‘This Is My Everything’ by Christian Späth, reviewed in Ox Fanzine #172 by David Gabriel
The fact that the DIY hardcore scene of the nineties and early noughties, an almost utopian construct, seems to be the case in ‘This Is My Everything’ over and over again. The book is a history and chronological path of the musician's performances (Christian Späth) and his companions travels through the provinces to the world. The focus is on the hardcore/screamo band TIDAL, which was formed by 1999 and played until 2005. This includes their first recordings, concerts, longer tours, and the interpersonal highs and lows. The book is an autobiographical memoir, added to a pool that has been growing for twenty years now. A number of flyers and photos authentically recreates the life of the scene. The namedropping of bands, labels, people, and places is due to the meticulous noting of what has been experienced, and is often disguised within the real story. In my opinion, this is a most important memory of playing in a band. It reports on the process, feelings, and accumulated experiences that can't be taken away from you. The book leaves readers thinking of their own memories, and maybe even desires to find the answer to, ‘What's it like to play in a band?’ even if it doesn't become famous. You’ll still enjoy the opportunities for tours and receptions in a microcosm of your own. Christian Späth gives his very own answer to this, which presumably has been learned from these memories and speaks with a heavy heart to motivates us to find old numbers and grab the phone in order to meet again in the rehearsal room. If you want to know more about it, the reunion shows of Screamo bands are currently underway. They testify to the desire to revive the old.
Comments