Find your way around the rock and pop landmarks of London – with Tony Barrell’s hip guidebook ROCK ’N’ ROLL LONDON

London has been the backdrop to many of the greatest moments and most notorious shenanigans of modern music. Take a trip around the city, hop off a bus or Tube and take a walk down a pavement somewhere, and it’s very likely you’ll be following the footsteps of musical royalty through the rich heritage of rock’n’roll.

Some of the sites scream out at you – the David Bowie mural in Brixton, the zebra crossing clogged with tourists in Abbey Road, St John’s Wood – but dozens of them are unrecognisable, anonymous and plaqueless. That restaurant you just passed in Chinatown was where Led Zeppelin had their very first ear-smacking rehearsal. That ordinary commercial premises in Piccadilly has a basement where Roxy Music recorded their otherworldly debut album. And that lovely old pub in North London is where Taylor Swift came all the way from America to shoot one of her videos.

So that’s where this book comes in. Take it with you when you go wandering around the capital, and you’ll quickly be able to locate and pay homage to the important places that played a part in rock’n’roll history. It’s very easy to get lost in this sprawling city, but with the Rock ‘n’ Roll London guide in your hand, you can get thoroughly lost in music instead.

The book is heavy on interesting, sometimes little-known facts about the creme de la creme of British rock

Here’s a recent review of my book:
“If you love rock ‘n’ roll stories, the famous and the infamous, this book is a perfect read that will not disappoint… The book is heavy on interesting, sometimes little-known facts about the creme de la creme of British rock, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Oasis, Blur and Amy Winehouse. It also features international stars like Madonna, Prince, Bob Dylan, Mama Cass and Nilsson. Some of the facts are well known, for instance, the location of where three members of the Rolling Stones took a pee outside a petrol station. Others are less well known, for instance, the pub which gave Mark Knopfler the inspiration for the classic ‘Sultans of Swing’, or information about the shop that Prince once opened in London.”
(fashion-mommy.com)

The work involved makes it clear that Tony Barrell is a music fan and thoroughly enjoyed compiling this book

Another reviewer wrote:
“Once the reader has become comfortable with the format of the book, the amount of research which it has involved becomes apparent. Here are nuggets of information which an internet search would not provide, and background knowledge which links properties; gives a contemporary update to the happenings of the 1960s and 70s or provides social and cultural background to the addresses. For example, did you know that Mama Cass of The Mamas and The Papas and The Who drummer Keith Moon were both 32 when they died at the same address four years apart, and that the flat was owned by singer Harry Nilsson? This is the level of detail found in ‘Rock ‘n’ roll London’, across a range of artists’ lives. In particular, fans of The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix could piece together a comprehensive history of the musicians in the city from these pages. The work involved makes it clear that Tony Barrell is a music fan and thoroughly enjoyed compiling this book. As a result, music — and especially music trivia — fans will enjoy reading and using it.”

UK readers can buy the book HERE.

The book is published by ACC Art Books, and is available in many other online bookstores across the world. I really hope you enjoy it. ♦

© 2019 Tony Barrell