Paperback Writer
The man responsible for (fictional) murders in Ramelton and Camden Town was in Derry last week, telling us stories about Ray Davies, Jackson Browne and The Buzzcocks. is a music agent and a crime writer, two separate careers squeezed into one working day. On the face of it, agents and authors have little in common, apart from being on the same page of "The A to Z of Careers", although I'm sure the ability
to spin a yarn comes in handy when faced with a reluctant promoter and
an unknown band. He was in the Central Library for a book reading and a
Q&A session, with me having the task of interviewing him on account
of my sister works in the library and is older than me and I know
what's good for me. To be honest, she only asked because I know Paul
for longer than he or I care to remember, as The Undertones were
represented by his Asgard Agency from our first tour in 1978 until we
broke up in 1983.
Paul's own career started at the age of fifteen when he managed his schoolfriends' band 'Blues By Five' in Magherafelt. His office was the local phone box (that was the number on his business card) and he told us how someone would always call up to his house with a message when a promoter was looking for the band. He would run down to take the call, apart from those occasions when his mother wouldn't let him out until he finished his tea.
As well as the modus operandi of his detectives , Christy Kennedy and Inspector Starrett, I also asked him about his relationship with Van Morrison, who Paul has represented over the years and who he seems to get on well with.
What do you talk to Van about ? Irish music, it seems, as well as other folk artists that Van likes - and as long as you steer clear of asking about Astral Weeks you'll be fine.
Paul made another interesting point about artists of that generation , like Van and Ray Davies. They seem to have never lost that early discipline about the live show - being punctual on stage, looking the part, and giving all in the performance. For an old punk rocker like me , it was interesting to learn that sometimes showbusiness isn't such a dirty word.
Paul's own career started at the age of fifteen when he managed his schoolfriends' band 'Blues By Five' in Magherafelt. His office was the local phone box (that was the number on his business card) and he told us how someone would always call up to his house with a message when a promoter was looking for the band. He would run down to take the call, apart from those occasions when his mother wouldn't let him out until he finished his tea.
As well as the modus operandi of his detectives , Christy Kennedy and Inspector Starrett, I also asked him about his relationship with Van Morrison, who Paul has represented over the years and who he seems to get on well with.
What do you talk to Van about ? Irish music, it seems, as well as other folk artists that Van likes - and as long as you steer clear of asking about Astral Weeks you'll be fine.
Paul made another interesting point about artists of that generation , like Van and Ray Davies. They seem to have never lost that early discipline about the live show - being punctual on stage, looking the part, and giving all in the performance. For an old punk rocker like me , it was interesting to learn that sometimes showbusiness isn't such a dirty word.
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