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Some New Kind of Kick
An intimate, coming-of-age memoir by legendary guitarist Kid Congo Powers, detailing his experiences as a young, queer Mexican-American in 1970s Los Angeles through his rise in the glam rock and punk rock scenes.Kid Congo Powers has been described as a “legendary guitarist and paragon of cool” with “the greatest resume ever of anyone in rock music." That unique imprint on rock history stems from being a member of not one but three beloved, groundbreaking, and influential groups—Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Cramps, and last but not least, The Gun Club, the wildly inventive punk-blues band he co-founded.Some New Kind of Kick begins as an intimate coming of age tale, of a young, queer, Chicano kid, growing up in a suburb east of East LA, in the mid-‘70s, exploring his sexual identity through glam rock. When a devastating personal tragedy crushes his teenage dreams, he finds solace and community through fandom, as founder (‘The Prez’) of the Ramones West Coast fan club, and immerses himself in the delinquent chaos of the early LA punk scene.A chance encounter with another superfan, in the line outside the Whiskey-A-Go-Go to get into a Pere Ubu concert, changes the course of his life entirely. Jeffrey Lee Pierce, a misfit Chicano punk who runs the Blondie fan club, proposes they form a band. The Gun Club is born. So begins an unlikely transition from adoring fan to lauded performer. In Pierce, he finds brotherhood, a creative voice, and a common cause, but also a shared appetite for self-destruction that threatens to overwhelm them both.Quirky, droll, and heartfelt, with a pitch-perfect evocation of time and place, and a wealth of richly-drawn supporting characters, Some New Kind of Kick is a memoir of personal transformation, addiction and recovery, friendship and belonging, set against the relentless creativity and excess of the ’70s and ’80s underground music scenes.
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Published October 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 28, 2022
A wild romp through the world of early punk rock, with a queer twist! Powers' evolutions from super-fan to star and from addict to non-addict follow patterns that are familiar to the point of being archetypical, but are still highly engaging because he's insightful and writes with a pithy flair. The book's one flaw is that a pivotal character - Jeffrey Lee Pierce, lead singer of Gun Club - doesn't quite come alive on the page as we never hear him speak directly. Powers can be witty and blithe, but he remains a humble fan, graciously mentioning by name all the musicians he's worked with and met. Anyone with an interest in musicians' bios could probably enjoy this book, but it will doubtless resonate especially well with queer punks who grew up in the '70s & '80s. Also, Kid Congo Powers, if you're reading this: yes you and I should go out on a date!
June 21, 2023
The only thing I love more than LA punk is books about LA punk and Kid Congo Powers has delivered what I consider a must-read. Kid had a knack for being in the right place at the right time and at various points in his career was invited to play guitar in The Gun Club, The Cramps, and The Bad Seeds. But his predilection for knowing when to step out goes all the way back to when he was a teenager hanging out at Rodney’s English Disco. If you know you’re LA punk history you know that many of the movers and shakers in the punk scene started out as a glam fans and Rodney’s was the place to be.
What I love about Some New Kind of Kick is that while Kid could have started with guitar lessons from Jeffrey Lee Pierce, he documents his fandom first: from writing music reviews in the school paper to being the West Coast President of the Ramones fan club. For this zine writer and LA punk fanatic, it makes Kid so much more relatable to know that he was a dedicated fan of the music before he became an essential part of it.
Kid has plenty to say about his involvement in various musical projects. He’s discrete in some places but doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to his drug use. He’s equally candid about Jeffrey’s many ups and downs and the book often reads like a tribute to his troubled friend.
During my event with Kid in Tempe, Arizona, I had the opportunity to ask him if there were any surviving rehearsal tapes from his days in Creeping Ritual, the band that would eventually become The Gun Club. He said not only are there tapes, but the audio quality is surprisingly good. So stay tuned…
What I love about Some New Kind of Kick is that while Kid could have started with guitar lessons from Jeffrey Lee Pierce, he documents his fandom first: from writing music reviews in the school paper to being the West Coast President of the Ramones fan club. For this zine writer and LA punk fanatic, it makes Kid so much more relatable to know that he was a dedicated fan of the music before he became an essential part of it.
Kid has plenty to say about his involvement in various musical projects. He’s discrete in some places but doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to his drug use. He’s equally candid about Jeffrey’s many ups and downs and the book often reads like a tribute to his troubled friend.
During my event with Kid in Tempe, Arizona, I had the opportunity to ask him if there were any surviving rehearsal tapes from his days in Creeping Ritual, the band that would eventually become The Gun Club. He said not only are there tapes, but the audio quality is surprisingly good. So stay tuned…
November 14, 2025
A very accurate history of Los Angeles and NYC music life. A very enjoyable read.
Read
January 11, 2023There's been a sudden rush of Bad Seed memoirs lately, but for all that I like Barry Adamson, Warren Ellis and Nick Cave himself, somehow Kid Congo Powers' seemed the most pressing. Not that they haven't all done good stuff outside the band, but come on, this guy was also in the Cramps, not to mention his own Gun Club. And it has a pleasingly off-kilter start when he wonders whether the misgendered neighbourhood of his upbringing – La Puente, when a bridge in Spanish should always be male – has something to do with how he turned out. Just as a memoir of growing up a gay Chicano at the dawn of LA's punk scene, it would be interesting even if none of the bands he'd been in had ever got beyond local shows – founding the LA fan-club for the Ramones, "the smartest, dumbest rock 'n' roll band there ever was", and getting to hang out with them; rooming with Bing Crosby's flamboyantly gay, prescription-forging grandson; fishing Debbie Harry out of a bush. Hell, even the first time he picks up an electric guitar is because he's ended up crashing with Lydia Lunch on a trip to New York and she wants to jam.
'"But I don't know how to play electric guitar," I told her.
"What? You think I do?"
Still, the book's nearly halfway through before a chance encounter with Jeffrey Lee Pierce in a queue, and a fairly similar conversation, leads to the not-yet Kid Congo joining his first band, who will become the Gun Club – the Ass Festival being among the more printable of the other names they could have had. Twenty pages after that he's been recruited into the Cramps; another twenty and that's fallen apart, ready for him to rejoin the Gun Club in Australia after yet another of their line-ups implodes. This might feel like short-changing material which someone else could have got three books out of, but really it's more a case of his not being a flashy prose stylist, not really working anything up into a bit, and knowing the stories are sufficiently bonkers to stand on their own. I mean, if you're going to Disneyland with Siouxsie Sioux, you don't need to work at selling that, do you? Also, of course, he was thoroughly off his face for many of these escapades, so it's a wonder he remembers as much as he does about plotting to murder Kim Fowley, or being ushered into a cupboard by Klaus Nomi. Which said, there is one encounter with Mark E Smith – backstage at the Hacienda, because of course it is – which feels like it's missing the resolution. As is normally the way with auto/biographies, it becomes less fun in its final stretch – even stopping well before the turn of the century, the deaths have started to mount up, and the drugs turn from lark to chore to a death trip only escaped thanks to the barely less depressing twelve steps. But one can hardly blame the Kid for entropy, and even as the darkness mounts in the closing chapters there are still some lovely moments.
'"But I don't know how to play electric guitar," I told her.
"What? You think I do?"
Still, the book's nearly halfway through before a chance encounter with Jeffrey Lee Pierce in a queue, and a fairly similar conversation, leads to the not-yet Kid Congo joining his first band, who will become the Gun Club – the Ass Festival being among the more printable of the other names they could have had. Twenty pages after that he's been recruited into the Cramps; another twenty and that's fallen apart, ready for him to rejoin the Gun Club in Australia after yet another of their line-ups implodes. This might feel like short-changing material which someone else could have got three books out of, but really it's more a case of his not being a flashy prose stylist, not really working anything up into a bit, and knowing the stories are sufficiently bonkers to stand on their own. I mean, if you're going to Disneyland with Siouxsie Sioux, you don't need to work at selling that, do you? Also, of course, he was thoroughly off his face for many of these escapades, so it's a wonder he remembers as much as he does about plotting to murder Kim Fowley, or being ushered into a cupboard by Klaus Nomi. Which said, there is one encounter with Mark E Smith – backstage at the Hacienda, because of course it is – which feels like it's missing the resolution. As is normally the way with auto/biographies, it becomes less fun in its final stretch – even stopping well before the turn of the century, the deaths have started to mount up, and the drugs turn from lark to chore to a death trip only escaped thanks to the barely less depressing twelve steps. But one can hardly blame the Kid for entropy, and even as the darkness mounts in the closing chapters there are still some lovely moments.
October 28, 2022
Kid Congo Powers has interacted with so many people that I admire and he has so many great stories, this book was a sheer pleasure to read.
December 14, 2022
What a life he’s lived, and keeps living. Beautifully told, with a wry sense of humor, describing the atmosphere and music and incredible details all though his life, from the music he danced to as a kid with his cousins to the brand name of the hair wax used in Nick Cave’s “Kicking against the Pricks” album cover photo. How he met Jeffrey Lee Pierce, which changed both of their lives and our lives too, through the music he played. Thanks for this book. I’m so glad he lived to tell it.
November 19, 2022
I really enjoyed Kid Congo's memoir! It reminded me a lot of Bobby Gillespie's fantastic autobiography from last year. Both books are rooted in their protagonists working class childhoods, their early obsessions with music and seamless transfer from fandom to careers in the business. In many ways, both artists were in the right place at the right time, receiving support and encouragement from existing musicians.
In Congo's case, early backing from Lydia Lunch and Siouxsie, for example, helps establish him as a well known presence on the burgeoning music scene in late 70s LA.
Powers tells a brutally honest story of the ups and downs of life in some of the most critically acclaimed Punk/Post-Punk band of the 1980s, giving fascinating portraits of three of the most iconic performers of the era, Lux Interior, Nick Cave and- in particular- Jeffrey Lee Pierce. The way in which his career ebbs and flows seemingly at the whim of Pierce and Cave explains a lot of the self-doubt and suffering that Powers describes in a book which is, in truth, a work of self-analysis and therapy.
There are also excellent details about life on the road, the recording process and the boredom and temptations on offer as part of a touring band.
At the end of the book, he gives one of the most generous, self-deprecating and honest lists of acknowledgements in any book I've read in a long time. It's actually very heartwarming!
Recommended for any one who grew up loving The Ramones, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and - especially - The Gun Club.
In Congo's case, early backing from Lydia Lunch and Siouxsie, for example, helps establish him as a well known presence on the burgeoning music scene in late 70s LA.
Powers tells a brutally honest story of the ups and downs of life in some of the most critically acclaimed Punk/Post-Punk band of the 1980s, giving fascinating portraits of three of the most iconic performers of the era, Lux Interior, Nick Cave and- in particular- Jeffrey Lee Pierce. The way in which his career ebbs and flows seemingly at the whim of Pierce and Cave explains a lot of the self-doubt and suffering that Powers describes in a book which is, in truth, a work of self-analysis and therapy.
There are also excellent details about life on the road, the recording process and the boredom and temptations on offer as part of a touring band.
At the end of the book, he gives one of the most generous, self-deprecating and honest lists of acknowledgements in any book I've read in a long time. It's actually very heartwarming!
Recommended for any one who grew up loving The Ramones, The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and - especially - The Gun Club.
June 5, 2025
Some New Kind of Kick es un notable libro de memorias. A la manera de obras como Crónicas, de Bob Dylan, esta propuesta de Kid Congo Powers atestigua el auge de la escena punk y post punk durante los años ochenta, centrado ante todo en el verdadero protagonista del libro: Jeffrey Lee Pierce, cantante The Gun Club. Desde la música potente de The Gun Club hasta atinadas referencias a la cultura del fanzine, la mirada de Kid Congo es muy completa y fascinante. Su escritura es sencilla, pero hay un buen compromiso con el sentido del humor. Asimismo, hay páginas muy bellas sobre lo que es el proceso creativo de la composición y cómo el azar puede formar parte esencial de este. Finalmente, quizá sin proponérselo, las páginas avizoran problemas de carácter social, como la epidemia del sida y la violencia contra las mujeres. En resumen, es un gran libro para melómanos que se sorprenderán de todas las personalidades que aparecen por aquí: Nick Cave, Siouxsie Sioux, Swans, Ramones, Wim Wenders...
Recomiendo leerlo en inglés, ya que la traducción en español es terrible y perjudica la identidad del autor, en el sentido de que desaparece toda marca chicana de su escritura. De verdad que los españoles deberían tener prohibido traducir libros a su manera.
Del uno al diez: O c h o
Recomiendo leerlo en inglés, ya que la traducción en español es terrible y perjudica la identidad del autor, en el sentido de que desaparece toda marca chicana de su escritura. De verdad que los españoles deberían tener prohibido traducir libros a su manera.
Del uno al diez: O c h o
April 6, 2025
This is a book for music lovers. Kid Congo's book offers great insights into the influence music can have on a life. How music was an escape from grief after the shooting of his cousin as a young teenager. How music lead Brian into a world of belonging, exploration, friendships and fandom. There are hilarious tales of partying with the Ramones (Debbie Harry falling into a bush wasted), and the early days of fan clubs run by grass roots super fans. It's hard to imagine now.
Music and friendship changed the course of Kid Congo's life. While waiting in a queue to see Pere Ubu, fellow music lover Jeffrey Lee Pierce suggested they start a band and offered him a guitar. He seems destined to be in the right place at the right time to be offered incredible opportunities - working with a range of incredible musicians. There are stories of his time in The Gun Club, The Cramps, The Bad Seeds and solo work. We are given insights into the creative process, traveling the world as a musician, addiction to alcohol and drugs and and navigating all these worlds as a queer punk.
Kid Congo speaks with great love and affection for most people in the book. I'm left with the opinion he'd be a great person to have a cup of tea with and chat about his life. He's lost many people to addiction or HIV/AIDS. He's shown great care for people but also treated others poorly when consumed by his addiction. This book is written through wise older eyes. Through a kindness to your younger self. Through the lens of someone who has done 12 step programs and counselling to understand and battle demons. It's a book of humour, love and wonderful storytelling. There are so many famous names it's hard to keep track. What a truly remarkable life. I just wish there had been more, with the book continuing to his present Pink Monkey Birds band. Maybe there's more to come in the world of Kid Congo Powers.
Music and friendship changed the course of Kid Congo's life. While waiting in a queue to see Pere Ubu, fellow music lover Jeffrey Lee Pierce suggested they start a band and offered him a guitar. He seems destined to be in the right place at the right time to be offered incredible opportunities - working with a range of incredible musicians. There are stories of his time in The Gun Club, The Cramps, The Bad Seeds and solo work. We are given insights into the creative process, traveling the world as a musician, addiction to alcohol and drugs and and navigating all these worlds as a queer punk.
Kid Congo speaks with great love and affection for most people in the book. I'm left with the opinion he'd be a great person to have a cup of tea with and chat about his life. He's lost many people to addiction or HIV/AIDS. He's shown great care for people but also treated others poorly when consumed by his addiction. This book is written through wise older eyes. Through a kindness to your younger self. Through the lens of someone who has done 12 step programs and counselling to understand and battle demons. It's a book of humour, love and wonderful storytelling. There are so many famous names it's hard to keep track. What a truly remarkable life. I just wish there had been more, with the book continuing to his present Pink Monkey Birds band. Maybe there's more to come in the world of Kid Congo Powers.
November 22, 2022
I bought the first Gun Club record when it came out. It had a unique sound, sort of blues but something else as well, a sinister vibe. Later I bought The Cramps "Psychedelic Jungle" which is still one of my favorite records, full of humor and weirdness and garage rock splendor. When "Tender Prey" came out I bought that too. I'd seen "Wings of Desire" and was totally awed by The Bad Seeds performance in the film. Years later I saw Kid Congo Powers perform a solo set in a bar in Washington, DC. Awhile later he formed The Pink Monkey Birds. He was living in DC and working in a record store (where I bought the Captain Beefheart album"Mirror Man" from him). He was/is a sweet and friendly soul, just like the voice that comes though this autobiography. His book is an enjoyable read with interesting stories and details about the musicians he worked with. To be gay and brown in the macho white world of rock was unusual at the time. The only downside to the book is that the story of a junkie is never very interesting because addiction is repetitive and erases the personality.
April 5, 2023
Superb! If you’re even slightly interested in the history of LA punk (and well beyond) this is a must read. Kid Congo has touched so many people in his lifetime and continues to thrive as an interesting person and artist. It’s an engaging read that really sucks you in and leaves you wanting more.
April 4, 2023
Read this cover to cover in two days. Absolutely loved it! I’m not good at reviews but if you love punk and outsider artists, this is the book for you 💜
May 9, 2023
The first half of the book, I was nearly crying with jealousy. Kid Congo was at the epicenter of such an exciting time in music and culture and grew up right around the corner from the heart of the LA music scene. As if that’s not enough he also ended up being a major part of three of my favorite bands: The Cramps, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and of course the Gun Club. I was blown away by the degree of individuality he & his friends/fellow musicians expressed. Listening to the music and feeling it is one thing but reading about it from someone who was really there is another. In such a conservative, tight-lipped time it is really difficult to imagine that kind of personal and artistic freedom. Worth a read alone if you’re a music fan, he lists SO many cool songs and artists that influenced these bands. Loved learning what 5 songs basically molded the Gun Club.
The second half of the book had its sad moments, still lots of great (and hilarious) stories (my favorite: JLP and his samurai sword) but all the heroin was such a destructive force along with AIDS. God the heroin….the bit when Nick Cave shoots up just to get a rise out of someone was pretty dark. Gets nauseating and downright depressing to see such brilliant people destroying themselves. Addiction is horrible. I’m glad Kid Congo was able to weather the storm - PS the pink monkey birds are amazing!
The best part of the book for me was learning about Kid Congo’s friendship with Jeffrey Lee Pierce, especially how they met outside the Pere Ubu concert (I wonder if that would have happened today, most concerts I go to now everyone is on their phones before the show….). Totally crazy how Kid Congo was running the Ramones fan club and JLP was running Blondie’s. Talk about destiny. By the end I was crying happy tears, just thankful that these guys were able to create the music they did with the time they had. LOVED getting insight into their relationship and learning where the music came from.
Amazing story that anyone who is interested in punk needs to read. I will never be the same.
The second half of the book had its sad moments, still lots of great (and hilarious) stories (my favorite: JLP and his samurai sword) but all the heroin was such a destructive force along with AIDS. God the heroin….the bit when Nick Cave shoots up just to get a rise out of someone was pretty dark. Gets nauseating and downright depressing to see such brilliant people destroying themselves. Addiction is horrible. I’m glad Kid Congo was able to weather the storm - PS the pink monkey birds are amazing!
The best part of the book for me was learning about Kid Congo’s friendship with Jeffrey Lee Pierce, especially how they met outside the Pere Ubu concert (I wonder if that would have happened today, most concerts I go to now everyone is on their phones before the show….). Totally crazy how Kid Congo was running the Ramones fan club and JLP was running Blondie’s. Talk about destiny. By the end I was crying happy tears, just thankful that these guys were able to create the music they did with the time they had. LOVED getting insight into their relationship and learning where the music came from.
Amazing story that anyone who is interested in punk needs to read. I will never be the same.
November 24, 2022
An essential read for anyone interested in punk from the late 70s to the late 80s and into the early 90s.
Kid Congo Powers has led a fascinating, often turbulent life, chronicled here in its highs and lows, with warmth and a mischievous sense of humor. From punk LA to No New York-era NYC, to London (where he just happened to see The Slits play the Vortex), Kid seems to have been in the right place at the right time, and jumped into it with both feet. He’s known primarily for his time with The Gun Club, the Cramps, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and there are plenty of anecdotes about those legendary bands, but his story is gripping from the get go, with plenty of adventure before he even picks up a guitar. He experiences loss, pain, and addiction, and you really want everything to turn out well for him, even as you know that Jeffrey Lee Pierce will implode, and that AIDS will ravage the LGBTQIA community in LA and everywhere else. Not to spoil things, but he does sort himself out, and your happy for him when he does.
This memoir is a great read, with the added benefit (for me at least) of hearing about some bands and personalities that were previously unknown to me. Highly recommended.
Kid Congo Powers has led a fascinating, often turbulent life, chronicled here in its highs and lows, with warmth and a mischievous sense of humor. From punk LA to No New York-era NYC, to London (where he just happened to see The Slits play the Vortex), Kid seems to have been in the right place at the right time, and jumped into it with both feet. He’s known primarily for his time with The Gun Club, the Cramps, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and there are plenty of anecdotes about those legendary bands, but his story is gripping from the get go, with plenty of adventure before he even picks up a guitar. He experiences loss, pain, and addiction, and you really want everything to turn out well for him, even as you know that Jeffrey Lee Pierce will implode, and that AIDS will ravage the LGBTQIA community in LA and everywhere else. Not to spoil things, but he does sort himself out, and your happy for him when he does.
This memoir is a great read, with the added benefit (for me at least) of hearing about some bands and personalities that were previously unknown to me. Highly recommended.
May 20, 2022
I'm not one to judge someone's lived experiences. But the writing style in this book just wasn't my vibe. It was super repetitive, and I felt like it didn't even talk about the author's life all that much.
December 4, 2022
good fun
January 24, 2023
Funny and interesting. A good insight into LA, London, New York and Berlins music and drug scene. Enjoyed a lot.
May 21, 2025
If there is anybody out there who is cooler than Kid Congo Powers, I sure would like to know who they are. He was Ground Zero at the Punk scenes in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and then was in on the scenes in New York and London. Later, he went out to Berlin and hung out with Wim Wenders. For someone who didn't even pick up a guitar until after he was already a smackhead, he remarkably managed to play guitar in Gun Club, The Cramps, and The Bad Seeds. An amazing life, Punkier than Thou.
December 28, 2022
I loved this memoir. It was very readable and fun. It made me feel like I was listening to Powers tell stories as we sat around. Glad I bought it and read it.
January 24, 2023
I love Kid Congo and I love punk rock memoirs, so reading this was a double plus good for me. BUT, I want more! It is a fairly slim volume and I would have loved to know more about the glam and punk scenes in LA from Kid's POV. It read a bit disjointed and underdeveloped at times, but maybe that's the nature of covering a FULL life.
September 16, 2022
4 stars
This will be quick.
A story about the repeated rises and falls of a young gay Mexican- American boy from a poor upbringing. He wanders through his life on sex, drugs and booze, while learning to play guitar and co-founding a punk rock band, The Gun Club. He was also a member of the Cramps, which garnered him the most fame.
Along the way, the AIDS disease strikes, claiming a number of his friends and sexual partners. Luckily, he remained uninfected.
A good read for those into self-destructive behavioral patterns, punk/glam rock and a unique coming-of-age story. Kid Congo Powers currently the front man for Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds.
This will be quick.
A story about the repeated rises and falls of a young gay Mexican- American boy from a poor upbringing. He wanders through his life on sex, drugs and booze, while learning to play guitar and co-founding a punk rock band, The Gun Club. He was also a member of the Cramps, which garnered him the most fame.
Along the way, the AIDS disease strikes, claiming a number of his friends and sexual partners. Luckily, he remained uninfected.
A good read for those into self-destructive behavioral patterns, punk/glam rock and a unique coming-of-age story. Kid Congo Powers currently the front man for Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds.
April 9, 2022
Amazing!
May 18, 2022
I received this arc in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I found this to be a whirlwind of names and bands along with the journey of sexual identity and drug use. I felt the narrative was a bit scattered for me. One moment, there's experiences with bands and traveling on tour, then it stop to talk vaguely on drug use and brief mention of sex. I think all of those things are great to explore in a memoir, but there was a lot of some aspects and not enough of others. And then I felt like some aspects were glossed over and never really given much depth other than a casual mention (coming to terms with finding your sexuality, recovering from drug use, family, dealing with death, diving into public stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, etc.). To be fair, family was more included in the beginning before the narrator became a journalist, but quickly dipped off to get to the band life and wandering from place-to-place life. Then it was inserted here and there later on, but it didn't have much of an impact for me. All the people mentioned didn't have an impact for me either other than Jeffrey Lee Pierce (with the exception of some family members). I didn't know the bands or their rotating roster of members, so it came more across as name-dropping than people who held a difference in shaping the narrator's life. Perhaps they did, but it was all a blur to me. It ultimately felt like a lot to tackle for one memoir in my opinion
I did thoroughly enjoyed the line at the end, "That was the thread running through all the art, music, literature, and culture we discovered and obsessed over together: the darkness and the light, the merging of the two to make a full spectrum of emotion and experience" (252).
I do feel like this book is worth giving a try if you're interested in the music scene.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I found this to be a whirlwind of names and bands along with the journey of sexual identity and drug use. I felt the narrative was a bit scattered for me. One moment, there's experiences with bands and traveling on tour, then it stop to talk vaguely on drug use and brief mention of sex. I think all of those things are great to explore in a memoir, but there was a lot of some aspects and not enough of others. And then I felt like some aspects were glossed over and never really given much depth other than a casual mention (coming to terms with finding your sexuality, recovering from drug use, family, dealing with death, diving into public stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, etc.). To be fair, family was more included in the beginning before the narrator became a journalist, but quickly dipped off to get to the band life and wandering from place-to-place life. Then it was inserted here and there later on, but it didn't have much of an impact for me. All the people mentioned didn't have an impact for me either other than Jeffrey Lee Pierce (with the exception of some family members). I didn't know the bands or their rotating roster of members, so it came more across as name-dropping than people who held a difference in shaping the narrator's life. Perhaps they did, but it was all a blur to me. It ultimately felt like a lot to tackle for one memoir in my opinion
I did thoroughly enjoyed the line at the end, "That was the thread running through all the art, music, literature, and culture we discovered and obsessed over together: the darkness and the light, the merging of the two to make a full spectrum of emotion and experience" (252).
I do feel like this book is worth giving a try if you're interested in the music scene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2023
If you were born in the late fifties or early sixties and fell into the punk or alternative scene, this book will be like a welcome home to a place you forgot that you left. Kid Congo Powers (born Brian Tristan) seemed to know everyone in that scene, West Coast or East, and he has stories about them all — nice ones, because he's a nice guy, and seems to have had a gift for friendship. And beyond the nostalgia trip, he provides a remarkably gentle memoir of what could be a rough milieu. The Kid bounced around between the Gun Club and the Cramps before winding up for a few years with Nick Cave's Bad Seeds, all bands with bigger-than-life personalities. There has to have been some conflict along the way, but the humble way he tells his story lets you imagine it must have been minor.
Not that the tale is without drama. There are deaths and drug addictions and dangerous situations aplenty, much of which Kid survived by pure chance. Still, part of me wants to believe that his apparent good luck is just the karma that comes to a person deeply inclined never to judge another person. A punk rock saint? Maybe. Enjoy the show!
Not that the tale is without drama. There are deaths and drug addictions and dangerous situations aplenty, much of which Kid survived by pure chance. Still, part of me wants to believe that his apparent good luck is just the karma that comes to a person deeply inclined never to judge another person. A punk rock saint? Maybe. Enjoy the show!
November 13, 2022
I got through this book on audiobook in two days. I’ve always loved Kid Congo and this book was great. I loved hearing about his early life as well as his trials and tribulations with the Cramps, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, and Nick Cave. I was touched and entertained by his friendships with Lydia and Siouxsie. I wish it could have been longer and provided more detail it seemed to jump quickly from 1989 to 1996 and then to present day. Perhaps many details were lost to time and/or heroin. Good dude! Good book!
March 4, 2024
Kid Congo Powers' deeply personal recollections of the LA punk scene's early/golden years and his own international adventures are equal parts humorous and heart-wrenching. Colorful figures, familiar and unfamiliar, are described so vividly it feels like they could be your own friends. I found myself teary-eyed through the last third of the book reading about how punk life, sex, and drugs took their toll on so many people. KCP forever, punk forever
April 11, 2023
This took awhile to get going. But there are (eventually) good stories, enough for me to forgive how chatty and gossipy this can be.
October 7, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this memoir and history of a glam and punk music musician and survivor.
Music never judges. People judge for the music that others listen to, but Music itself is always welcoming and accepting. Music wants to be enjoyed, to be sung and danced to, even when played in a way to make others feel bad, or even feel fear. Music doesn't know and Music doesn't really care. Outsiders have always found shelter in music, the scene, the fans, the players sometimes more accepting than families. These outsiders might prosper in the scene, enriching the scene with their talents, even if its only knowing one chord, or singing out of key. They want to give back all that they have received to help others feel safe. Kid Congo Powers is one of these outsiders and his book Some New Kind of Kick written with Chris Campion is about his live in music, his bands, his loves and his many losses.
Brian Tristan was born in California the son of Mexican American parents and a strong feeling of not belonging. Not knowing of familiar with his Mexican background, and looking not enough to be American, he was also gay which was something he did not understand, being which added to his alienation. Until he found music. And he world around it. A scene where he could dress like he wanted, be who he wanted and people supported him and loved him, and unfortunately introduced him to the world of drugs. Waiting on line for a show he met Jeffrey Lee Pierce who pushed him to learn guitar and together they would form a band The Gun Club. Soon he was approached to join the band the Cramps, an amazing band, when their guitarist went AWOL. In the Cramps he was given the nickname Kid Congo Powers, but tax problems and Kid's drug problems caused him to leave the band. Opportunity came in the form of joining Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and further adventures lay in wait.
A very good warts and all memoir about a man who helped in the creation of a lot of great music and has quite the resume. Kid is not shy about discussing anything in his life, good or bad, and knows a tremendous amount of people. This is not a dishy gossip piece, people are treated like people, some are good some are bad. There is a tremendous amount of loss cousins, friends, bandmates, parents, and Kid writes about this very powerfully, what these have done to him, and how he feels he should have done more. The section about him cleaning himself off of drugs, is my favorite, Kid seems so proud and happy, it really comes off the page.
A very good story about a nice guy who loved music, and admits he was very lucky about who he got to play it with. A nice look at the LA punk scene, plenty of fun stories about rock n' roll excess, even better stories about the power of music and how it helped Kid find who he is. Recommended for glam and punk fans, or for people who love music in general and love reading good stories about a good guy at peace with himself.
Music never judges. People judge for the music that others listen to, but Music itself is always welcoming and accepting. Music wants to be enjoyed, to be sung and danced to, even when played in a way to make others feel bad, or even feel fear. Music doesn't know and Music doesn't really care. Outsiders have always found shelter in music, the scene, the fans, the players sometimes more accepting than families. These outsiders might prosper in the scene, enriching the scene with their talents, even if its only knowing one chord, or singing out of key. They want to give back all that they have received to help others feel safe. Kid Congo Powers is one of these outsiders and his book Some New Kind of Kick written with Chris Campion is about his live in music, his bands, his loves and his many losses.
Brian Tristan was born in California the son of Mexican American parents and a strong feeling of not belonging. Not knowing of familiar with his Mexican background, and looking not enough to be American, he was also gay which was something he did not understand, being which added to his alienation. Until he found music. And he world around it. A scene where he could dress like he wanted, be who he wanted and people supported him and loved him, and unfortunately introduced him to the world of drugs. Waiting on line for a show he met Jeffrey Lee Pierce who pushed him to learn guitar and together they would form a band The Gun Club. Soon he was approached to join the band the Cramps, an amazing band, when their guitarist went AWOL. In the Cramps he was given the nickname Kid Congo Powers, but tax problems and Kid's drug problems caused him to leave the band. Opportunity came in the form of joining Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and further adventures lay in wait.
A very good warts and all memoir about a man who helped in the creation of a lot of great music and has quite the resume. Kid is not shy about discussing anything in his life, good or bad, and knows a tremendous amount of people. This is not a dishy gossip piece, people are treated like people, some are good some are bad. There is a tremendous amount of loss cousins, friends, bandmates, parents, and Kid writes about this very powerfully, what these have done to him, and how he feels he should have done more. The section about him cleaning himself off of drugs, is my favorite, Kid seems so proud and happy, it really comes off the page.
A very good story about a nice guy who loved music, and admits he was very lucky about who he got to play it with. A nice look at the LA punk scene, plenty of fun stories about rock n' roll excess, even better stories about the power of music and how it helped Kid find who he is. Recommended for glam and punk fans, or for people who love music in general and love reading good stories about a good guy at peace with himself.
September 12, 2024
It was June, and I was in Zia Records. They had a part of the store dedicated to LGBTQ+ products that ranged from movies to CD’s to books. My eye caught the cover of this peculiar book. I’m not going to lie, I bought it because he looked cute and alluring and mysterious all at the same time. I didn’t even know it was a memoir of the rockstar known as Kid Congo Powers. I knew I had to have it anyway.
Powers begins the tale of his extraordinary life with his upbringing as a gay Mexican American kid in an East LA suburb who started the first Ramones fan club. He would go from writing about music to playing music and indulging in every God forsaken vice known to man. He delved heavily into drugs and alcoholism, started multiple bands, couch surfed across the world, engaged in debauchery at every show, found love, had sex, lost love and friends, and juggled addiction, fame, and depression all before he was 30. And all of it is told in a fairly up front manner devoid of any kind of shame. Powers is incredibly honest with all the highs and all the lows, and there was plenty of both; literally and figuratively.
I felt the most interesting parts dealt with his teenage years as he accepted who he was as an out young gay man in the 70’s, being a huge fan of music, escaping his home to attend shows where he’d come home at the break of dawn, and dealing with the sudden loss of his beloved cousin due to gang violence. It’s a movie ripe for the making through the lenses of someone like Gus Van Sant or Larry Clark. His foray into the dark underbelly of Los Angeles’ music scene was incredibly fascinating. The second half of the book goes more into his years as a musician as he played musical chairs with MANY bands and delves deeply and honestly into his heroin addiction, the realization of self destruction, going cold turkey, making amends, relapsing, and repeat. It's truly fascinating stuff.
As someone who listens primarily to film scores and classical music, I found myself searching for bands that Powers name drops throughout the book. Through him, I was able to explore and discover new music, especially the bands he was a part of, including The Gun Club, Fur Bible, The Cramps, Congo Norvell, and The Pink Monkey Birds. I discovered the sub genre of music called rockabilly, which is something I unknowingly longed to hear more of but didn’t know what it was or how to explain it. Needless to say, my Spotify is now filled with saved songs I now love from those bands.
Some New Kind of Kick is humorous, honest, and hellish. Blending sorrow and beauty into an epic tale of sex, drugs, and punk rock while also being a dark coming of age story truly makes this a must-read book! It may have honestly single handedly opened up my horizon to biographies and memoirs.
Powers begins the tale of his extraordinary life with his upbringing as a gay Mexican American kid in an East LA suburb who started the first Ramones fan club. He would go from writing about music to playing music and indulging in every God forsaken vice known to man. He delved heavily into drugs and alcoholism, started multiple bands, couch surfed across the world, engaged in debauchery at every show, found love, had sex, lost love and friends, and juggled addiction, fame, and depression all before he was 30. And all of it is told in a fairly up front manner devoid of any kind of shame. Powers is incredibly honest with all the highs and all the lows, and there was plenty of both; literally and figuratively.
I felt the most interesting parts dealt with his teenage years as he accepted who he was as an out young gay man in the 70’s, being a huge fan of music, escaping his home to attend shows where he’d come home at the break of dawn, and dealing with the sudden loss of his beloved cousin due to gang violence. It’s a movie ripe for the making through the lenses of someone like Gus Van Sant or Larry Clark. His foray into the dark underbelly of Los Angeles’ music scene was incredibly fascinating. The second half of the book goes more into his years as a musician as he played musical chairs with MANY bands and delves deeply and honestly into his heroin addiction, the realization of self destruction, going cold turkey, making amends, relapsing, and repeat. It's truly fascinating stuff.
As someone who listens primarily to film scores and classical music, I found myself searching for bands that Powers name drops throughout the book. Through him, I was able to explore and discover new music, especially the bands he was a part of, including The Gun Club, Fur Bible, The Cramps, Congo Norvell, and The Pink Monkey Birds. I discovered the sub genre of music called rockabilly, which is something I unknowingly longed to hear more of but didn’t know what it was or how to explain it. Needless to say, my Spotify is now filled with saved songs I now love from those bands.
Some New Kind of Kick is humorous, honest, and hellish. Blending sorrow and beauty into an epic tale of sex, drugs, and punk rock while also being a dark coming of age story truly makes this a must-read book! It may have honestly single handedly opened up my horizon to biographies and memoirs.
January 5, 2025
Such an incredible read. Kid Congo narrates his life story to you like your life-long friends sat round a table and having a drink together. This memoir made me feel completely immersed within the 70s LA punk scene and I was born in 2005!
Originally, I picked this book up because I wanted to learn more about the history of The Cramps from a reliable source (information out there on the internet is scarce!) and this book was everything I had been searching for. Though KCP’s time in The Cramps was short-lived, I felt like I learnt everything I needed to through the one Cramps-dedicated section. We learn about his first time seeing The Cramps, his interactions with Bryan Gregory prior to replacing him, the process of becoming ‘Kid Congo Powers’, his pure admiration for Lux and Ivy (particularly their record collection!) and how he departed from the band. What more could you ask for?
Well, there’s not much more you could ask for, but KCP sure as hell still gives it to you. He’s the gift that keeps on giving. He gives us a timeline of his life as a curious, experimental teenager testing the waters of his sexuality and finding passion through music, to his plethora of stories as a young man playing in all the bands you could only dream of playing in. KCP regularly name drops icons from the 70s/80s punk scene which will make you green with envy and it’s what makes this such an interesting read. Not only do you get an insight into the lives of your favourite punk icons, you also are fed an abundant supply of bands that you may or may not have heard of before, that you have to make note of every other page you read so you can connect with Kid’s incredible taste in music that contributes to what his music has developed into today.
I have so much to say about this book, but if I had to narrow it down to my favourite parts, I would definitely say that Kid’s exploration of his queer identity is very refreshing. It’s raw, it’s honest and at times, it’s laced in humour. Kid’s personality really shines through when he talks about his queer identity and it’s very fascinating to see how his sexuality shaped the character he was as a teenager, as well as shaping a community of misfits just like himself in his social circle, making him a perfect fit for future bands like The Cramps.
If you’re a fan of The Cramps, The Gun Club, Nick Cave or are interested in the lived experiences of queer people in the 70s/80s then I believe this book is the perfect read.
Originally, I picked this book up because I wanted to learn more about the history of The Cramps from a reliable source (information out there on the internet is scarce!) and this book was everything I had been searching for. Though KCP’s time in The Cramps was short-lived, I felt like I learnt everything I needed to through the one Cramps-dedicated section. We learn about his first time seeing The Cramps, his interactions with Bryan Gregory prior to replacing him, the process of becoming ‘Kid Congo Powers’, his pure admiration for Lux and Ivy (particularly their record collection!) and how he departed from the band. What more could you ask for?
Well, there’s not much more you could ask for, but KCP sure as hell still gives it to you. He’s the gift that keeps on giving. He gives us a timeline of his life as a curious, experimental teenager testing the waters of his sexuality and finding passion through music, to his plethora of stories as a young man playing in all the bands you could only dream of playing in. KCP regularly name drops icons from the 70s/80s punk scene which will make you green with envy and it’s what makes this such an interesting read. Not only do you get an insight into the lives of your favourite punk icons, you also are fed an abundant supply of bands that you may or may not have heard of before, that you have to make note of every other page you read so you can connect with Kid’s incredible taste in music that contributes to what his music has developed into today.
I have so much to say about this book, but if I had to narrow it down to my favourite parts, I would definitely say that Kid’s exploration of his queer identity is very refreshing. It’s raw, it’s honest and at times, it’s laced in humour. Kid’s personality really shines through when he talks about his queer identity and it’s very fascinating to see how his sexuality shaped the character he was as a teenager, as well as shaping a community of misfits just like himself in his social circle, making him a perfect fit for future bands like The Cramps.
If you’re a fan of The Cramps, The Gun Club, Nick Cave or are interested in the lived experiences of queer people in the 70s/80s then I believe this book is the perfect read.
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