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Rock Goes to College: The campus music scene that shaped a generation
The hectic, hugely entertaining, and definitive story of the wonderful and entirely amateurish British university gig scene that launched the career of some of the world’s most famous bands
As rock exploded around the world and the album era began, so young bands and solo acts would sling their gear into their trusty Ford Transits and bomb up and down the new motorway system to university and polytechnic campuses all over the UK, honing their sound and hoping to get signed.
A list of acts who proved themselves on this circuit reads like a who’s who of rock Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Kinks, Dire Straits, AC/DC, Genesis, Nick Drake, Joan Armatrading and Elton John all did their time in sweaty and badly ventilated dressing rooms in places like Hull University and Sheffield Poly, and even Paul McCartney, after the Beatles fell apart, took his new band Wings out on the circuit to get them road tested.
Now, for the first time, veteran music journalist Paul Sexton sets out to this extraordinary moment in British music history. Tapping into his huge network of contacts in the music industry, not just with the bands but with the social secretaries who booked the gigs (lots of whom would go on to run record labels and manage huge acts themselves), Rock Goes to College is a fascinating, raucous ride of a book, crammed full of incredible, never-before-heard stories of the beginnings of some of the most famous acts on the planet.
As rock exploded around the world and the album era began, so young bands and solo acts would sling their gear into their trusty Ford Transits and bomb up and down the new motorway system to university and polytechnic campuses all over the UK, honing their sound and hoping to get signed.
A list of acts who proved themselves on this circuit reads like a who’s who of rock Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Kinks, Dire Straits, AC/DC, Genesis, Nick Drake, Joan Armatrading and Elton John all did their time in sweaty and badly ventilated dressing rooms in places like Hull University and Sheffield Poly, and even Paul McCartney, after the Beatles fell apart, took his new band Wings out on the circuit to get them road tested.
Now, for the first time, veteran music journalist Paul Sexton sets out to this extraordinary moment in British music history. Tapping into his huge network of contacts in the music industry, not just with the bands but with the social secretaries who booked the gigs (lots of whom would go on to run record labels and manage huge acts themselves), Rock Goes to College is a fascinating, raucous ride of a book, crammed full of incredible, never-before-heard stories of the beginnings of some of the most famous acts on the planet.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 5, 2026
thanks to the publishers and netgalley for a free copy in return for an open and honest review.
This book would suit music lovers as looks at the college and university music scene from the late 1950's to the modern day with changes in tastes and alot of musicians and promoters social sec were interviewed and quite detailed in nature and how they learnt on the job booking bands etc. overall enjoyed this book.
This book would suit music lovers as looks at the college and university music scene from the late 1950's to the modern day with changes in tastes and alot of musicians and promoters social sec were interviewed and quite detailed in nature and how they learnt on the job booking bands etc. overall enjoyed this book.
June 17, 2026
Very enjoyable and fascinating read on the now all but gone college gigging circuit.
Includes some great anecdotes from the likes of Caravan's Pye Hastings, Tom McGuiness (Manfred Mann), Maddy Prior and various past and present members of Fairport Convention.
Amazing how many artists owed their success to gigging on the college circuit including the likes of the Who, Led Zeppelin and Fairport Convention. Plus many became staples of the college scene without really becoming household names like Geno Washington, but made a decent living and career on the circuit.
Plenty of photos including gig flyers plus a detailed index.
Recommended for any lover of live music.
Includes some great anecdotes from the likes of Caravan's Pye Hastings, Tom McGuiness (Manfred Mann), Maddy Prior and various past and present members of Fairport Convention.
Amazing how many artists owed their success to gigging on the college circuit including the likes of the Who, Led Zeppelin and Fairport Convention. Plus many became staples of the college scene without really becoming household names like Geno Washington, but made a decent living and career on the circuit.
Plenty of photos including gig flyers plus a detailed index.
Recommended for any lover of live music.
July 18, 2026
Excellent book about the history of music gigs on the University circuit, it brought back many memories!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews