By his own admission, BOFF WHALLEY is of only average ability as a guitarist. However, he's a brilliant writer, and "Footnote" - his far too modestly titled autobiography/ story of his band, the infamous CHUMBAWAMBA - is one of the best rock-related books your correspondent has stumbled upon: up there with the similarly shambolic "Songs They Never Play On The Radio", the hilariously tragicomic biog of the doomed Nico written by her jobbing pianist James Young.
Thankfully, the Chumbas story is dominated by subversive set-pieces and a dogged determination to remain a thorn in the authorities' collective side rather than the junk culture Young is forced to contend with in his Nico memoir and "Footnote" has a far happier, story-still-in-progress outcome. It's a tale of naivete, courage in the face of adversity, shooting yourself in the foot repeatedly and still having the humility to laugh about it all. Oh, and also about creating some cool music that's always remained in touch with the band's anarcho-punk ideals.
"Footnote" also does a good job in deconstructing some of the myths surrounding Chumbawamba. For one thing, your reviewer always thought of them as a quintessential Leeds band, but while they've always been based in the city, most of the personnel (Boff, Alice Nutter, Lou Watts and the inimitable Danbert Nobacon - referred to here mostly as simply "Dan") actually hailed from East Lancs textile stronghold Burnley. Boff himself comes from strong Mormon stock and the religious issue is an essential factor in his early life - at least before Punk Rock hits Burnley like a meteorite.Well, almost.
The other important myths to be blown apart are those relating to the Chumbas much-publicised allegiance to the Crass school of communal living: something which even now blights the band. Yes, they did experiment with communal living at their pad, South View House in Armley, Leeds, for many years and they did become vegetarian by and large, but it was all carried out with typically bluff Northern aplomb and was always far more inclusive than the hardline, herbal-tea aesthetic synonymous with Crass. Besides, Chumbawamba moved on (and continue to do so) musically, which is why they remain relevant today.
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In any case, even if you don't much relate to the Chumbas musically, "Footnote" will have you engrossed and often in stitches. Whalley's prose is witty, pithy and concise and delivered in a style Graham Greene would have approved of. You can tell he has previous journalistic experience and draws brilliantly on numerous classic anecdotes from the band's nigh-on 20 years together.
I won't spoit too much of the content for you, but several of this writer's favourite stories include Danbert Nobacon's magnificently doomed coast-to-coast walk armed with blister-friendly rubber-soled boots, the Chumbas hilarious Garry Bushell-baiting spoof Oi band who recorded a song called "I'm Thick" with the Cockney Rejects (who missed the joke entirely) producing in glorious ignorance of the fact they were having the piss regally ripped and - at the other end of the spectrum - Chumbawamba's emotional tour of gig-starved Poland. Anyone with even the faintest smattering of humanity can fail to be moved by Boff's recollection of a show the band played there.
A glorious, lop-sided celebration of Punk Rock, inter-band relationships, failed (and gloriously realised) musical experiments, Politics, fell-walking and - of course - the real story behind the infamous John Prescott incident and the time when Chumbawamba briefly flirted with the spotlight of the World's paparazzi, "Footnote" beats most of the recognised 'serious' rock tomes out there hands down in terms of humanity, insight and genius, fast-moving prose, while quoting from Oscar Wilde, Lenin, the Swell Maps and 'Spinal Tap' en route. It's a blast from cover to cover and I doubt you'll unearth a better read all year.
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