City Baby: From Highgate to Hawaii...Life and GBH

by Ross Lomas, Steve Pottinger

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sally Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all GBH fans or just. punk/music fans it's a must. You can hear Ross talking as he tells a searingly honest account of his life and loves within the maelstrom that was GBH and all the various friends and assorted nutters. I loved it and found it vastly entertaining and informative as there is a lot of detail about the early years I never knew

[Boris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most well written book you'll ever read, and it certainly needs some proof reading and editing, but the stories are great fun!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to start with the not-so-good issues before I end with everything that is great about this book.

So, it’s not the best written book I’ve ever read and I do think, at times, it’s a little too repetitive, but I can honestly say this didn’t ruin my reading experience. And I’ll go so far as to say that this is up there in my music autobiography/biography top ten. And when you consider that I’m not exactly a huge GBH fan (although, that’s definitely about to change), it’s bloody good going.

Because, you see, this isn’t just about a punk band from Brum, whose name consists of only three letters. No, this is about music, punk, and a life fuelled by having to just about scrape through it.

It’s not just about music, it’s a commentary on hardship, of making ends meet. It’s a tale of drunken, drug fuelled shenanigans. It’s a story about depression and anxiety, and finally seeing the light at the end of a seriously long, exhausting tunnel.

I’ve only ever met Ross Lomas once, at a double book launch. The books in question were one of mine, and another by another local author (and great friend), James Josiah. Lomas was at the event, supporting his friends in Balsall Heathens, who very kindly played a short set.

I never fully knew how important it was him being there, until my author friends started waxing lyrical about him. About how awesome he was, and the impact he’s made on the punk scene (with GBH), and the lives of others.

Reading City Baby really opens your eyes to the issues of the time it was set in. In places it’s laugh out loud funny, in others, not so funny. It’s frustrating. Ross and GBH have suffered; a lot of it self-inflicted, but they’ve also survived all the crap that’s been thrown at them. It’s an engaging read. It reads like fiction, has you rooting for Lomas all the way from start to finish. Surely, none of it could have happened. Could it?

But it’s no tall tale. It’s 100% true and it pulls you in and drags you kicking and screaming, right to the end.

I don’t know how the band have survived all they’ve been through (actually, that’s a lie. I do. It’s called being “friends”, about sticking with each other, no matter what), but they have. With bells on.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough (despite the typos) and I urge you to buy it. You seriously will not be disappointed.

City Baby is available to buy now, here: https://ignitebooks.co.uk

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the rather splendid Ignite books in Brum comes City Baby - now in its 5th printing.

Some genuinely funny stories from 30 years of GBH, along with the subplot of a bloke trying to make sense of the world he finds himself flung into.

Enjoyable enough read - no frills but far too many chips.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you ever wanted to know about the bass player of G.B.H. Some good stories. An account of living on the edge. Although it does at times feel to catalogued in its retelling.

[Angus Sprout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was torn between 3 and 4 stars. Really enjoyed reading it

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought the book at the GBH gig in Oakland last week...really enjoyed the read and one of the better rock bios I've read

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most enjoyable rock bios I've ever read. Absolutely hilarious and heartbreaking!