Some New Kind of Kick: A Memoir

Kid Congo openly and graciously gives his co-author Chris Campion all the credit he truly deserves, whereas most musicians writing memoirs use ghostwriters, dishonestly accepting all the praise for having written them. It’s a fast-paced read because the writing is top-notch, every sentence perfectly constructed, the story told in an interesting and orderly fashion with no extraneous details – a real treat to read.Just as you’re thinking what a charmed life he’s led, he even admits so himself. Fortunate to have had a wonderfully supportive family with no traumatic childhood experiences (except for a death of a friend as a teenager), Kid Congo was in all the right places at all the right times. But he was also gifted at making and keeping friends, apparently a very likable guy, which he also comes across in the book as.With no experience playing guitar or even having the desire to want to be a musician, he was asked to join three of the coolest underground punk/post-punk bands around at the time – The Gun Club, The Cramps and The Bad Seeds. Obviously very intelligent and a quick learner, he quickly went from being a fan of other bands to becoming an accomplished musician himself.There’s no TMI moments, with just enough details given to describe experiences. He’s honest about his time spent with Jeffrey Lee Pierce, notorious for being a real ogre to deal with, but there’s no blatant bashing of anyone. Kid has a real positive outlook on life even with his brief descents into the drinking and drug scene. There’s no self-pity about any of his life, and he accepts the fact that his solo band projects don’t fare too well, as it’s obvious his luck lays with the already established bands.The story does not go up until the present-day, but it does wrap up nicely with a quick explanation as to what he’s been doing in lieu of continuing to play in bands. I liked Kid Congo from the very start and that did not change one bit throughout the entire book. A book you don’t want to end is a book that is a real treat to read.

This is an Awesome and Important read about a Killer guitar player that has been in 3 killer bands... The Cramps... The Gun Club... The Birthday Party...

Disclaimer: I've known Kid Congo since he was called Brian Tristan.I love all the bands he played in [Cramps & Gun Club & Pink Monkey Birds] & shared many memorable evenings w him. Only have hilarious memories of running the streets w him as he was & is fearless as well as a true gentleman which comes thru in these wild & wooly tales of the just-say-yes-to-anything & everything punk rock days in L.A. in the 80's & more as told in this book.I love this book. It has a bit of comedy, tragedy & anecdotes nobody could invent about the early days of LA punk rock & simply enjoying L.A. when there were the famed Hwd clubs like the Whisky but also downtown Chinatown clubs & the legendary Masque Club which was underground Hollywood Blvd in a dark cement basement. Cheap wonderful restaurants & impromptu gigs & ethnic street fairs of all kinds when LA was still a great place to live & life was quite manageable & fun even if you job hopped & took time off for artistic &/or musical endeavors you could be truly free. Kid describes it all to a T in this wonderful book.Kid brings all the flavors of being brought up in Mexican-American 'hoods of L.A. as well as being one who flew his freak flags & gay flags higher than his hairdos which were among the highest! One night I remember he was on stage at the Starwood w a cigarette hanging out of his mouth & his hair caught on fire since due to all the Aqua-Net his hair was highly flammable! Kid did not know his hair was on fire & kept on playing like a trouper while the crowd screamed! Fortunately someone threw a leather jacket over his head & extinguished the flames [phew].Highly recommend this book by a very witty writer w a heart 'o' gold.

I love Kid Congo and have seen many of his bands. It was an easy yet interesting read. Rock on, Kid!

An honest and amazingly well written memoir from one of the most enigmatic men in music. I had no idea this was coming out, so it was an extra treat to be able to read this. He is the real deal and his viewpoint really takes you there. A blast from the past that feels as fresh as tomorrow. Thank you for doing this book.

Kid Congo Powers (Brian Tristan) is a Los Angeles legend who made, and continues to make, some of the greatest popular music ever. His description of the L.A. punk scene that began in the mid/late '70s is unvarnished and thoroughly authentic. His story of redemption from the clutches of drug and alcohol addiction is inspirational and reminds one that just about the only people to survive that scene are clean and sober today. A wonderful achievement of a book.

I was waiting for this book to come out and it definitely did not disappoint! If you’re a fan of Kid Congo Powers, The Gun Club, The Cramps or Nick Cave and the Bad seeds, this is a must read! Such a great dive into the life of one of the most iconic musicians of this time.

I absolutely adore this book! It's written with such honesty and candor. Also having experienced some of the same scenes and knowing some of the characters is a treat. We are the same age so I can also really identify with the early musical inspirations. Far out Kid!!

Arrived quick. New condition. Also a great read.

It tells an interesting story band makes you feel you were there.

This is an amazing tale - told by Kid Congo himself- of a life fully being lived. His grand sense of camp and irresistible humour are in fine form (as always). Love this! Highly recommend!

Great Book

Wow what a rock and roll legend. Brilliant read