Some New Kind of Kick cover art

Some New Kind of Kick

A Memoir

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Some New Kind of Kick

By: Kid Congo Powers, Chris Campion
Narrated by: Kid Congo Powers, Raphael Corkhill
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About this listen

 An intimate, coming-of-age memoir by legendary guitarist Kid Congo Powers, detailing his experiences as a young, queer Mexican-American in 1970s Los Angeles through his rise in the glam rock and punk rock scenes.

Kid Congo Powers has been described as a “legendary guitarist and paragon of cool” with “the greatest resume ever of anyone in rock music." That unique imprint on rock history stems from being a member of not one but three beloved, groundbreaking, and influential groups—Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Cramps, and last but not least, The Gun Club, the wildly inventive punk-blues band he co-founded.

Some New Kind of Kick begins as an intimate coming of age tale, of a young, queer, Chicano kid, growing up in a suburb east of East LA, in the mid-‘70s, exploring his sexual identity through glam rock. When a devastating personal tragedy crushes his teenage dreams, he finds solace and community through fandom, as founder (‘The Prez’) of the Ramones West Coast fan club, and immerses himself in the delinquent chaos of the early LA punk scene.

A chance encounter with another superfan, in the line outside the Whiskey-A-Go-Go to get into a Pere Ubu concert, changes the course of his life entirely. Jeffrey Lee Pierce, a misfit Chicano punk who runs the Blondie fan club, proposes they form a band. The Gun Club is born. So begins an unlikely transition from adoring fan to lauded performer. In Pierce, he finds brotherhood, a creative voice, and a common cause, but also a shared appetite for self-destruction that threatens to overwhelm them both.

Quirky, droll, and heartfelt, with a pitch-perfect evocation of time and place, and a wealth of richly-drawn supporting characters, Some New Kind of Kick is a memoir of personal transformation, addiction and recovery, friendship and belonging, set against the relentless creativity and excess of the ’70s and ’80s underground music scenes. Entertainment & Celebrities Music Celebrity Memoir Heartfelt Guitar LGBTQIA+
All stars
Most relevant
So glad I got to hear him speak it rather than just read the text. That was worth the price of admission alone. I nerded out hard on the punk history. The stories were told from such a personal and empathetic angle that it added so much more to things that you might have already known. Salut KCP.

Detailed, emotional, engrossing

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A story which tells the rise from fan to musician
Kid has a great voice which draws the listener closer . Part diary ,part music press expose
If you were excited by the urgency of the Gun Club , the sleaze show of The Cramps and the darkness of Nick Cave
And you were young when they were all on fire , this is the inside story

A story of its time. When music captivated

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An honest story of a true Rock n Roll legend, presented really well, thanks Kid!

Rock n roll honesty

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Having Kid Congo Powers read to me in his soft and gentle yet sultry and sombre voice was a true treat and why I chose the audiobook. An incredible life that puts you right in the room/venue and makes you want to dance with the highs yet guide and pull Kid away from the lows.

Kid convinces you to join the punk movement

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Loved this book Kid you feel like a friend and a peer after reading this. I’m sad to finish this book.

Musical and personal journey

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