Book Review: Mark Stanway – ‘Close To The Mark’
Sunday, 25 October 2015 03:30
Mark Stanway – ‘Close To The Mark: Nearly 40 Years Of Behind The Scenes Fun & Madness’ (Stanbo Books)
When it comes to biographies you usually get the blow by blow type where the person is born – maybe even a pre-birth history of parentage – then you get the first memory (usually from an age I can never ever remember) then school, first love, starting a band, eight chapters on failed first bands, etc., etc., then by the time you get to the parts you’re interested in you already can’t be bothered… or there is the Mark Stanway style of writing an autobiography.
Sure it’s not seven hundred pages of chapter and verse but what it is is a wonderfully chosen muse through some of his fondest and side-splitting passages in music. I’ll level with you right here – I have never been a fan of Magnum nor was I even familiar with any of his previous work outside his playing with Tyla from The Dogs D’Amour. I knew he worked with Phil Lynott but that was it as far as my ignorance goes. Well, let me tell you here and now that once I opened this book I couldn’t put it down such was the quality of Mark’s writing and the stories he tells really strike a chord (ouch) with me and he has a new fan because the first thing I did was plenty of research on his work/ I’m still not a Magnum fan but his tales of rock and roll are superb and once submerged in the book he really brings to life the situations and on many occasions had me laughing out loud as I rooted for him and his bands to do well.
It’s like one of your mates has ordered the first round of drinks and you pull up a chair near the roaring fire in some country pub then Mark sits down and begins: Tales of expensive Trevor Horn pianos worth more than houses; being knocked out in venues around the UK; skiing accidents on exclusive mountains; meeting rock royalty; having members of Queen produce your records; maybe now like me you’re starting to get the picture?
The book also has a multitude of great pictures (not the ones of Magnum tattoos) – the ’80s and hard rock was a world away from anything that normal people would recognize and successful rock bands seemed to live the life we see in films with limos and arctic trucks, party after party and foreign travel that would have Judith Chalmers blushing with envy.
His pyro story when touring with the Tygers of Pan Tang is a belter and real Spinal Tap territory is trodden on. I remember Mark’s time touring with Tyla and this gets a mention and his tour bus golf story is yet another laugh out loud moment and anyone who ever followed The Dogs D’Amour will appreciate this chapter – absolute gold dust and the way Mark tells his stories is a real gift as the passages and stories flow, but don’t read them on the bus or expect some funny looks as you chuckle loudly.
The parts of the book that I originally thought would get me hooked didn’t disappoint and Mark’s time with Lynott in Grand Slam are well regaled and his first hand accounts are again captivating; I mean who else can tell a story about going shopping with Gary Holton and Phil Lynott and manage to get Barbara Woodhouse in on the story? Brilliant stuff. It’s incredible to picture a car being stopped in Soho and subsequently the driver (Mr. Mark Stanway) being nicked and, oh yeah, by the way in the nick was Phil Lynott, Mark’s wife – who was a singer with Culture Club (at the time) – and a pocket full of money, which was thousands of pounds!!! Oh, and a mouthful of drugs of course; as you were, folks – as you were, ha, ha, ha!
Mark’s eye for detail is remarkable considering the time scale these stories come from and the lifestyle that was being lived and often 100 miles an hour and running to stand still for long periods is a major triumph on Mark’s part. It’s brief and to the point and clocking in at just over a hundred pages is a superb read for anyone who loves stories about being in a band. Obviously if you’re a fan of any of the bands Mark played in then this will be a most excellent accompaniment to the music. Mark is both engaging and highly entertaining and might I add comes across as very modest which considering what he has achieved is no small feat. If like me you love a good name dropping rock and roll tale then this book has plenty.
I’d love to read a second volume form Mark ‘The Hand’ Stanway as his style of writing is really enjoyable, easy on the eye and most engaging – ‘Close To The Mark’ is a must-read rock and roll tome. His tales are varied and mostly light hearted – his company (for the most part) is hilarious; often without knowing it but almost forty years of rocking and rolling it’s wonderful that Mark has so many great stories of how great and mental this business can be. More please Mark – Class! Buy it!
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