The biggest surprise this year was a book I found at Selexyz the day before I left on a holiday, while I was actually looking for a music mag to read in the car. It's called 'I play the drums in a band called okay'.
Page 1: "We are in a band called okay, lower case, italics."
When I'd finished the book and read the recommendations on the cover, I realised the writer, Toby Litt, hadn't been in a band called okay. Which I could've known if I had paid any attention because the drummer's (real) name is Brian and not Toby (thoughout the book he's referred to as Clap, though, I think that's why I never noticed)
At that moment I thought: Jesus Christ, Litt can write! Thoughout the book I was honestly in the illusion the book was autobiographical. One of the reviewers of I play the drums in a band called okay, (Peter Hook) wrote:
It's like he's been hiding under the beds in hotel rooms, in the corner of rehearsal rooms, in the toilets in bars, in the darkest corners of our minds, listening all the time.
I second that.
It feels like Clap is a real person. The drummer. The one with a conscience. The guy who sits in the corner, observing his fellow bandmates, philosophizing about random stuff. And not just Clap. The book makes it seem as if okay really did exist. Like you can find their record in every store or go see them live in your local venue. Their band lives.
"Our first meeting. I've told this too often in interviews. I know when I say about Syph dropping out of a tree in front of us, it's probably a story I made up years ago and now believe it's true. But I do believe it's true."
For this reason, I was very disappointed when I realized I would never be able to find okay's cd's anywhere, or meet Syph the charismatic leadsinger... or philosophize with Clap about Buddhism.
"Whatever- it makes it pretty hard to forget that the Buddha, like all men, was from time to time a fucker. Perhaps that's the point, exactly. Of course, this took place when he was an unenlightened being - but after he sat under the Budhi tree and became enlightened and saw whatever he saw, did he go back [to his wife]? Did he apologize? No - because he must have realized there was no reason to."
Whatever the reason may be, this book was such a good read that I'm actually recommending it to everyone I meet. Especially to people I've met during my holiday, while I was reading the book. Ask them. If you ever meet anyone who's talking about this book, they have probably met me. Especially when they highlight the bit about Syph leaving the japanese girl waiting in his room for a week. You should really read that chapter by the way..
