Dusk Music

by Rob Chapman

When teenage guitar prodigy Keith Gear shares a stage with Jimi Hendrix in mid 60s Soho he forms a bond with his hero and embarks on a journey that will take him a long way from his South London roots. Reluctantly thrust into the spotlight with his band Dominion, he plays the fame game briefly and finds it wanting. With Jimi he enjoys acid trips in London, jam sessions in New York and reflective evenings in Morocco. In the decades that follow he experiences cult fame as a solo artist and sees a close friend become an unlikely star on the alternative comedy scene. By the 1990s a psychopathic celebrity killer is on the loose and the ageing and battle-worn Gear is largely forgotten. In the midst of all this a chance encounter at the Avalonia festival opens up unexpected pathways for Gear's future. With dark humour Rob Chapman creates an elaborate mosaic that gradually reveals the outsiders and uncompromising spirits who roam the fringes of popular culture.

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008