Robert Elms is my favourite radio DJ. I’ve been listening to his radio shows for decades. I believe Robert Elms is the London statesman and should be recognised as the Cultural President of London. So it will not come as any surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed his latest book, which takes us through a meandering tour of the live music that helped shape him, from his first gig, the Jackson 5, at age 13 through to the modern day. This is a musical journey through soul, punk and new wave—yet never strays far from jazz and funk.
Like his previous book, London Made Us, it helped me connect the dots between different genres and build a mental model of how music has changed over time. Many stories are mixed in; some laugh out loud, and others scratch the surface, and I’d love to dig deeper into those. As with any great gig, this book leaves you wanting more.