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OVERDRIVEN: The true story of a girl with a dirty bass sound and more ambition than sense
‘Charlie Beddoes is a supremely talented bass player who laid down grooves for a range of bands and artists in the 90s and 2000s. Her story is funny, moving, and - most of all - true. This memoir will not only delight musicians and fans, it is a truly literary work with a rhythm and poetry of its own that will appeal to a much wider readership.’ Dr Jon Stewart (Sleeper)
‘There’s filthy bass and then there’s Charlie Beddoes... how low can she go?’ Barry Adamson
‘I was in a 90s London trio, and Rub Ultra were one of my favourite live bands at the time. I attended numerous gigs and was always astonished at the energy of the performances. But being a bass player myself, it was Charlie who really captivated me. The baddest-ass bassist on the scene, she emanated power and coolness.’ Terry de Castro (The Wedding Present, Cinerama, Goya Dress)
Transgressive and tragically funny, OVERDRIVEN is the story of a girl hell-bent on escaping her destructive origins. Charlie navigates a darkly peculiar 70s upbringing before descending into the depths of 80s counterculture. Through the 90s and beyond, she’s the musician who just won’t quit. She pioneers her own distinctive bass sound, founds the band RUB ULTRA and incites a major record company bidding war, but instead of glamour and escapism, finds yet more damage. The music industry is relentlessly tough on its female players and Charlie is forced to question everything; her principles, identity and sanity.
Along the way, Charlie encounters a procession of colourful characters, including Primal Scream, George Clinton, Robert Plant, Mickey Most, Peter Hook, Lulu, Skunk Anansie, Feeder, James Dean Bradfield, Elastica, Sting, Lee Scratch Perry, Mark E. Smith, Lydia Lunch and Björk. But it’s not a story about fame, it’s about a woman’s unusual journey and her struggle to succeed on her own terms.
Persistence can be a good thing, but there’s driven.... and then there’s OVERDRIVEN .
Foreword by Everett True
‘There’s filthy bass and then there’s Charlie Beddoes... how low can she go?’ Barry Adamson
‘I was in a 90s London trio, and Rub Ultra were one of my favourite live bands at the time. I attended numerous gigs and was always astonished at the energy of the performances. But being a bass player myself, it was Charlie who really captivated me. The baddest-ass bassist on the scene, she emanated power and coolness.’ Terry de Castro (The Wedding Present, Cinerama, Goya Dress)
Transgressive and tragically funny, OVERDRIVEN is the story of a girl hell-bent on escaping her destructive origins. Charlie navigates a darkly peculiar 70s upbringing before descending into the depths of 80s counterculture. Through the 90s and beyond, she’s the musician who just won’t quit. She pioneers her own distinctive bass sound, founds the band RUB ULTRA and incites a major record company bidding war, but instead of glamour and escapism, finds yet more damage. The music industry is relentlessly tough on its female players and Charlie is forced to question everything; her principles, identity and sanity.
Along the way, Charlie encounters a procession of colourful characters, including Primal Scream, George Clinton, Robert Plant, Mickey Most, Peter Hook, Lulu, Skunk Anansie, Feeder, James Dean Bradfield, Elastica, Sting, Lee Scratch Perry, Mark E. Smith, Lydia Lunch and Björk. But it’s not a story about fame, it’s about a woman’s unusual journey and her struggle to succeed on her own terms.
Persistence can be a good thing, but there’s driven.... and then there’s OVERDRIVEN .
Foreword by Everett True
284 pages, Paperback
Published December 5, 2022
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