Helly Cherry Webzine in Europe reviews Ian Glasper's new book, 'The Scene That Would Not Die'. http://www.hellycherry.com/2021/05/ian-glasper-scene-that-would-not-die.html "It is hard to avoid Ian Glasper when it comes to music literature. Glasper evolved from a practiced punk rocker to a music historian who managed to cover even the darkest corners of the British underground scene with his books. Titles like Burning Britain: The History of UK Punk 1980-1984, The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980-1984, Trapped in a Scene: UK Hardcore 1985-1989, Armed with Anger: How UK Punk Survived The Nineties, Contract in Blood: A History of UK Thrash Metal, Peaceville Life Paul “Hammy” Halmshaw and Crossover the Edge: Where Hardcore, Punk and Metal Collide are just some of the titles from Glasper’s rich bibliography. The most astonishing thing about his literature is the amount of information that each of his readings possesses, and the intellectual quality of his works is enviable with quantity.
After his recent works like Peaceville Life Paul “Hammy” Halmshaw and Crossover the Edge: Where Hardcore, Punk, and Metal Collide, Glasper decided to dedicate the brand new book to still unexplored territory of the British scene from the beginning of the millennium to the present day. Like all of his previous works, The Scene That Would Not Die talks about the adventures, difficulties, advantages, and disadvantages of the scene, which have never lost any quality. The British punk rock scene became even more vital, agile, and stronger than in the 1990s, 1980s, and 1970s. The modernization and development of internet technologies provided bands with a whole range of options for promotion. However, it also changed the habits of how we consume music releases. We are witnessing a drastic change where bands, publishers, booking agencies, promoters, independent media, and fanzines have to adapt to reach the potential audience.
Glasper is just talking about all these elements that have gradually, but from this distance, seemingly dizzyingly changed the thinking, habits, and actions of the independent music industry and its consumers. Digitalization has drastically changed how the public consumes music, but fans of punk rock sound remained loyal until the present day when physical editions are gradually taking precedence all over again. What fascinates me most about this read is how Glasper has demonstrated the power of the modern British punk rock scene. Instead of expressing himself with articles that are uniting the entire underground scene, he decided to take a different approach and gave each active band something like a media space with which they will be able to express themselves in the best possible way. This endeavor has resulted in a collection of biographies and photos of active British punk rock bands that will amaze even those readers who encounter this music genre for the first time.
For more experienced followers of the scene, this book will come as a document about two decades of struggle for the survival of the independent scene, which has been fighting against the various obstacles for a total of over forty years. The most significant fact about this book is that Glasper included well-known and less known bands that will have the opportunity to reach new fans with their appearances in this book. Earth Island Books did their best to make this book shine in its full glory by printing the book on quality paper, and all the included photos are in full color. The first edition is gone, but the publisher quickly got to work and reprinted the second edition, which comes with promo bookmarks and posters. You can order a book via Earth Island Books, so do not miss this opportunity to own a piece of punk history."
