Allan Jones is an award-winning British music journalist and editor. In 1974, he applied for a job on the UK’s best-selling music paper as a junior reporter, signing off his application with “Melody Maker needs a bullet up the arse. I’m the gun, pull the trigger”. He was editor of Melody Maker from 1984 to 1997 and until 2014 editor of music and film monthly Uncut.

• IntroductionLeonard Cohen: London, June 1974Tony Iommi: Iommi Mansions, Warwickshire, July 1974Van Morrison: Knebworth, July 1974Ray Davies: London, September 1974Roxy Music: Cardiff, September 1974KC and The Sunshine Band: London, October 1974Lemmy: London, January 1975John Martyn: Leeds, February 1975Dave Brock: Devon, February 1975Joe Strummer: London, February 1975Wayne Nutt: Aberdeen, March 1975Mick Ronson: Newcastle, April 1975Alex Harvey: Glasgow, September 1975Gordon Lightfoot: London, October 1975Be-Bop Deluxe: Shrewsbury, January 1976Patti Smith: London, May 1976Phil Lynott’s Mum: Manchester, August 1976Bryan Ferry: London, January 1977The Byrds: London, April 1977Angie Bowie: Somerset, April 1977Lou Reed: London | Stockholm, April 1977Olivia Newton-John: Lake Tahoe, Nevada, April 1977The Sex Pistols: London, May 1977Elvis Costello: London, June 1977The Sex Pistols: London, June 1977Stiff Records: London, July 1977The Mont De Marsan Punk Festival: Southern France, August 1977David Bowie: London, September 1977Dr Feelgood: Leicester, September 1977Nick Lowe: Glasgow, October 1977Gregg Allman and Cher: London, November 1977Nick Lowe: Finland, February 1978Tony Iommi: Glasgow, March 1978Elvis Costello: Belfast, March 1978Lou Reed: Philadelphia | New York, May 1978Kenny Everett: London, July 1978John Peel: London, August 1978The Legendary Ariola Juncket: New York |Los Angeles | Portland, August 1978Al Stewart: Los Angeles, September 1978The Clash: London, November 1978XTC: New York, December 1978The Boomtown Rats: Los Angeles | Atlanta | Dallas, January 1979The Clash: Cleveland | Washington DC, January 1979Mike Oldfield: Berlin, April 1979Lou Reed and David Bowie: London, April 1979Robert Fripp: Bournemouth, April 1979The Pretenders: Chester | Blackburn, July 1979The Searchers: Rhydyfelen, South Wales, November 1979Jerry Dammers: Hemel Hempstead, December 1979London Calling: Melody Maker HQ, December 1979Squeeze: Australia, February 1980Def Leppard: Glasgow, February 1980The Police: Bombay, March 1980The Police: Cairo, March 1980The Police: Milan, April 1980Elvis Costello | The Specials | Rockpile: Montreux, July 1980Monsters of Rock Festival: Castle Donnington, August 1980Ozzy Osbourne: Texas, March 1982Morrissey: Reading, February 1984Johnny Marr: Reading, February 1984R.E.M.: Athens, GA, June 1985Van Morrison: London, June 1986Eddie Grant: Barbados, October 1986Townes Van Zandt: London, October 1987Lou Reed: London, February 1989Neil Young: London, October 1989R.E.M.: Athens, Georgia, December 1991Warren Zevon: London, September 1992Bob Dylan: New York, October 1992Neil Young: London, October 1992Pearl Jam: New York, April 1994The Afterglow

This is a paean to a lost age of wild rock'n'roll and decadent rock'n'roll journalism

Allan Jones is an award-winning British music journalist and editor. In 1974, he applied for a job on the UK’s best-selling music paper as a junior reporter, signing off his application with “Melody Maker needs a bullet up the arse. I’m the gun, pull the trigger”. He was editor of Melody Maker from 1984 to 1997 and until 2014 editor of music and film monthly Uncut.

• IntroductionLeonard Cohen: London, June 1974Tony Iommi: Iommi Mansions, Warwickshire, July 1974Van Morrison: Knebworth, July 1974Ray Davies: London, September 1974Roxy Music: Cardiff, September 1974KC and The Sunshine Band: London, October 1974Lemmy: London, January 1975John Martyn: Leeds, February 1975Dave Brock: Devon, February 1975Joe Strummer: London, February 1975Wayne Nutt: Aberdeen, March 1975Mick Ronson: Newcastle, April 1975Alex Harvey: Glasgow, September 1975Gordon Lightfoot: London, October 1975Be-Bop Deluxe: Shrewsbury, January 1976Patti Smith: London, May 1976Phil Lynott’s Mum: Manchester, August 1976Bryan Ferry: London, January 1977The Byrds: London, April 1977Angie Bowie: Somerset, April 1977Lou Reed: London | Stockholm, April 1977Olivia Newton-John: Lake Tahoe, Nevada, April 1977The Sex Pistols: London, May 1977Elvis Costello: London, June 1977The Sex Pistols: London, June 1977Stiff Records: London, July 1977The Mont De Marsan Punk Festival: Southern France, August 1977David Bowie: London, September 1977Dr Feelgood: Leicester, September 1977Nick Lowe: Glasgow, October 1977Gregg Allman and Cher: London, November 1977Nick Lowe: Finland, February 1978Tony Iommi: Glasgow, March 1978Elvis Costello: Belfast, March 1978Lou Reed: Philadelphia | New York, May 1978Kenny Everett: London, July 1978John Peel: London, August 1978The Legendary Ariola Juncket: New York |Los Angeles | Portland, August 1978Al Stewart: Los Angeles, September 1978The Clash: London, November 1978XTC: New York, December 1978The Boomtown Rats: Los Angeles | Atlanta | Dallas, January 1979The Clash: Cleveland | Washington DC, January 1979Mike Oldfield: Berlin, April 1979Lou Reed and David Bowie: London, April 1979Robert Fripp: Bournemouth, April 1979The Pretenders: Chester | Blackburn, July 1979The Searchers: Rhydyfelen, South Wales, November 1979Jerry Dammers: Hemel Hempstead, December 1979London Calling: Melody Maker HQ, December 1979Squeeze: Australia, February 1980Def Leppard: Glasgow, February 1980The Police: Bombay, March 1980The Police: Cairo, March 1980The Police: Milan, April 1980Elvis Costello | The Specials | Rockpile: Montreux, July 1980Monsters of Rock Festival: Castle Donnington, August 1980Ozzy Osbourne: Texas, March 1982Morrissey: Reading, February 1984Johnny Marr: Reading, February 1984R.E.M.: Athens, GA, June 1985Van Morrison: London, June 1986Eddie Grant: Barbados, October 1986Townes Van Zandt: London, October 1987Lou Reed: London, February 1989Neil Young: London, October 1989R.E.M.: Athens, Georgia, December 1991Warren Zevon: London, September 1992Bob Dylan: New York, October 1992Neil Young: London, October 1992Pearl Jam: New York, April 1994The Afterglow

This is a paean to a lost age of wild rock'n'roll and decadent rock'n'roll journalism

Allan Jones is an award-winning British music journalist and editor. In 1974, he applied for a job on the UK’s best-selling music paper as a junior reporter, signing off his application with “Melody Maker needs a bullet up the arse. I’m the gun, pull the trigger”. He was editor of Melody Maker from 1984 to 1997 and until 2014 editor of music and film monthly Uncut.

• IntroductionLeonard Cohen: London, June 1974Tony Iommi: Iommi Mansions, Warwickshire, July 1974Van Morrison: Knebworth, July 1974Ray Davies: London, September 1974Roxy Music: Cardiff, September 1974KC and The Sunshine Band: London, October 1974Lemmy: London, January 1975John Martyn: Leeds, February 1975Dave Brock: Devon, February 1975Joe Strummer: London, February 1975Wayne Nutt: Aberdeen, March 1975Mick Ronson: Newcastle, April 1975Alex Harvey: Glasgow, September 1975Gordon Lightfoot: London, October 1975Be-Bop Deluxe: Shrewsbury, January 1976Patti Smith: London, May 1976Phil Lynott’s Mum: Manchester, August 1976Bryan Ferry: London, January 1977The Byrds: London, April 1977Angie Bowie: Somerset, April 1977Lou Reed: London | Stockholm, April 1977Olivia Newton-John: Lake Tahoe, Nevada, April 1977The Sex Pistols: London, May 1977Elvis Costello: London, June 1977The Sex Pistols: London, June 1977Stiff Records: London, July 1977The Mont De Marsan Punk Festival: Southern France, August 1977David Bowie: London, September 1977Dr Feelgood: Leicester, September 1977Nick Lowe: Glasgow, October 1977Gregg Allman and Cher: London, November 1977Nick Lowe: Finland, February 1978Tony Iommi: Glasgow, March 1978Elvis Costello: Belfast, March 1978Lou Reed: Philadelphia | New York, May 1978Kenny Everett: London, July 1978John Peel: London, August 1978The Legendary Ariola Juncket: New York |Los Angeles | Portland, August 1978Al Stewart: Los Angeles, September 1978The Clash: London, November 1978XTC: New York, December 1978The Boomtown Rats: Los Angeles | Atlanta | Dallas, January 1979The Clash: Cleveland | Washington DC, January 1979Mike Oldfield: Berlin, April 1979Lou Reed and David Bowie: London, April 1979Robert Fripp: Bournemouth, April 1979The Pretenders: Chester | Blackburn, July 1979The Searchers: Rhydyfelen, South Wales, November 1979Jerry Dammers: Hemel Hempstead, December 1979London Calling: Melody Maker HQ, December 1979Squeeze: Australia, February 1980Def Leppard: Glasgow, February 1980The Police: Bombay, March 1980The Police: Cairo, March 1980The Police: Milan, April 1980Elvis Costello | The Specials | Rockpile: Montreux, July 1980Monsters of Rock Festival: Castle Donnington, August 1980Ozzy Osbourne: Texas, March 1982Morrissey: Reading, February 1984Johnny Marr: Reading, February 1984R.E.M.: Athens, GA, June 1985Van Morrison: London, June 1986Eddie Grant: Barbados, October 1986Townes Van Zandt: London, October 1987Lou Reed: London, February 1989Neil Young: London, October 1989R.E.M.: Athens, Georgia, December 1991Warren Zevon: London, September 1992Bob Dylan: New York, October 1992Neil Young: London, October 1992Pearl Jam: New York, April 1994The Afterglow

This is a paean to a lost age of wild rock'n'roll and decadent rock'n'roll journalism