Wolverhampton Literature Festival: Jonn’s Atomic Memoir Won’t Write Itself - review
Jonn’s Atomic Memoir Won’t Write Itself, Slade Rooms.
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin frontman Jonn Penney wants to write his memoirs but he has hit a problem.
He is uninspired. “I don’t inspire myself,” he says. “I am terrified staring at a blank sheet of paper.”
So to overcome this considerable writer’s block, Jonn decided to bring together a room full of Neds fans and music lovers in the hope he can assemble some material for his book.
As well as asking Jonn questions, the crowd were invited to share stories and provide the singer with some material for his currently blank pages.
As a pay off, Jonn and Ned’s guitarist Rat treated the crowd to a string of newly-interpreted acoustic versions of the band’s songs.
The guitarist also helped to ‘Rat-ify’ some of the stories and help answer questions with Jonn.
Jonn, who turns 50 this year, said: “The reason for the night is to revisit what everything meant that I did and to find out what you will be interested in hearing about. What my boys will be interested in hearing about.
“It is not my book, it is for my boys really. I know it’s not going to be a best seller.”
After last night in the Slade Rooms there should now be quite a few chapters penned in Jonn’s memoirs.
Prompted by the crowd’s questions he shared a host of anecdotes from the heyday of the Neds, talked about his highlights from the 1990s and was reminded of old faces and haunts.
Many of the audience had tales to tell from favourite performances – one superfan going to 124 gigs – to sharing times in Stourbridge before fame came calling to filming the video for Kill Your Television at Dudley JBs.
Jonn recalled his favourite gig being Glastonbury in 1992 while Reading in 1990 was a blur because of the ‘sheer terror’ of playing to such a crowd at that time.
The day after Reading they were on stage at 11am at a Belgium festival. “We just drank all night”, said Jonn.
The rock n roll times may be a little behind him now as Jonn sipped ‘pretentious’ peppermint tea with honey throughout the night.
He remembered meeting such stars as ‘the most orange man I’ve ever met’ Lionel Blair, being politely turned down by Annie Lennox when asked to sing with them, pushed down the stairs by Jimmy Savile and hugged by a sweaty Oliver Reed.
He is particularly proud of meeting Harry Secombe, who played Ned in the Goon Show, and getting him to sign a copy of NME the band were starring in.
During the evening Jonn was quite candid revealing how he had lost his confidence despite the success of God Fodder and had to consult a Harley Street doctor when he convinced himself he was unable to sing.
“It is ridiculous that you can be in a privileged position but I just lost my self belief,” he said.
With no guitar or prop, the always exuberant frontman Jonn seemed itching to jump out of his chair as he tackled the new acoustic numbers.
But though She’s Gone was raced through and Kill Your Television was a little odd and somewhat restrained, overall the reworked songs worked well.
There were a host of songs between the dialogue including Happy, Capital Letters and a particularly nice version of Grey Cell Green.
Trust proved a challenge with Jonn having to attempt it three times but eventually getting it right with the support of the crowd who were only too happy to sing along.
And there was a personal achievement for Jonn when he sang Spring for the first time since the Glastonbury appearance, after Blur frontman Damon Albarn damaged the monitors before the Neds took to the stage.
“I had no monitors. I butchered Spring, I could not hear anything to pitch in to. I lost my confidence and I haven’t been able to do it since,” he admitted.
“We are a family, we will help you”, one person shouted out.
The night was, indeed, like a family gathering. It was a night of nostalgia, of sharing memories and enjoying a chat with each other and Jonn. He asked for their help and the fans were only to happy to provide.
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin will be touring with The Wonder Stuff in March and April under the banner Love From Stourbridge.
