John Robb (musician)

Infobox musical artist
Name = John Robb


Img_capt = John Robb
Img_size =
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Background = solo_singer
Born = Fleetwood, Lancashire, UK
Died =
Instrument = Vocals
Genre = Spoken word punk rock
Occupation = Singer Songwriter TV pundit Radio DJ Author
Years_active = 1977 to present
Label =
Associated_acts = Membranes Goldblade
URL = [http://www.goldblade.com Official site]

John Robb (born in Blackpool, England) is vocalist in the punk rock band Goldblade. Based in Manchester, he frequently appears as a journalist/commentator on documentary/light entertainment music shows.

Robb was inspired by the DIY ethic of punk to form the critically acclaimed Membranes who released several albums in the 1980s. He then went on to write for the music paper "Sounds" and was the first person in the world to interview Nirvana as well as being the first to write about the new Madchester scene of the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays in Sounds music paper in the late eighties. He also coined the term 'Britpop' whilst writing for Sounds in 1989. [Sounds music paper 1989]

He is currently working on a history of Manchester Music book and a book about the eighties underground scene as well as developing ideas for TV. He is also the spokesperson for the upcoming Tony Wilson day in Manchester- the Tony Wilson Experience. His band Goldblade's latest album, 'Mutiny', was released in the fall of 2008.

He produced several bands, including in the mid-90s two singles by the Leicester three-piece Slinky as well as Therapy? and Cornershop who he also co-managed.

In the mid 1990s he formed Goldblade, who have released several critically acclaimed albums including 2005's successful "Rebel Songs" and toured the world a number of times, headlining punk festivals in Russia and America. At the same time Robb wrote the best selling biography of the Stone Roses, "Stone Roses And The Resurrection Of British Pop" (1996) and the best selling "Punk Rock: An Oral History" (2006) which has been translated into several different languages. He is constantly in demand as a "cultural commentator" and 'pop pundit' on TV and radio and has produced and presented an award winning ten part documentary on the history of punk rock. He also writes articles for the mainstream media.

In 2007 he judged and presented the award in a college battle of the bands at Blackpool Sixth Form College which used to be the Sixth Form centre for the high school which John attended.

In the summer of 2008 He was one of the organisers and mediators of the 2008 Tony Wilson Experience- a unique event in Manchester city centre to celebrate Tony Wilson and to inspire the invited audience to make their own culture. the event received worldwide attention.

In the summer of 2008 he was appointed visiting fellow and professor of popular culture at Salford University and also appointed to the board of the Manchester Dance Academy.

He is currently working on the definitive Manchester music book and a book about the Death To Trad rock scene of the mid eighties of the Membranes/Three Johns/Nightingales/Big Flame etc. and is acting in a new British film.

Television career

Robb has appeared as a pundit on many television programmes including Channel 4's "top 100" shows, BBC's "I Love the 60s/70s/80s/90s" series and "7 Ages Of Rock", as well as offering expert pop culture opinion on several TV debate shows and both BBC and Channel 4 news. He has been a regular contributor to Sky's "The Pop Years", and produced and presented a 10 part series on the history of punk rock. He also presented a 12 part guide to the arts in north west England.

Books

Robb has had several books published:
* "The Stone Roses And The Resurrection Of British Pop" (Ebury Press)
* "Noise Bible - Adventures On The Eighties Underground With The Membranes" (Thrill City)
* "The Soul Manual" (Ultimate)
* "The Charlatans: We Are Rock" (Ebury Press)
* "The Nineties: What The Fuck Was That All About" (Ebury Press)
* "Punk Rock: An Oral History" (Ebury Press)

Journalism

Robb has worked as a journalist for many years. He wrote for ZigZag in the 1980s, and was a regular freelance contributor to Sounds in the late 1980s, as well as writing for Melody Maker. He now writes for the Sunday Times, The Observer, The Guardian, The Independent, several websites, The Big Issue and several foreign magazines from Turkey to Algeria to America and Russia and Brazil.

External links

* [http://www.goldblade.com/ www.goldblade.com]
* [http://punkcast.com/3/ PUNKCAST#3] Goldblade live @ Accrington Town Hall, UK on December 19, 1997 (audio). (RealPlayer)
* [http://punkcast.com/341/ PUNKCAST#341] Goldblade live @ Southpaw, Brooklyn, USA on Oct 9 2003 (video). (RealPlayer)

References