books, films and documentaries about punk rock, it’s initial explosion and the impact it had. They all have their merits, but all seem to think it all stopped in 1979. While a lot of the old guard moved on, punk didn’t die, it moved underground and became more pure, more political and much more relevant to a new generation.
While those early bands talked the talk, these new kids were walking the walk, punk was now a lifestyle.
Like a lot of us, David found himself immersed in this lifestyle and spells out how he got involved, how it all worked and why it was so intoxicating.”
Djordje of Thoughts Words Action said "A Hardcore Heart is a comprehensive collection of stories narrated by David Gamage, a hardcore punk veteran who shares insights into the 90s UK scene in a brilliant, descriptive, and entertaining way. This book will hold your attention until the last pages and hopefully inspire you to start a band, zine, or record label.”
Photos: L to R; Rydell with Dennis, Emre and Rene of Scene Police records in Aachen, Germany. Tumult rocking out. Hot Water Music in Germany.
Ian Glasper, the author of ‘The Scene That Would Not Die’ said “ ‘A Hardcore Heart’ is an invigorating time capsule, of a period before Instagram, Facebook and MySpace, even before mobile phones, sat navs and Google Maps. It wasn’t easy (nothing worth doing ever is) but we somehow made things happen; we stubbornly battered our dreams into reality and bullishly ignored anyone that told us it couldn’t be done. It was a truly inspirational time, when it seemed anything was possible, and a two-bit hardcore band from a leafy town in Kent could share stages and records with the best the world’s hardcore punk scene had to offer.”
This limited first edition all about the D.I.Y. development of the UKHC scene throughout the nineties into the noughties is currently available with a ten pounds off voucher for any deliveries between now and Christmas, just type in the promo code 'HardcoreHeart.Ten' on the checkout page to get this book for just £14.99 when you order.
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