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Pain & Plenty of It!: A Doorman's Tale...
PAIN & PLENTY OF IT! is an unvarnished account of a decade spent working as a doorman in the rough, tough world of Liverpool and North-West clubland... In PAIN & PLENTY OF IT! Joe Owens recounts brushes with dangerous drug-dealers, assorted hard-cases, street-fighters, bullies and bad cops. Arrested and questioned over a string of gangland slayings, charged and acquitted over the murder of Liverpool Taxman George Bromley, Joe Owens was driven from the Liverpool Club scene. This is his story…
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2017
22 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 28, 2019
It is a challenge to review a book only half completed yet; here I am.
Joe Owens' "Pain and Plenty of It" is an account of his life as a young doorman in Liverpool. For those with a passing familiarity with similar think; Geoff Thompson with a Scouse accent. However, any similarities would end here. Whereas Thompson has attained acclaim in both the martial arts and literary spheres and I believe maintains a down-to-earth, easy to approach persona the same is unlikely to be said for Mr Owens whose writing gives early clues to his unpleasant far-right political leanings.
Joe Owens may very well be a tough fighter and accomplished martial artist however, he appears to let his community down with his BNP affiliations and hostility towards the African Caribbean community. As such, I am loath to recommend this book as to do so would place more money into the pocket of Mr Owens.
I can recognise that Mr Owens may well be both a product of his time and environment. His experiences may well have been shaped by circumstances beyond his control and in the future he may change his position, however I can only review what is in front of me at the time (albeit, partially read). That said, when I encounter thoughts expressed as such;
"They also resented (more accurately hated) the white power structure of the club, just as they do the power structure of the country. The liberal intelligentsia can wrap this up any way they want, use all the euphemisms in the world to make believe their multicultural dream is working. But when you’re out in the jungle the view is a lot different from the view from an ivory tower..."
I choose to part ways.
This is a white western English man who has spent many years learning and utilising Eastern martial arts such as Muay Thai (a martial art that did not originate on the streets of Liverpool). To this of course, Mr Owens might point out that for example Chinese and Japanese martial artists of old, often came from a nationalistic backdrop themselves, some refused to teach non Chinese / Japanese and so had even less truck with multiculturalism than he however; his own choice to study martial art systems devised by Asians long ago, surely make a mockery of such sentiment.
Purely taken as a piece of writing then, I would say that Mr Owens is able to tell a story. It is an interesting read. That is all. Personally, I don't like to know that I have given money to someone whose views I find fundamentally wrong in such an abhorrent way.
Joe Owens' "Pain and Plenty of It" is an account of his life as a young doorman in Liverpool. For those with a passing familiarity with similar think; Geoff Thompson with a Scouse accent. However, any similarities would end here. Whereas Thompson has attained acclaim in both the martial arts and literary spheres and I believe maintains a down-to-earth, easy to approach persona the same is unlikely to be said for Mr Owens whose writing gives early clues to his unpleasant far-right political leanings.
Joe Owens may very well be a tough fighter and accomplished martial artist however, he appears to let his community down with his BNP affiliations and hostility towards the African Caribbean community. As such, I am loath to recommend this book as to do so would place more money into the pocket of Mr Owens.
I can recognise that Mr Owens may well be both a product of his time and environment. His experiences may well have been shaped by circumstances beyond his control and in the future he may change his position, however I can only review what is in front of me at the time (albeit, partially read). That said, when I encounter thoughts expressed as such;
"They also resented (more accurately hated) the white power structure of the club, just as they do the power structure of the country. The liberal intelligentsia can wrap this up any way they want, use all the euphemisms in the world to make believe their multicultural dream is working. But when you’re out in the jungle the view is a lot different from the view from an ivory tower..."
I choose to part ways.
This is a white western English man who has spent many years learning and utilising Eastern martial arts such as Muay Thai (a martial art that did not originate on the streets of Liverpool). To this of course, Mr Owens might point out that for example Chinese and Japanese martial artists of old, often came from a nationalistic backdrop themselves, some refused to teach non Chinese / Japanese and so had even less truck with multiculturalism than he however; his own choice to study martial art systems devised by Asians long ago, surely make a mockery of such sentiment.
Purely taken as a piece of writing then, I would say that Mr Owens is able to tell a story. It is an interesting read. That is all. Personally, I don't like to know that I have given money to someone whose views I find fundamentally wrong in such an abhorrent way.
June 29, 2018
Pain and plenty of it
Great I site into this world of door men and the inmate skills they need to survive this "job" good little read - I am getting a greater invite into my sons life reading this book TH Joey Owens
Great I site into this world of door men and the inmate skills they need to survive this "job" good little read - I am getting a greater invite into my sons life reading this book TH Joey Owens
April 10, 2019
Twas okay.
As above. Not great, but equally not rubbish. Not sure as to giving it a recommendation, there are better reads available. Does pass the time though.
As above. Not great, but equally not rubbish. Not sure as to giving it a recommendation, there are better reads available. Does pass the time though.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews