Kevin Armstrong has played guitar for some of the biggest names in music from the mid1980s to the present day. From David Bowie and Iggy Pop to Thomas Dolby, Prefab Sprout and Sinead O’Connor, he has worked with many of the most diverse and fascinating talents on the planet.  

 

Kevin is still touring and recording today with the likes of Glen Matlock, Pete Murphy, fellow Bowie alumnus Carlos Alomar and Bowie-alumni supergroup Killerstar as well as producing a stream of critically acclaimed solo work. 

 

In his book – and hugely entertaining one-man show – ‘Absolute Beginner’, Kevin’s anecdotes, photos and videos drawn from half a century as a professional musician, writer, producer and bandleader give us an insight on how to survive in the fickle world of rock ’n’ roll. BeZer still, he accompanies the journey with thrilling solo performances of his own compositions alongside some of the epoch-making songs he’s performed and/or contributed to over the years. 

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www.kevin-armstrong.com/

A fascinating introduction to, and exploration of, the first and only authorised biography of

Mike Garson, the pianist who played alongside David Bowie more than any other (from 1972-2006) – told by Clifford Slapper, another internationally acclaimed pianist, producer and musical director. 

 

Clifford Slapper has performed, toured and recorded with a galaxy of stars including Boy George, Jarvis Cocker, Lisa Stansfield, Suggs (Madness), Marc Almond, Ute Lemper, Sophie

Ellis-Bextor, Dead Or Alive, Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes To Hollywood) … and David Bowie. So who better to tell us all about this unique book and its subject, a jazz pianist who took his unique sound from New York’s jazz dives to arenas worldwide with Bowie and other megastars.

 

Exclusively at the Hertford Literary Festival, Slapper will reveal the startling personal background to the book (‘Bowie's Piano Man’ 2018, Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard, USA) and will also premier material from his next album, out this summer, ‘Bowie Songs 2.0 by Clifford Slapper & Friends: the songs of David Bowie, reimagined for voice and piano’.

www.bowiesongs.com/

Already author of over a dozen books on popular music, Simon Goddard is over halfway through his proposed ten-book ‘Bowie Odyssey’ series chronicling the life and art of David Bowie against the social and cultural backdrop of the 1970s, year by year. So far, two volumes in the series have made the Sunday Times Books of the Year list.

 

In conversation with Darren Coffield, Simon will be discussing the Bowie Odyssey series – and in particular the latest volume: Number Six… Here’s a flavour of that we can look forward to!

 

‘With his first starring role in a feature film and his first number ones on both sides of the Atlantic, 1975 ought to be David Bowie’s golden year. But, away from the spotlight, the suave soul boy of Young Americans is tumbling into a self-made hell of cocaine, witchcraft and the dark fantasies of his new fascist alter-ego, the Thin White Duke. The sixth volume in

Simon Goddard’s epic adventure through Bowie’s greatest decade, ‘Bowie Odyssey 75’ is an intricately plotted tour de force of rock’n’roll, crime, punishment, politics, punk – and a cautionary tale of tragicomic addiction.’

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https://bsky.app/profile/bowieodyssey.bsky.social

Suzi Ronson was working in a Beckenham hair salon in the early seventies when Mrs Jones came in for her weekly shampoo and set. After being introduced to her son David and his wife Angie, Suzi finds herself at the Bowies' Bohemian apartment and is soon embroiled in their raucous world.

 

Having created his iconic Ziggy Stardust hairstyle, Suzi becomes the only working woman in David’s touring party and joins the Spiders from Mars as they perform around the globe.

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Amid the costume blunders, parties and groupies, she meets her husband-to-be, Mick Ronson, and together they tumble through the absurdities of life in show business, falling in with the likes of Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed along the way.

 

Suzi joins us at the festival to talk about her book, ‘Me and Mr Jones’, providing not only a unique perspective on one of the most beguiling stars of our time but also on a world on the cusp of cultural transformation, charming the highs and lows of her life, usually as the only woman in the room as it happened.

As his devoted fans know, David Bowie was so much more than a musical icon – he was a master of reinvention, drawing inspiration from an eclectic mix of sources to create something entirely new. In this fascinating talk, author Nick Smart explores how Bowie collected and repurposed ideas from art, literature, film, theatre, and beyond, shaping his ever-evolving persona and ground-breaking music. Based on exclusive interviews with Bowie’s friends and collaborators, this session offers fresh insights into the creative genius of one of the 20th century’s most influential artists.

 

A Bowie fan since 1979, Nick Smart is author of the book ‘David Bowie: The Collector’ and joint editor and designer of the popular fanzine, ‘David Bowie Glamour’ – and he’s interviewed and written articles on many of Bowie’s collaborators. He jointly curated the David Bowie World Fan Convention in Liverpool, 2022 and New York 2023 and, through his fanzine and convention, has created a substantial following of Bowie fans on social media.

He also holds a master’s degree in English and has two essays in a forthcoming academic collection about Bowie.

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https://nicksmart.net/

Rob Clydesdale is a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose music career has woven through iconic moments and creative spaces. As co-founder of the band 3D ECHO, he found himself recording at Queen’s studio in Montreux when David Bowie – drawn by the sound of them jamming upstairs – invited the band to collaborate on the soundtrack for ‘The Buddha of Suburbia’.

 

The sessions became an album – and a launchpad. Since then, Rob has produced artists across Europe and is now scoring feature films while building a production company focused on music for TV and cinema.

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https://www.clydesdalemusic.uk/