Jah Wobble has been an artist that has slipped in and out of my consciousness for the last fifteen years or so. I remember distinctly helping The Missus with a packaging project for her university degree and going into the local Woolworths to raid their bargain bin for cheap CDs. One of them was “Becoming More Like God” and there were quite a few copies going for 99p so we bought a few in order to bastardise the gatefold digipack sleeves for The Missus’s own designs. That’s how forward-thinking and industrious we were in those good, old days.

Of course, I gave the disc a spin before heartlessly ripping the digipack apart and modifying it to The Missus’s requirements. Of course, since then there have been various TV appearances and his “greatest misses” package came my way about six years ago, which was a very interesting prospect. I was also entranced by his work on Eno’s Spinner project, which was an extension/revision of Eno’s Jarman-based Glitterball non-soundtrack.

Where am I going with this, you is probably asking? Well I pretend to be an uncultured buffoon, I like to play up to my class and pretend that I drag my knuckles on the pavement, beat my wife and have a closed mind, but nothing could be more contrary to the truth. Without sounding like an online dating advert: I actually enjoy museums, art galleries and have even seen a ballet or two in my time. Fuck me, Darren. You sure you ain’t some kind of shirt-lifting jobby-jabber, trapped in a lavender marriage?
No, I pretend that I don’t read and an I’m the archetypal East End yob because I have nothing to prove and it is easier to play up to expectations. But seriously, one of the reasons I don’t read, especially fiction, is because when I come to write my own works, the influence of what I’ve read is often too strong and I find myself inadvertantly writing in the style I’ve been reading, adopting all the semantic ticks and quirks, and diluting my own style. So I steer clear of fiction because it is bad for me as an artist.
However, I do have a penchent for biographies, especially music biographies. It’s obvious really because I love music and I also want to seek our the shared experiences of other artistes. It’s something I really enjoy and I should do more of if I had the time. Sometimes they don’t really get to the nuts and gravy of the person (pick almost any Bowie biog), but I’ve read a book recently that is an essential read – even if you don’t like music.
Now this bit is where my intro collides with the actual theme of this entry. Somehow I stumbled over the fact that Jah Wobble had written his own biography and I was compelled to buy it. Don’t ask me why: I’m not his biggest fan, but I’ve always had an admiration for his work ethic and prodigious output. I can’t stand artists who spend 10 years releasing albums (I’m looking at you Gabriel) because they ain’t really musicians. Musicians are people who think music all the time and find rhythms and inspirations in all moments of waking life.
Anyway, I bought “Memoirs of a Geezer” last week as a birthday treat and read it from cover to cover, despite constant protestations from Verity to “put the daddy book down”. Jah Wobble is a bit of an arsehole during his early years, but even he would admit to that, nearly ruining his life through excess, but always maintaining a way of providing for his family.

Jah Wobble

Image via Wikipedia


In his writing voice, this is someone who spoke to me in my own voice. Someone who was from the East End of London, who saw the ridiculous in everything and could see people for what they were. He is someone who was conflcted as an artist: does he piss his time away making music or get a proper job, he asks? This is someone who doesn’t take bullshit and takes actions often to his own detriment.
This is the first book I’ve read where it answered some of my own internal questions and provided me with a grounding to who I am and why I tick the way I tick. I’m like this because of class and geography. You cannot change who you are, even though you might get the right haircut or change your accent. He also charts the cultural changes in the East End and echoes my own views.
Before reading this book I was seriously thinking of calling it quits on making any more music because I felt I’ve done enough and no-one is really listening and unless I am “out there” I am really wasting my time. But reading this book got me to realise that if you can do, you should do. If you have a talent, you should at least attempt to share it with the world.
Thanks Jah, I owe you one!
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