This Ain't Rock & Roll - Interview with author Daniel Rachel

*You have written some incredible books on British music and their cultural impact, what gave you the idea for your new book?
It’s bringing together two of my passions: music and study of the Third Reich. In many ways, the book has been brewing  in my mind since I was a young boy. I loved the Sex Pistols and found humour in ‘Belsen Was A Gas’ and Sid Vicious wearing a swastika T-shirt. At the same time, I was learning about the persecution of Europe’s Jews  under the Nazi party leading to the Holocaust. Wrestling with that contradiction, of music and history, has ultimately lead to this book.

*You've obviously done a lot of research, what was the starting point for this project?
I’ve always read about the Holocaust, Hitler and the Nazi party. I read Mein Kampf in my late-teens – its almost impenetrable. Also watching many, many films. So that part of the research is very much just part of my life. The starting point was really exploring what artists said about their engagement with the Third Reich. So, memoirs, the music press, documentaries.   

*What stage craft tricks do you think Hitler used to hypnotize the masses?
Many historians, witnesses, say Hitler was a master orator. He would start slowly, then build up into a  frenzy. The staging was the brilliance of Albert Speer’s theatrical mind. Searchlights searing into the sky. Beautiful stone abutments. Massive golden eagles. Flags and banners draped at intervals. Much of this is captured in Leni Riefenstahl’s film of the Nuremburg rally -  a key source of inspiration for many artists from Bowie to Bryan Ferry to Lemmy.

*Bowie really appreciated Hitler's power to transfix an audience, how do you think this impacted Bowie's stagecraft and Thin White Duke persona?
Bowie was absorbed by the Third Reich. He had a Nazi memorabilia collection. He was going to write a play / film about Goebbels. Much of it was from an Arthurian legend point of view, the Holy Grail. Henrich Himmler followed a similar path to justify the supposed superiority of the ‘Aryan’ race. And justification for the SS and, by default, Nazism. Bowie certainly indulged in this, perhaps cocaine influenced, but his interest spans more than ten years. Fortunately, he had the good grace to explain, if not excuse, his behaviour.

*Nazi iconography really hit a nerve with the 70's punk rock movement's, in what way did this impact their sensibilities? 
The swastika has become synonymous with punk. But it is largely unaccountable. Many artists divorced Third Reich theatricality from the atrocities the state was responsible for. The Clash spoke against fascism. Their managers – Caroline Coon and Bernie Rhodes – refused to accept the swastika. Rhodes broke with Malcolm McLarren over it. Very soon, Sniffin Glue and Ripped & Torn fanzines challenged punks about wearing the Nazi emblem.

*What do you want people to understand from reading your book?
That musicians, the media, the music industry and fans have a responsibility to history to the indulgence of the Third Reich for creative purposes. Ideologically Nazism is intrinsically linked to a hatred and persecution of Jewish people. In the modern world, there is an awakening to racism and misogyny. Nazism must be part of this. We cannot change the past. But we can affect the present.  

*For you, what was the biggest surprise that you uncovered during your research?
The extent of Third Reich and Nazis influence in music. Punk was just one time when the swastika was used. The story spans from the Beatles to Lady Gaga to Kanye West to Roger Waters.

*Im not talking about the Nazi's racist message, but what do you think is the key to Nazi rhetoric that some of these musicians used in their work and connected with them? Was it a state of mind they tried to put their audience in?
Nazism was designed to be powerful. To be sexually attractive. To instil fear. Language, sexuality, imagery, the uniforms, menace was built into the theatrical spectacle. There’s a clear line connecting these concepts with rock stardom. Likewise, audiences succumb to or are seduced by these elements of a rock concert.  Fascism is highly skilled in seduction. A civilised nation, Germany, fell for it as a nation in the 1930s. We see similar patterns repeating in history today.

*What are you planning to work on in the future?
Co-curating a massive immersive exhibition on the 90s for 2026!

 

INTERVIEW with author Georgiana Kent

How did you first get into writing? When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a manga artist. I spent all my free time drawing and sketching graphic novels. Then, university got in the way and teacher training took over and I had no time to draw. Whenever I had holidays and picked up a pencil, I was never happy with the results. So, I turned to writing. But, even now, when I write, I see the characters like an anime in my head. 

What lead you to write this book? My morning commute to university in London took me past a house with no front door. Whilst I knew the neighbouring house had merged it with theirs and done away with the front door, I immediately thought of who would live in a house with no front door. And into my imagination walked my time traveller, Michael Nicholas. A day later, my female main character Erica Shylocke introduced herself and the world her and Michael lived in. 

What was the biggest challenge during the project? Keys of Time was my first ever book. It was something I did to while away boredom during holidays and my maternity leave. But I never researched the craft of writing, so when it came to editing it, I had a lot to do! 

Did any funny stories occur during the writing process? Well, not exactly funny, but I started writing my book on my phone in Google Docs because my laptop had broken, and it was going great. Then, one day when I open up the document it was all gone. For no reason. Gone. Everything. About 40,000 words. I was devastated. Hubby came home to find me bawling my eyes out. I told him what had happened and the next thing I knew he vanished, returning an hour later with a brand-new laptop for me! 

What was the most interesting thing you learnt while making the book? When writing Book Two, Keys of Fate, I asked a paramedic and detective to help with some scenes. I learnt all about flatlines, police procedure for emergencies and special forces. 

What other projects do you have in mind for the future? I’m currently writing Keys of Death, the third and final instalment in my Soul Dominion series. I am also beginning work on a follow up series following my Korean vampire whilst drafting a fantasy romance series. It’s been tricky working out a routine to balance multiple projects, but I'm finally there. I can't wait to share them with everyone! 

Find me on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok: authorgeorgianakent

Get your free prequel novella here: https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/075116da-4188-11eb-bd10-27b58428d0a3

WEBSITE (click here)

PUNK AUTHOR: Neil Saint

Im really looking forward to this book, but you also run a radio show, tell us about it?Retropopic was establishing by myself as a brand in 2017 as a radio show that went out from 2RRR in Sydney. Essentially I was looking to broadcast and overviewing the schedule of that station I could see there was nothing there at all directed towards ‘retro’ and ‘pop’. It’s a bit like the Beatles in that the thrust of what they created was Beat music whereas the thrust of what I create is broadcasts and podcasts directed towards Retro Pop so it was just a case of putting those two words together and adding the ic to make it ‘descriptive’. The reason for the ‘Radio’ part is like the ‘Music’ part in that people needed to know it was a radio show as well as a podcast brand. The unique selling point of RETROPOPIC RADIO is each edition focuses on an artist interview. It is after all the global home of the great artist interview, which fits as people from over 150 countries listen in. I now broadcast from 4 stations, 2 in the UK, 1 in Mexico and 1 in the US.     

Did you discover any new stories that you think will now become legendary thanks to your book? With the book I had done so many interviews I wanted to take things to the next level. Many of my greatest interviews were with punk icons so that’s really where the idea for Spitting & Screaming came from as there is content from over 50 interviews with the main participants of UK punk (hich really only existed in that 76-77 bubble). I suppose it was great hearing from Kenny Morris why he walked out on The Banshees and how Damien O Neill came up with the lead guitar on Teenage Kicks. This punk label that was placed on, first of all, an essentially London based music scene has uncertain provenance but the explanation of the word punk being put on a musical genre is all there at the start of the book and evidenced, not least as I spoke with Legs McNeil who founded the NY magazine called Punk but in true punk fashion mate

FUCKING READ THE BOOK: Spitting & Screaming (book link)     

Which are some of your fav punk recordings? I mean that is punk isn’t it (and ‘we don’t care’). I spose Pretty Vacant is a favourite 45 particularly as Glenn Matlock ripped the guitar idea from Abba song SOS. Never Mind The Bollocks is too well produced to be punk! May be with the genres covered today London Calling is more of a punk album.    

What was it about punk that inspired you so much? Punk’s not a movement to inspire though Fabio, you need to inspire yourself! It’s a genre long gone, I mean Green Day ‘give me a break’ though of course the attitude lives on. Punk is still alive if you like as a descriptive word. With 71,000 + listens the podcasts are going great and will continue.

 Podcast link 

What do you have in mind for your next book?My next book is available on pre order. It’s on The New Seeers and is available here: Book

Interview with author Chris Clark: Yorkshire Ripper (The Secret Murders)

*When did you get interested in writing about true crime? 

I left the police with severe PTSD in 1994 and didn't want to know about true crime for some 16 years after, having been divorced in 1999. What triggered my interest was a story my second wife Jeanne told me of the following: 'I was born and brought up in Offord Darcy, Cambridgeshire, where I lived until I was 20 and I went to Longsands College High School in St Neots. I started my last year at Longsands during the Autumn Term of September 1970 and during the following year on one hot sunny Sunday during late spring I went by cycle ride the 4 miles to the open air pool in Huntingdon Street, St Neots; where I swam before returning home. Although I was just turned 15 I looked more like a 10 year old as my downloaded photo depicts (taken at Colwyn Bay Summer Holiday 1970) I was dressed in shorts, t shirt and ankle socks and had my swimming gear in my saddlebag.  On my return during the afternoon I was cycling between St Neots and Great Paxton along the B1043 Road and when I was where the open fields are (3rd Image) I was aware of a dog lead lying in the middle of my side of the road. I stopped and picked it up.  

As I stood up with it I was aware of a vehicle a dark blue Minivan stopped on the other side of the road facing St Neots. I looked up and saw the male driver staring intently at my legs, he was of short build and clean shaven and had short brown hair with a side parting; I cannot remember whether he wore spectacles. He drove off towards St Neots and I felt relieved and carried on cycling towards Great Paxton. Not long after the same vehicle and driver drove very slowly past me and very slowly in front of me towards Great Paxton and I saw that it had 777 in the number but cannot remember any of the letters. It carried on for about a minute or so before driving off in the same direction. By this time I was terrified but carried on cycling for home.  When I was about 200 yards along the straight from the first cottage on the bend after the railway bridge I saw the same vehicle parked in a field gateway (4th & 5th Image) and the driver was standing at the back of the vehicle. By this time I was completely petrified and in fear of my life so as I got closer I cycled as fast as I could and onto the wrong side of the road.  I did this for about 200 yards and cycled into the driveway of the first property that I came to (6th Image) a Cottage. I knocked on the door but no one was in. After a short time I came out of the drive and cycled as fast as I could down Paxton Hill and went to a Cottage facing the road near the end of the village and the lady of the house took me in.  Her Husband (Hank) came home later and took me home and my Dad phoned for the police by contacting Huntingdonshire Police from a neighbours phone and a male officer and a female officer attended but I heard nothing more about it and it appears that no report was made of it.  When a few years ago I eventually confided to my Husband Chris Clark, a retired Norfolk Constabulary Intelligence Officer what had nearly happened to me, he said that it had all the hallmarks of an attempted abduction by serial child killer Robert Black and the method was very similar to that of April Fabb during 1969 in Norfolk and later during 1978 to Genette Tate in Devon and during 1981 to Jennifer Cardy in Ireland and the abduction and murder of Susan Maxwell as well as 2 attempted abductions during 1988 and 1990; the first two which Robert Black is suspected of and the last four which Black has been convicted for.  However I was not convinced as all of the photos of Black that I had seen apart from one as an 11 year old bore little or no resemblance to the man who tried to take me away. During the last week I have seen a 1963 Image of Robert Black when he was age 16 and some 8 years before my incident. Take away the spectacles and straight hair instead of gelled then this is a good likeness of the man who tried to abduct me on that day in 1971. I am aware that during August 1972 Robert Black was arrested with another in North London in a stolen Ford Zephyr car and that he had a bunch of keys for going equipped to steal and that he had another case TIC. I feel certain that a photograph would have been taken then and will still be on his original London CRO File, which if it is I would like to see if I can definitely identify or not identify from. I would like Cambridgeshire Constabulary to investigate this incident and see if there are any connections with my near abduction and the abduction of April Fabb in Norfolk in 1969 and Genette Tate in Devon during 1978.

*The Ripper is one of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century, what was it like delving into his history?  

After I had exhausted my research into Robert Black, I noticed that during the 1970's there are a lot of unsolved murders of unaccompanied women, which all seemed to have a similar theme of over the top violence and negrophilic tendencies, coupled with a sexual motivated nature. These had the method and motive of the solved murders and attacks of Peter Sutcliffe, wrongly dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper. I then researched everything that was known of his canocial crimes. I then read a book 'Somebody's Husband Somebody's Son' by the late Gordon Burn and this placed Sutcliffe in the areas of my unsolved murders, which gave the missing element the opportunity.    

*Did you ever correspond with him? 

 No, although I only lived some twelve miles from him in County Durham and believe my book 'Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders' was in some way responsible for sending Sutcliffe from Broadmoor to HMP Frankland Prison in 2016     

*Sutcliffe managed to dodge responsibility for 23 other murders that 3 innocent men paid the price for, what manipulative techniques did he use to evade the police?   

Basically, as he was wrongly labelled 'The Yorkshire Ripper' other police forces never considered that their unsolved murders were his responsibility and travelling some distance from Bingley/Bradford in West Yorkshire, to The Midlands and London the travelling criminal element was never considered.   

*How did the documentary come to be made?   

We tried for 6 years to get a TV Company interested.   During 2020 we had two companies interested in making a documentary. One was screened by Channel 5 for which I was never credited: The Yorkshire Ripper's New Victims Channel 5, Thursday 4th March 2021 at 9pm. Want to learn more about how psychologists are trying to change the way police officers think about offenders and victims? The other company Impossible Factual made the ITV two parter screened 23rd and 24th February and repeated the following week: Series examining the police investigation into the crimes of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, known as the Yorkshire Ripper, and the missed opportunities to charge him for his earlier, unacknowledged crimes. Yorkshire Ripper the Secret Murders Series 1 - Episode 1 This episode explores Peter Sutcliffe's early offending and presents evidence to show that his campaign of murder started at least six years earlier than thought. Series overview  For the first time on television, brand new ITV series, Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders links more than 20 unsolved murders and attempted murders to Peter Sutcliffe. Through a thorough re-examining of evidence in several cases, including interviews with victims’ relatives, many speaking on television for the first time, as well as leading experts, the series places these events within the timeline of Sutcliffe’s confirmed crimes and MO, and asks why he has never been considered a suspect. Episode 2 The second episode sees the pressure continuing to build on West Yorkshire Police as they step up the hunt for the killer the press have dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper. On top of the crimes that police decide to include in the Ripper investigation, murders and attempted murders with a clear link to the killer are discarded and left unsolved. When a series of mysterious letters and tapes are received by the senior detectives, the investigation is derailed even further, allowing the Ripper to go on killing. Meanwhile a third innocent man is sent to prison for life.  

*Where did you start with your research regarding all these new crimes?   

My research into these crimes started during 2011 and continued until the book was sent for publication during 2014.     

*What do you have planned for your next book?

So far I have had three other books published: 'The Face Of Evil' Robert Black published 2017. 'Gone Fishing' Angus Sinclair published 2021 and 'The New Millennium Serial Killer' published 2021. In the pipeline I have other books on Steve Wright The Suffolk Strangler. Hissing Sid, Sidney Cooke. The Camden Ripper, Anthony Hardy. and several others.

Chris Clark' Official Website