THE ALTERNATIVE HERO by Tim Thornton

Finished Th 10/6/11

Clive Beresford- 33 year old ex-fanzine writer. Adrift in contemporary London, and deeply attached to early 90's alternative rock band, THE THIEVING MAGPIES.

Lance (Geoffrey) Webster- Lead singer, and creative force behind THE THIEVING MAGPIES. Self-destructive behavior led to the dissolution of the band.

Alan Potter- One year older than Clive, but 'hipper' and more successful. He and Clive traveled all over the UK to cover the English Alternative Musical Scene.

Billy Flushing- One year younger than Clive, and much less 'hip', yet he achieves more success than either of the three classmates.

Gloria Feathers- Maven of the scene, and an artistic influence on all of the bands. Girlfriend of Lance Webster.

A terrific coming-of-age novel which deals with writing, friendship, career, and although the story is set in 2007, the focus is on the alternative music scene of late 80's and early 90's Great Britain. Clive Beresford is adrift in his life, and unnaturally obsessed with The Thieving Magpies, an alternative band from the late 80's. He feels that this band virtually wrote the soundtrack to his life, and one day, to his total amazement, he finds that Lance Webster, lead singer of the band, lives just down the street from him. But, Webster is 'exclusively reclusive', and will not submit to an interview, so Clive must get creative. The novel is the story of the developing friendship between these two men.

While reading this book it is crucial to hit Wikipedia numerous times to learn of the many bands that were part of this very creative musical scene. I guess many would find the massive interaction of so many musical acts tedious or off-putting, however the real story is the growing interaction between the two men. Although I am a fan of the music, I think that it would be possible to enjoy this novel if you were indifferent to the musical setting.

THE THIEVING MAGPIES are a fictional band, yet the author, Tim Thornton has written a complete discography which he includes at the end of the novel.

"If I'm Still Sober, You're Still Ugly"
"I Always Hated Love Songs"
"A Good Time Was Had By None"
"No One Likes A Grown-Up Pop Star"
"Have You Stopped Talking Yet?"

Some 'Real' Musical Stars of this Scene

CARTER AND THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MANIACS
NED'S ATOMIC DUSTBIN
SPIRAL CARPETS
THE BOO RADLEYS
SUPERGRASS
HAPPY MONDAYS
BLUR
OASIS
STONE ROSES
THE SMITHS
NEW ORDER