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Anti Diva
Throughout her career, Carole Pope has blazed a trail for the diva and anti-diva in all of us, and here she offers a no-holds-barred look at her adventures in the music scene – on the concert stage, in the recording studio, and in the bedroom. Known for ushering Canada from the punk movement of the 1970s to the new wave sound of the 1980s with Rough Trade, she candidly shares her thoughts on AIDS, sexuality and sexual politics, and the new breed of music divas that dominates the charts today.
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 18, 2023
I didn't really like this book, and I suspect I'm not a huge fan of Carol Pope, either. It's a bit of a hot mess - she mentions Avoid Freud a few times before you realize that she's not talking about Rough Trade's musical career yet. She promises to drop names and she does - dozens and dozens of names I've never heard of, and will probably never hear again. There are some famous celebrities - mostly from Second City, and some singers as well, but she drops names like trees drop leaves in autumn, and most of them are people I've never heard of, nor would I expect to.
One name she doesn't drop is Mike Reno, who she instead refers to as "the fat guy from Loverboy ..." Maybe there's some history there that would explain this comment, otherwise, it just seems a little churlish. But Pope proves all over this book how obsessed she is with beauty -male and female - and also her hate of any kind of mainstream act, so perhaps this is on-brand for her.
Despite her disavowal of mainstream performers, she still buys all the hip designer labels, and eats at all the chic restaurants. She's kind of insufferable.
She has a whole chapter on Performance Art, where she describes the performances in detail. I'm not really a performance art guy, but I can't imagine much more boring than someone describing it in detail. It's like someone telling you the plot of a TV show that you never would have watched in the first place.
There's a chapter on Rough Trades' musical career, including the usual whining about "we would have been bigger except for luck/bad management/etc." She talks about how a lot of the stuff that Rough Trade did first, other performers did more successfully later - Madonna and Prince come to mind - but let's face facts - they were also more talented. I've never been a fan of Madonna, and I only liked a handful of Prince's songs, but Rough Trade had really only one good song - "High School Confidential" - and the rest was pretty mediocre. And Carol Pope kind of talks more than she sings. It's hard to imagine them ever being more than a bit of a cult band.
She talks a lot about being around scenes - New York and Toronto in the '80s, but she and Rough Trade really seem to have been onl0okers and hangers-on than an integral part of anything. It's interesting that they're not really connected to the wider Toronto music scene - they seem to have done their own thing and hung out more with radical artists than any of the bands that came out of the music scene.
The last chapter is a bit of a state of the union according to Carol Pope, and I have to say, I wasn't that wowed by her insight. Some of her comments read a lot like any older person talking about "the kids today." I remember hearing about an interview with Keith Richards a few years ago, and he was going on about how he didn't really consider rap or heavy metal music, and thinking, "who cares? If it was your grandfather going on about music today, you would dismiss him, why listen to Keith Richards because he's sold a lot of records? He's just as out of touch as any old guy." Carol Pope's the same, although not as old as Richards.
Anyway, not a lot to interest me here. A little disappointing, although I don't know how my expectations were going in, anyway.
One name she doesn't drop is Mike Reno, who she instead refers to as "the fat guy from Loverboy ..." Maybe there's some history there that would explain this comment, otherwise, it just seems a little churlish. But Pope proves all over this book how obsessed she is with beauty -male and female - and also her hate of any kind of mainstream act, so perhaps this is on-brand for her.
Despite her disavowal of mainstream performers, she still buys all the hip designer labels, and eats at all the chic restaurants. She's kind of insufferable.
She has a whole chapter on Performance Art, where she describes the performances in detail. I'm not really a performance art guy, but I can't imagine much more boring than someone describing it in detail. It's like someone telling you the plot of a TV show that you never would have watched in the first place.
There's a chapter on Rough Trades' musical career, including the usual whining about "we would have been bigger except for luck/bad management/etc." She talks about how a lot of the stuff that Rough Trade did first, other performers did more successfully later - Madonna and Prince come to mind - but let's face facts - they were also more talented. I've never been a fan of Madonna, and I only liked a handful of Prince's songs, but Rough Trade had really only one good song - "High School Confidential" - and the rest was pretty mediocre. And Carol Pope kind of talks more than she sings. It's hard to imagine them ever being more than a bit of a cult band.
She talks a lot about being around scenes - New York and Toronto in the '80s, but she and Rough Trade really seem to have been onl0okers and hangers-on than an integral part of anything. It's interesting that they're not really connected to the wider Toronto music scene - they seem to have done their own thing and hung out more with radical artists than any of the bands that came out of the music scene.
The last chapter is a bit of a state of the union according to Carol Pope, and I have to say, I wasn't that wowed by her insight. Some of her comments read a lot like any older person talking about "the kids today." I remember hearing about an interview with Keith Richards a few years ago, and he was going on about how he didn't really consider rap or heavy metal music, and thinking, "who cares? If it was your grandfather going on about music today, you would dismiss him, why listen to Keith Richards because he's sold a lot of records? He's just as out of touch as any old guy." Carol Pope's the same, although not as old as Richards.
Anyway, not a lot to interest me here. A little disappointing, although I don't know how my expectations were going in, anyway.
May 4, 2021
It was this time 40 years ago when I first heard the song "High School Confidential," and boy oh boy did that shake up Canadian radio. The song was perfect for the times, with a fantastic New Wave sound. Their second major hit, "All Touch," actually charted in the US at #58, which was no small feat. By the time of their third major hit, "Crimes of Passion," in early 1983, I was on board and began to buy their albums. I saw them live at the Lucan Fair in August 1983, and they didn't disappoint. I was surprised when the band called it quits in 1985, because their albums were only getting better each time. I followed Carole Pope's career for the time she was releasing music, and considered myself a serious fan. I was very happy when I came across Carole's autobiobgraphy, something I'd been wanting to read for quite a while. It was very well written and I read it fairly quickly. There were lots of laughs and some serious moments too, and found it to be a rewarding read. I wish there was more about the band itself and the recording process for each album, and I'd like to know more about what Kevan Staples got up to after the band split. Still, a great story from an iconic Canadian musician.
September 6, 2023
Pope's memoir is a fun, light salacious look at her life as a singer, with the band Rough Trade & as a soloist. While the book reads like it was dictated by microphone & is organized by themes rather than chronology it traces not only her life but also the music scene in Canada & North America & is a fun look at her world. While she trades in all sorts of fun salacious details she is not shy in shining the light on herself.
November 16, 2023
This was possibly the best memoir I've ever read. It was dishy and honest and fascinating. I'm glad I finally read it... I've had a 40 year fascination with and admiration of Carole Pope. She is such an incredible icon. Her memoir is pure perfection.
February 19, 2025
I want carole pope to tell me her life story irl. The book is plainly written and i am totally here for all the debauchery and namedropping but i was fatigued by it by the end of the book
July 26, 2014
I don't recall when I first heard about Rough Trade, but I was a fan when their Deep Six in '86 farewell show was broadcast on the CBC. So when I saw Carole Pope's Anti Diva autobiography for sale, I had to have it.
I didn't read it, though.
Instead, I turned it into an art project. You see, the Starbucks in the Gay Village in Toronto was renovated in time for World Pride 2014. Apparently it was one of the most expensive renos they'd ever done. Now it looks like… well, it looks like a Starbucks.
Don't get me wrong. It's nice, has more seating, and some nice woodwork. The back room has a wall of distressed concrete. There's a massive 2-column bookshelf in the main room, just as you come up the stairs. I love books and bookshelves. I love that it's there. But the books themselves? Boring. And really not gay.
See, when Starbucks renovates or moves into a community, they try to have “community stores”. These are stores that either reflect the previous commercial use (their “Bricknells Books” store at Yonge and Bloor, for example, changed the built-in book cases into seating and it's quite nice). But this store, although it's nice, isn't gay or lesbian. Not even the books are gay or lesbian.
So I wanted to change that.
Now, I'm not removing any books – that would be stealing. Instead, I am adding books. Lesbian books. And Carole Pope's Anti-Diva was the first one. I placed Carole's autobiography on the shelf for anyone to read (and it looks like a few people have picked it up over time, since it's moved around on the shelf).
Carole would probably hate that her book is in a Starbucks, but hopefully love how it got there and the teeny bit of lesbian subversion it offers.
You can watch a short video of that here, as part of (perhaps) ongoing art project called Lesbians, Literally (Get it? Get it?!) https://vimeo.com/100542196
I didn't read it, though.
Instead, I turned it into an art project. You see, the Starbucks in the Gay Village in Toronto was renovated in time for World Pride 2014. Apparently it was one of the most expensive renos they'd ever done. Now it looks like… well, it looks like a Starbucks.
Don't get me wrong. It's nice, has more seating, and some nice woodwork. The back room has a wall of distressed concrete. There's a massive 2-column bookshelf in the main room, just as you come up the stairs. I love books and bookshelves. I love that it's there. But the books themselves? Boring. And really not gay.
See, when Starbucks renovates or moves into a community, they try to have “community stores”. These are stores that either reflect the previous commercial use (their “Bricknells Books” store at Yonge and Bloor, for example, changed the built-in book cases into seating and it's quite nice). But this store, although it's nice, isn't gay or lesbian. Not even the books are gay or lesbian.
So I wanted to change that.
Now, I'm not removing any books – that would be stealing. Instead, I am adding books. Lesbian books. And Carole Pope's Anti-Diva was the first one. I placed Carole's autobiography on the shelf for anyone to read (and it looks like a few people have picked it up over time, since it's moved around on the shelf).
Carole would probably hate that her book is in a Starbucks, but hopefully love how it got there and the teeny bit of lesbian subversion it offers.
You can watch a short video of that here, as part of (perhaps) ongoing art project called Lesbians, Literally (Get it? Get it?!) https://vimeo.com/100542196
September 22, 2023
This is a memoir by Carole Pope, a member of the punk band Rough Trade, a band that helped moved Canada from the punk movement of the seventies to the new wave sound of the eighties. Pope was well known for her sexual lyrics and her provocative act both solo and as a member of the band.
It is a revealing look at her adventures on the music scene as well as her personal and intimate life. She partied with Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd during their Saturday Night life heydays. She toured with gender bending David Bowie and had a love affair with Dusty Springfield as well as acting in a stage play with the drag queen Divine.
A great romp through a life most of us will never have the chance to live.
It is a revealing look at her adventures on the music scene as well as her personal and intimate life. She partied with Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd during their Saturday Night life heydays. She toured with gender bending David Bowie and had a love affair with Dusty Springfield as well as acting in a stage play with the drag queen Divine.
A great romp through a life most of us will never have the chance to live.
February 15, 2016
Autobiography of Canadian musical Icon best known, I think, for the hit single High School Confidential by her band Rough Trade. Very open about her life and her lifestyle. I think if you are a fan of the band or even a fan of Canadian music then you might find this an interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews