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Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands
I can confirm that should you ever find yourself on stage playing the bass guitar with three left hands, it is usually the one in the middle that is the real one. The other two are probably phantoms.
Will Carruthers played the bass in Spacemen 3 and then Spiritulized, one of the bands which emerged from their ashes. In some ways his story is that of an everyman in your regular, dysfunctional band with a disposition towards psychedelic misadventures. But this is not your average tale of high jinks and debauchery. Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands chronicles a decade in the life of a man on a collision course with hard drugs, poverty, and Dionysian epiphanies. It's a window onto a world where the life of a musician is day-to-day and hand-to-mouth. And it is also one of the funniest and most honest rock 'n' roll memoirs committed to the page.
Will Carruthers played the bass in Spacemen 3 and then Spiritulized, one of the bands which emerged from their ashes. In some ways his story is that of an everyman in your regular, dysfunctional band with a disposition towards psychedelic misadventures. But this is not your average tale of high jinks and debauchery. Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands chronicles a decade in the life of a man on a collision course with hard drugs, poverty, and Dionysian epiphanies. It's a window onto a world where the life of a musician is day-to-day and hand-to-mouth. And it is also one of the funniest and most honest rock 'n' roll memoirs committed to the page.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 8, 2023
This was not the book I was expecting, because a) it was better written than I thought it would be, and in something akin to short stories and b) it was less about Spacemen 3 and Spritualized than I'd hoped it would be. Carruthers was the bassist of both bands for a while and although this time of his life makes up most of the book, you can count the things Jason Pierce says in here on one hand. Granted, Pete Kember gets a little more screen time and so does Kate Radley (pork and treacle sauce, etc), but there's also a grueseome chapter about Carruthers working in a slaughterhouse.
Carruthers has a knack for describing scenes and anecdotes and I'm sure a lot of the descriptions will stick with me. One or two of the drug scenes could have been cut short, but describing highs is just difficult to do and keep entertaining. I was surprised, however, that the book made me chuckle a few times. There's humor throughout it. All in all, a fun book about being a musician in the Midlands in the 80s, but not necessary reading for fans of the bands involved.
Carruthers has a knack for describing scenes and anecdotes and I'm sure a lot of the descriptions will stick with me. One or two of the drug scenes could have been cut short, but describing highs is just difficult to do and keep entertaining. I was surprised, however, that the book made me chuckle a few times. There's humor throughout it. All in all, a fun book about being a musician in the Midlands in the 80s, but not necessary reading for fans of the bands involved.
September 22, 2016
Just grand. Refreshing to read something about the industry that is purely down-to-earth and honest.....oh, the chapter on possibly one of Spacemen 3's finest gigs (possibly also where Kember got inspired for the Spectrum band name from)....unlikely in me hometown Chester it seems (!?!?!), is endearing; the graft and notable lack of financial gain insightful; the bands/music; Carruthers' clear wit and insight throughout; frequent appreciation of the one note/chord structure; the mundane labouring jobs made strangely interesting in contrast to the music; and the authors clear respect, (periodic) enthusiasm, and understanding for the mysticism of being, worldly encounters, exploration, those around them (dealt with restraint and character, considering many circumstances), and the addictive passion for music, are many high points in a deeply satisfying book.
I'm engrossed by the music of the bands named here, of course, and the two encounters I've bumped into Will Carruthers and been captured by his racantour charming character will add bias, but this is for anyone with a love of music and people and the importance of experience. Mega! x.
I'm engrossed by the music of the bands named here, of course, and the two encounters I've bumped into Will Carruthers and been captured by his racantour charming character will add bias, but this is for anyone with a love of music and people and the importance of experience. Mega! x.
November 6, 2017
This may well be the supreme rock and roll memoir of our time. What distinguishes it is a particular quality of fleet wit and its ability to condense a lived life into just the right commingling fragments. So, yes. It is a matter of style and a matter of form. The life Carruthers has lived has been an interesting (and perhaps emblematic) one, but above all else he is an interesting, gifted, and sophisticated writer. The predominating tendency is towards a kind of gallows humour and there are more than a few traces of sardonic scorn, but this is a book which embraces messy life, and which demonstrates that hard lessons are worth learning. As the title signifies (as if the bands Carruthers has played in did not already tell us this), this is a rock memoir that also touches on, err, better (or not-so-better) living through chemistry. But this is in no way an addiction memoir. There is no evidence from the material on hand that Carruthers is in fact a drug addict proper. What is demonstrated is that a certain kind of tendency toward mind and mood altering (certainly, granted, more than a little pathological) becomes inevitable if you find yourself on the outs in a world which is shit (as Thatcher-era Rugby is convincingly portrayed as being). Part of what strikes me as constituent to the brilliance of the book is, pace Roland Barthes, what it exludes. Form is after all often a matter of what is left out. And Carruthers is a formidable comic talent. This thing is generously garnished w/ hilarities. I would say that this is one of the finest books of its kind, but it would be unfair, because I have never read a book quite of this kind. It's seriously wise.
October 7, 2016
What I like about this book is that it tells you not only about Spacemen 3 and Spititualized, but about life in the late 80s and 90s and the precariousness of an existence where everything is sacrificed in order to be in a band. Through a series of vignettes Carrutherrs explores smalltown Rugby and recording and touring with the majestic Spacemen 3. There are drugs, and lots of them plus plenty of dead-end jobs and some insights into Carruthers' whole philosophy of life. Sonic and Jason don't come out of this too well, but affable drummer Jonny does. Since reading this I've listened to the whole Spacemen back-catalogue and find the dissonance between the sordidness behind the music and the majesty of their songs quite staggering.
February 28, 2022
My x boyfriend gave me this book told me it was really well written. Boy - o was he wrong. If you’re hoping for some juicy gossip about the break up of spacemen 3 think again and get ready for a confusing 10 page description of someone throwing up on a ferry. This book is confusing because it isn’t clear what it is even about, the authors life ? The band ? Music? There are a lot of detours that add nothing. The author assumes you know a lot about bands he was in, and I do, but I still found myself fact checking dates. This book could have been decent if poor Willie had an editor. ultimately he comes off as a naive Holden Caufield type complaining about the music industry while never fully explaining pivotal events in his story.
June 4, 2019
Seriously, one of the greatest rock autobiographies I've ever read! Will's eloquent yet colourful prose is unflinching, honest and quite often hilarious. Written in a series of 'scenes’ or 'events' rather than in a totally chronolgical order, Will tells the story of his life as Brummy drug-cosmonaut and indie rocker in the classic British psych-rock bands Spacemen3 and early Spirtualized. I lived through these times in a different part of the world, but I can totally relate to his drug fucked share-house existence, in which I myself was taking drugs to make music to take drugs to - I still have all those S3, Spectrum and Spiritualized albums, the lead singer in my band even had the Sonic Boom solo album with the spinning cover~! The book isn't all Animal House type stoned debauchery, and Will often describes the post-Thatcher desperation with a stunning alacrity, a desperation and shitness he could only escape from via pickling himself in drugs - smack, acid and tons and tons of hash! LOL! His rumination on Blairite/BritPop is amazing! This is some of the greatest British writing of the last 20 years, makes Irving Welsh sound like a total and utter fuckwit! God Bless Will Carruthers, that he's still alive, that he confronted his personal demons as much as he could, and that he continues to get out of bed in the morning to ply his art, his various trades - ditch digger, plasterer, dole recipient, and his life! This book should be part of Year12 English high-school curriculum, and would make a fantastic
, fantastic movie directed by Alan Clark!
, fantastic movie directed by Alan Clark!
July 1, 2022
A down-to-earth testament of a man’s passionate and deep addiction to music. Carruthers recalls, in detail, the sights and sounds of Britannia, neo-psychedelia, working-class adversity, and the myriad of new drugs all blossoming in the eighties. He has an exceptional way of articulating multi-dimensional sounds when describing the acid-rock produced by Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. He spends a good chunk of the memoir discussing the audio-technical techniques that helped create the band’s signature “acid sound”, which consists of heavily distorted guitar, synths, and overdubs backed by a low, droning bass. I loved reading his explanations of these concepts because you can just tell how passionate he is about it. (The book is way more immersive if you listen to Spacemen 3’s Playing with Fire album while reading, btw.) Carruthers also takes the reader through his long and complicated history with taking drugs and how it affects his music. Among all of this, he also spends a fair amount on the dichotomy between life in the band and with the mundane labor jobs he also worked, which was a weird but fun contrast. Though Carruthers recounts tales of drugs, drama, and the occasional crime, the work at its core is about how a love for music can take you anywhere.
“Remember what music has done for you? All those times a rhythm, a little melody and a few words helped you understand that you were not alone?”
“Remember what music has done for you? All those times a rhythm, a little melody and a few words helped you understand that you were not alone?”
June 8, 2021
Will Carruthers is a bass guitar player who has worked with Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. His book "Playing Bass with Three Left Hands" covers his years with the first two. It is the usual tale of drugs, poverty, mismanagement and discord but Will's Zen-like approach to life differentiates it from similar biographies. Lots of fun and makes me want to listen to those albums.
May 14, 2025
An interesting well-written book considering it was not the fly-on-the-wall underbelly of Britpop I was expecting [I use that term very loosely to refer to British guitar bands from the mid-80s through 1999]. It's more like musings on coming of age and doing drugs in Thatcher's England.
First, the story took place mostly in Rugby, England (even after the author achieved what might pass for a teaspoon of success). This in itself is odd considering both bands he was in are fairly well known in cult circles in America and were on MTV in the UK. This does not translate into massive sales apparently.
Carruthers' first band, Spacemen 3, to which he had the most significant contribution, came to my attention via a friend of ours. Their version of the 13th Floor Elevators song "Fire Engine" seemed really catatonic to me at the time, especially compared to the original [though in the years since it has come to resemble a frenetic upbeat pop song because there are so many one-note songs out there].
Thus I had no idea that the band Spiritualized was fronted by Jason Pierce, who was one half of Spacemen 3. Spiritualized achieved even more success in the UK, but Carruthers had dropped out after recording the first album. He may have even had a good reason for it, but even he is not quite sure at this point. [Not mentioned is that he played bass for Brian Jonestown Massacre, but that was much later, and presumably for one tour].
Thus, aside from the story mostly taking place in what even the author considers a "backwater" that makes even Birmingham seem glamorous; he spends almost as much time describing unpleasant odd jobs like being a bricklayer at the largest slaughterhouse in Europe (he was already a vegetarian by that point).
The most frustrating part of all this is that it seems like he took these jobs to pay for the privilege of being a bass player in both bands (it's the same old story about the record advance being used for "expenses" leaving nothing for anyone who is not a songwriter; although in this case it seems particularly egregious considering what happened later). Their A&R guy is notable for a cameo in Great Rock and Roll Swindle where he expresses shock and horror at how bad the Sex Pistols are. [The bearded guy who looks like he would be more at home managing bands like The Eagles].
Despite all that, he comes off as truly "Zen" about all this, even after the missed debt payment and failure to "sign on" that propelled him into homelessness, ie. living in a camper van and eating berries for several years. It sounds infinitely worse than the welfare system in America.
It's all enough to make one question why "school leavers" in England write like graduate students compared to American college graduates who struggle with the basics.
First, the story took place mostly in Rugby, England (even after the author achieved what might pass for a teaspoon of success). This in itself is odd considering both bands he was in are fairly well known in cult circles in America and were on MTV in the UK. This does not translate into massive sales apparently.
Carruthers' first band, Spacemen 3, to which he had the most significant contribution, came to my attention via a friend of ours. Their version of the 13th Floor Elevators song "Fire Engine" seemed really catatonic to me at the time, especially compared to the original [though in the years since it has come to resemble a frenetic upbeat pop song because there are so many one-note songs out there].
Thus I had no idea that the band Spiritualized was fronted by Jason Pierce, who was one half of Spacemen 3. Spiritualized achieved even more success in the UK, but Carruthers had dropped out after recording the first album. He may have even had a good reason for it, but even he is not quite sure at this point. [Not mentioned is that he played bass for Brian Jonestown Massacre, but that was much later, and presumably for one tour].
Thus, aside from the story mostly taking place in what even the author considers a "backwater" that makes even Birmingham seem glamorous; he spends almost as much time describing unpleasant odd jobs like being a bricklayer at the largest slaughterhouse in Europe (he was already a vegetarian by that point).
The most frustrating part of all this is that it seems like he took these jobs to pay for the privilege of being a bass player in both bands (it's the same old story about the record advance being used for "expenses" leaving nothing for anyone who is not a songwriter; although in this case it seems particularly egregious considering what happened later). Their A&R guy is notable for a cameo in Great Rock and Roll Swindle where he expresses shock and horror at how bad the Sex Pistols are. [The bearded guy who looks like he would be more at home managing bands like The Eagles].
Despite all that, he comes off as truly "Zen" about all this, even after the missed debt payment and failure to "sign on" that propelled him into homelessness, ie. living in a camper van and eating berries for several years. It sounds infinitely worse than the welfare system in America.
It's all enough to make one question why "school leavers" in England write like graduate students compared to American college graduates who struggle with the basics.
October 3, 2016
A very enjoyable insight into the music scene of the late 80s and early 90s via little known Will Carruthers, bassist for short periods in the history of Spacemen 3 and successor band Spiritualised, both responsible for some of the key albums of the era. Narcotics loom large - in every shape and variety - but the book is also interesting for its portrait of a small town music scene and the grimy counter culture of that most unlikely of settings, Rugby.
Carruthers didn't make a bean from his efforts - a sadly all too familiar tale - and band leaders Pete Kember and Jason Pierce come out of this very badly having clearly ensured that the profits from the band's not inconsiderable fame were all directed their way. Good to see Zammo from Grange Hill get a mention too.
Carruthers didn't make a bean from his efforts - a sadly all too familiar tale - and band leaders Pete Kember and Jason Pierce come out of this very badly having clearly ensured that the profits from the band's not inconsiderable fame were all directed their way. Good to see Zammo from Grange Hill get a mention too.
October 8, 2016
If you like Spacemen 3 or Spiritualized why wouldn't you read this?
January 15, 2018
This book might be best described as "Down and Out in Rugby and Zagreb".
Our author/protagonist played bass in Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized in between gigs as a hod carrier and digger of trenches. He is also a fine writer. He writes as a musician and eyewitness, not as a critic or journalist and so some familiarity with the bands in question is assumed; the reader seeking exact timelines, family trees and discographies might be better served elsewhere. As with the best rock & roll memoirs the book is essentially a series of anecdotes or routines that are by turns humorous, sad, astonishing or some combination thereof. Carruthers seems to have mostly nice things to say about bandleaders Sonic Boom and Jason Spaceman, and indeed, pretty much all of the musicians he's worked with, and any ire that emerges is primarily directed at managers (and other extractors of money) and perhaps himself. As the title promises, he also has some sensible, practical things to say about bass playing for the three-handed, drugs and harm reduction and certain finer points of archery.
Highly recommended.
Our author/protagonist played bass in Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized in between gigs as a hod carrier and digger of trenches. He is also a fine writer. He writes as a musician and eyewitness, not as a critic or journalist and so some familiarity with the bands in question is assumed; the reader seeking exact timelines, family trees and discographies might be better served elsewhere. As with the best rock & roll memoirs the book is essentially a series of anecdotes or routines that are by turns humorous, sad, astonishing or some combination thereof. Carruthers seems to have mostly nice things to say about bandleaders Sonic Boom and Jason Spaceman, and indeed, pretty much all of the musicians he's worked with, and any ire that emerges is primarily directed at managers (and other extractors of money) and perhaps himself. As the title promises, he also has some sensible, practical things to say about bass playing for the three-handed, drugs and harm reduction and certain finer points of archery.
Highly recommended.
July 15, 2025
4.45- a great rock and roll memoir. Each chapter is like a short story but it all comes together in a great story about acceptance, as well as the power and importance of music. Sometimes it’s laugh out loud funny and sometimes it’s pretty damn sad- but it’s never boring and it’s always full of love and positive energy.
February 21, 2017
brilliant. You don't have to be fan of contemporary psychedelic music, shoe gaze, or drone music, but it would benefit. It's no secret that a huge amount of the Spacemen 3 history centered around drug culture so it comes as no surprise that this account of those days is steeped rather heavy in Carruther's own drug activity. Rather than being simply salacious, Carruthers manages to weave the history of S3, Spectrum and Spiritualized and the prevalent drug-use of the band members in a way that tells the story you would expect from musicians that created Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs to.
Carruthers is a fine story teller and excellent wordsmith. I look forward to reading more about his post Spiritualized days and his time in Brian Jonestown Massacre, as alluded to in this text.
Carruthers is a fine story teller and excellent wordsmith. I look forward to reading more about his post Spiritualized days and his time in Brian Jonestown Massacre, as alluded to in this text.
July 31, 2020
Fairly entertaining read.
I was unfamiliar with both Spaceman3 and Spiritualized’s music, and after checking out a few tracks from both bands, I don’t foresee any more voluntary exposure to them;)
Carruthers’ character and adventures thankfully aren’t boring, even though both bands he was in were IMO.
I was unfamiliar with both Spaceman3 and Spiritualized’s music, and after checking out a few tracks from both bands, I don’t foresee any more voluntary exposure to them;)
Carruthers’ character and adventures thankfully aren’t boring, even though both bands he was in were IMO.
November 27, 2023
The average coming-of-age tale. Who among us hasn't had a tumultuous run filled with copious hash and acid consumption, dodged the occasional fireball, or built a weapon with the intent of using it to shoot a Nazi?
Really standard stuff. Well written, though.
Really standard stuff. Well written, though.
December 19, 2019
Loved this. Very funny and really enlightening. Some great music, too!
March 6, 2023
"Duran Duran’s muse might have been Rio, who was poncing about on a big yacht and dancing in the sand at some heathen tax haven, but our muse was named Suzy Cream-cheese and she was dancing in the sands of our mind, which were turning a pleasant shade of turquoise with every touch of her twinkling toes."
This is pretty much all you need to know about Will Carruthers' memoir on his time as the bass player for Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. While I was never a massive fan, I did have a couple of their albums, and I was very much aware of the unique spot they occupied in the pantheon of rock and roll, as well as their undeniably huge influence on the fringes of experimental music. The writing is fun, and never, ever boring, and he never complains, even if he is digging ditches after his music career. Good stuff. And his recounting of playing an entire set without his bass amp on is pure story-telling gold.
This is pretty much all you need to know about Will Carruthers' memoir on his time as the bass player for Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. While I was never a massive fan, I did have a couple of their albums, and I was very much aware of the unique spot they occupied in the pantheon of rock and roll, as well as their undeniably huge influence on the fringes of experimental music. The writing is fun, and never, ever boring, and he never complains, even if he is digging ditches after his music career. Good stuff. And his recounting of playing an entire set without his bass amp on is pure story-telling gold.
December 31, 2018
The parts about Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized are very interesting, but not as detailed as I was hoping (there's mostly a lot of anecdotes of music and drug experiences, some of them quite funny but it gets a bit tedious after a while) and he's only around at the end of the former band and beginning of the latter. The rest of the book seems to be more about how it was being young in Thatcher's England (thereby explaining the need for drugs..) and the different manual jobs Will has had.. Though he claims not to be he sounds pretty bitter about how little money he made. Worth reading but could have been a lot better edited.
January 26, 2021
Really should've been a much more downbeat read, but Carruthers has the disposition of a Buddhist monk, on top of being a pretty damn good writer with a vicious self-deprecation bent. As for the story (and it's really more of a loosely connected memoir), if you've ever played in a working band, or been on the periphery, chances are you've heard many of the rock'n'roll dreams painted in lovingly vivid colors. Here's the reality.
December 25, 2016
A funny, painful memoir from the rough end of the music business (many of the events recounted occur in Rugby, of all places!)
There's much here to make musicians - and vegetarians - flinch, but the book feels honest and heartfelt. Bass players will feel particular empathy.
There's music and there's money. Two different things. They don't mix well.
A single-session read.
There's much here to make musicians - and vegetarians - flinch, but the book feels honest and heartfelt. Bass players will feel particular empathy.
There's music and there's money. Two different things. They don't mix well.
A single-session read.
February 27, 2021
* An audio version of this will appear on my book review Podcast Reading in Bed (readinginbandcamp.com and all the usual networks) from 01 March 2021.
Blurb:
I can confirm that should you ever find yourself on stage playing the bass guitar with tree left hands, it is usually the one in the middle that is the real one. The other two are probably phantoms.
Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands tells the story of one of the most influential, revered and ultimately demented British bands of the 1980s, Spacemen 3. In classic rock n roll style they split up on the brink of their major breakthrough.
As the decade turned sour and acid house hit the news, Rugby's finest imploded spectacularly, with Jason Pierce (aka Jason Spaceman) and Pete Kember (aka Sonic Boom) going their separate ways. Here, Will Carruthers tells the whole sorry story and the segue into Spirtualised in one of the funniest and most memorable memoirs committed to the page.
Strengths:
A few notes about “Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of "minimalistic psychedelia".[2]
Spacemen 3 had their first independent chart hits in 1987, gaining a cult following, and going on to have greater success towards the end of the decade.[2][3] However, they disbanded shortly afterwards, releasing their final studio album post-split in 1991 after an acrimonious parting of ways. “
In my case, I first got into Spacemen 3 when I was 17 or so through their third album “Playing with Fire” and became interested in reading about this book myself after hearing about this book on a Spacemen 3 group on facebook last year.
And, yeah it’s eye opening.. Its very easy to read and generally funny in places. The writer is a born storyteller that’s for sure and honest as he talks about how he worked as a labourer and joined the band with not a load of experience in particular just one live concert if my memory and being warned by the previous bass player he wouldn’t have a great time with it.
As a big fan of the Spacemen, I didn’t realise on Playing with Fire as a album was clearly as fragmented as it was really, and set the seeds pretty well for what happened next. There are lots and I mean lots of stories in relation to the drug intake of the band – some of which were eye opening and funny and others well.. which I’ll talk about next and I found interesting as well as sad when it became apparent he left as he got ripped off in Spacemen 3 (Not earning a penny) and then Spiritualized whom Jason from Spacemen 3 formed with the band and he ended up homeless leaving in a caravan and claiming NFA with the Job Centre which showed how far he fell after leaving Spiritualized.
Weaknesses:
For some people who are not fans of the band, I am not sure if they would like all of the references to the drug stories which exist throughout this book are certainly for everybody it has be said unless you were a fan of the band like me. (I've never took drugs I need to state also).
I also found curious the fact the book finished where it did really when he was talking about about being homeless as I know for a fact he joined Sonic Boom (Pete Kember) on some recordings in 2009 after being screwed over in Spacemen 3 and I would have loved to have heard about his time there and also his work in the Brain Jones Massacre at that same point.
Some of the prose in the book I felt is almost quite overwrote in places and could have edited / cut back in places too but I did really enjoy the book learning several stories I won’t repeat which explained several things I didn’t know before.
I really enjoyed this thou. Great stuff. 8/10
Blurb:
I can confirm that should you ever find yourself on stage playing the bass guitar with tree left hands, it is usually the one in the middle that is the real one. The other two are probably phantoms.
Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands tells the story of one of the most influential, revered and ultimately demented British bands of the 1980s, Spacemen 3. In classic rock n roll style they split up on the brink of their major breakthrough.
As the decade turned sour and acid house hit the news, Rugby's finest imploded spectacularly, with Jason Pierce (aka Jason Spaceman) and Pete Kember (aka Sonic Boom) going their separate ways. Here, Will Carruthers tells the whole sorry story and the segue into Spirtualised in one of the funniest and most memorable memoirs committed to the page.
Strengths:
A few notes about “Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of "minimalistic psychedelia".[2]
Spacemen 3 had their first independent chart hits in 1987, gaining a cult following, and going on to have greater success towards the end of the decade.[2][3] However, they disbanded shortly afterwards, releasing their final studio album post-split in 1991 after an acrimonious parting of ways. “
In my case, I first got into Spacemen 3 when I was 17 or so through their third album “Playing with Fire” and became interested in reading about this book myself after hearing about this book on a Spacemen 3 group on facebook last year.
And, yeah it’s eye opening.. Its very easy to read and generally funny in places. The writer is a born storyteller that’s for sure and honest as he talks about how he worked as a labourer and joined the band with not a load of experience in particular just one live concert if my memory and being warned by the previous bass player he wouldn’t have a great time with it.
As a big fan of the Spacemen, I didn’t realise on Playing with Fire as a album was clearly as fragmented as it was really, and set the seeds pretty well for what happened next. There are lots and I mean lots of stories in relation to the drug intake of the band – some of which were eye opening and funny and others well.. which I’ll talk about next and I found interesting as well as sad when it became apparent he left as he got ripped off in Spacemen 3 (Not earning a penny) and then Spiritualized whom Jason from Spacemen 3 formed with the band and he ended up homeless leaving in a caravan and claiming NFA with the Job Centre which showed how far he fell after leaving Spiritualized.
Weaknesses:
For some people who are not fans of the band, I am not sure if they would like all of the references to the drug stories which exist throughout this book are certainly for everybody it has be said unless you were a fan of the band like me. (I've never took drugs I need to state also).
I also found curious the fact the book finished where it did really when he was talking about about being homeless as I know for a fact he joined Sonic Boom (Pete Kember) on some recordings in 2009 after being screwed over in Spacemen 3 and I would have loved to have heard about his time there and also his work in the Brain Jones Massacre at that same point.
Some of the prose in the book I felt is almost quite overwrote in places and could have edited / cut back in places too but I did really enjoy the book learning several stories I won’t repeat which explained several things I didn’t know before.
I really enjoyed this thou. Great stuff. 8/10
April 2, 2021
For me, one of the most pleasant things about reading memoirs is the feeling that you are having a good chinwag with a mate down the pub...or coffee shop, tearoom, whatever the vibe that the author dictates. With Will Carruthers, the conversation most definitely takes place in the pub. You almost smell the stale ale and try to take care not to put the book (or kindle) down on the wet or sticky surface of the small wooden table that your pints rest on. You might even find it hard to resist putting your finger in a tear in the red vinyl bench cover you are sitting on, to feel the dry sponginess of the foam padding below. And Will is a very entertaining bar-room buddy to be listening to. He takes you through many random anecdotes held together by a thin thread of chronology. He comes across as a very amiable and mostly cheerful soul whose stories will have you in stitches one minute and feeling socially uncomfortable the next. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is refreshingly open in declaring his weaknesses as well as modest with his strengths. In fact, he will often leave you a tad frustrated at times, with his seemingly 'victim-mentality'. But don't let that put you off. It isn't meant as a criticism of him, at all. Actually, my one and only sorrow, having finished the book, is that we didn't get to hear a few more stories between the time of the penultimate chapter and his concluding one. Especially as I suspect he had a few personal victories in that time. Oh well, maybe the landlord had called last-orders, or something. Or, hopefully, Will's just leaving room for a follow-up.
April 8, 2019
Sex 'n' drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll, without so much of the sex. What Will Carruthers' autobiography lacks in hanky-panky it more than makes up for with drugs and amusing stories. Which is strange since usually hearing/reading about someone else's drug induced funtime is about as interesting as looking at baby photos.
Carruthers played bass in Spacemen 3, got fucked over, ended up in debt, worked as a manual labourer, played bass in Spiritualized, got fucked over ended up in debt, worked as a manual labourer…
Luckily for us, he's managed to get his life on track and has discovered that he is an even better writer than he was a tripped-out bass player (of which he was one of the best). This book had me crying with laughter and wincing with discomfort. It bought memories flooding back of being young and stoopid at the arse end of the '80s.
Carruthers has a wicked way with prose, a few well splashed words conjuring up a whole worlds. Of course it probably helps if you're a fan of the music he's talking about and if you're not I'd say take the plunge, read this book and dive into some Spacemen 3/Sonic Boom/Spiritualized as you go.
As much about life and how to live it, this might not put you off drugs for life, but it might make you reconsider becoming a bass player.
Carruthers played bass in Spacemen 3, got fucked over, ended up in debt, worked as a manual labourer, played bass in Spiritualized, got fucked over ended up in debt, worked as a manual labourer…
Luckily for us, he's managed to get his life on track and has discovered that he is an even better writer than he was a tripped-out bass player (of which he was one of the best). This book had me crying with laughter and wincing with discomfort. It bought memories flooding back of being young and stoopid at the arse end of the '80s.
Carruthers has a wicked way with prose, a few well splashed words conjuring up a whole worlds. Of course it probably helps if you're a fan of the music he's talking about and if you're not I'd say take the plunge, read this book and dive into some Spacemen 3/Sonic Boom/Spiritualized as you go.
As much about life and how to live it, this might not put you off drugs for life, but it might make you reconsider becoming a bass player.
December 5, 2017
Not your average music based biography. I bought it being a fan of Spacemen 3 and Spiritualised back in the day (had to sell the CDs to raise much needed funds some years ago so must get around to buying them again).
Despite having been involved in two influential and revered bands, Will Carruthers never led the life of a happy musician. Money problems were always present, along with drugs. The music and drug usage was experimental to say the least. Despite this the author has retained his sense of humour in retelling his story. I have recently found myself wishing I had picked up a bass guitar in my teens and learned to play it. Almost glad that I didn't after reading this.
Not just about the music, also about his struggle to survive with no money to his name. He doesn't hold back in expressing his thoughts about those who double crossed him.
Ray Smillie
Despite having been involved in two influential and revered bands, Will Carruthers never led the life of a happy musician. Money problems were always present, along with drugs. The music and drug usage was experimental to say the least. Despite this the author has retained his sense of humour in retelling his story. I have recently found myself wishing I had picked up a bass guitar in my teens and learned to play it. Almost glad that I didn't after reading this.
Not just about the music, also about his struggle to survive with no money to his name. He doesn't hold back in expressing his thoughts about those who double crossed him.
Ray Smillie
August 17, 2022
This is a pretty great music autobiog - a genre which, as you know, I'm very fond of. I bought this for Ollie when it came out in paperback because Carruthers played bass in both Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. Like all music books, there's lots of drugs and not much cash. He writes really well, and says a number of quite wise things as he looks back on his life. Also he talks about several events I attended, which is always fun.
If you like music biogs or want to think a bit about the less mainstream aspects of music in the late eighties, I'd recommend it. And of course if you love Spacemen 3 and want to read about the recording of various things it's very interesting. I've said before that bands are like marriages, but often you get the best view of that from the people who aren't the 'main characters' if you like. So books by the rhythm section are always interesting.
If you like music biogs or want to think a bit about the less mainstream aspects of music in the late eighties, I'd recommend it. And of course if you love Spacemen 3 and want to read about the recording of various things it's very interesting. I've said before that bands are like marriages, but often you get the best view of that from the people who aren't the 'main characters' if you like. So books by the rhythm section are always interesting.
February 17, 2023
This book came to me in a strange way. It was the cover that made me want to read it. I knew nothing of the author and less about the bands he was part of or the music they were making.
The merit is all in Will's writing. It couldn't stop reading, wanting to know more about his take on those days in the UK and his generation. I specially liked the way he describes music, not in a technical way, but using his imagination to come up with images, colours and situations that describe what he was playing and hearing. This approach of writing about music really had a profound impact on me and fed me musician and writer's soul.
The merit is all in Will's writing. It couldn't stop reading, wanting to know more about his take on those days in the UK and his generation. I specially liked the way he describes music, not in a technical way, but using his imagination to come up with images, colours and situations that describe what he was playing and hearing. This approach of writing about music really had a profound impact on me and fed me musician and writer's soul.
March 9, 2019
It was great to read a book about the Rugby band scene of the late 1980s/early 90s. It was also great to read about streets and places I know well. I remember my late husband lending me a copy of a Spacemen 3 album when we first met in 1992. I was impressed. Will Carruthers is a fine writer and there are plenty of comedy moments in the book. He captures the essence of British counter-culture of the time and brings colourful and memorable characters to life. Both my husband and son belong to the present-day Rugby band scene and how things have changed!
May 9, 2018
Any book that starts with the author making Viking sounds in a Land Rover is going to hook me in quickly.
I was never a huge fan of Spacemen3 or Spiritualized, but Will Carruthers has had me exploring their music.
This is an honest and frank summary of his experiences in bands. There are moments of joy and humour, juxtaposed with gloomy and sad tales.
I’d recommend this highly, he writes candidly and effusively
I was never a huge fan of Spacemen3 or Spiritualized, but Will Carruthers has had me exploring their music.
This is an honest and frank summary of his experiences in bands. There are moments of joy and humour, juxtaposed with gloomy and sad tales.
I’d recommend this highly, he writes candidly and effusively
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February 9, 2022I like Will's style and ethic. He clearly was in the music business for the right reasons. Not for the business but for the music. and the experiences. While i love the descriptions of fending off fireballs while on stage (on acid) --he doesn't glamorize drug use, clearly it took its toll. A good read, and spaceman three is a ban worth giving a listen --who knew there was a british band along the lines of sonic youth...
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