Memoirs of a Geezer by Jah Wobble

I must admit that I’d never heard of Jah Wobble before Serpents Tail sent me a review copy of Memoirs of a Geezer, although I do have some passing knowing of Public Image Ltd (aka PiL), the band founded by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) after he left the Sex Pistols. ‘Jah Wobble’ is also a stage name that was given to John Wardle by Sid Vicious (aka John Simon Rithchie). At one point, this band of friends was called “The Four Johns” (since another of Wobble’s friends was John Gray), although Wobble asserts that they didn’t actually hang out together much. Jah had known Lydon since school, and thus became one of the candidates to succeed the Pistols’ bassist, Glen Matlock. However, Sid Vicious was chosen ahead of him, despite being unable to play. Wobble’s account of his encounters with Sid Vicious form some of the most poignant parts of the book, and he provides a very convincing portrait of this troubled individual. Wardle went onto to learn the bass, and to become a very distinguished master of this instrument. Despite his disdain for the drug problems that the other members of PiL suffered from, Wobble was not without his own problems, and did become an alcoholic for several years. He was also very apt to defend himself with his fists, although this was mostly in self defence. On a lighter note, Wobble is also a very able practitioner of the practical joke, and I was laughing out loud on the train while reading about one such stunt that he pulled on his wife. Another very compelling part of the book is Wobble’s sober view of how the East End has changed over his lifetime, due to several waves of immigration. Beyond the Sex Pistols, there are also Wobble’s impressions of meeting other well-known members of the music trade, such as Richard Branson, and a beseiged Peter Gabriel at the height of his fame. However, some of the best portraits are of other, lesser known folk, who plied their way in the trade, along with an improbable number of ex-public schoolboys. Once I got over the shock of the bright orange of the inside cover, I found Memoirs of a Geezer to be a very splendid read indeed, as Jah Wobble is a great raconteur.