David Stubbs
Encyclopedia
David Stubbs is a British journalist. He was born on 13 September 1962 in London, but grew up in Leeds
. As a student at Oxford University he was a close friend of Simon Reynolds
; together they worked on an influential fanzine called Monitor before joining Melody Maker
in 1986. Stubbs would remain at Melody Maker for 12 years, where he combined his serious writing career with writing the humorous "Talk Talk Talk" section, which featured the character of "Mr Agreeable" who would insult virtually everything with barrages of swear words (asterisked out to fit within IPC Media
regulations)
Certain artists and bands were repeatedly parodied in "Talk Talk Talk", especially Morrissey
(portrayed as an ultra-conservative stereotypical old-fashioned Northerner
, obsessed with boarding houses in wet, down-at-heel seaside resorts and deeply suspicious of the rest of the world and of post-1945 immigrants into Britain), David Gedge
of The Wedding Present
(portrayed as a deeply boring "trainspotter" stereotype), Henry Rollins
(portrayed as the opposite of his tough image), Axl Rose
(portrayed as a stereotypically stupid American rocker) and Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
(portrayed as the most pathetic band imaginable, jumping unconvincingly on every bandwagon going). The section also featured recurring comic characters created by Stubbs himself, such as Derek Kent (an elderly music journalist and pervert, name based on Nick Kent
) and Pepe Le Punk (a stereotypically clueless Belgian rock writer).
Stubbs has also written, more seriously, for the now-defunct Vox magazine, for the NME
(late 1990s and early 2000s), and as editor of The Wire
, Uncut
, The Guardian
, The Times
and the football magazines Goal and When Saturday Comes
. He has also contributed to many of the themed special editions of Uncut
. He is the author of books on Jimi Hendrix
and Eminem
in the Stories Behind Every Song series; a quote from the Hendrix book found its way into Private Eye
s Pseuds' Corner. As an Arsenal
supporter, he also wrote a book on Charlie Nicholas.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. As a student at Oxford University he was a close friend of Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds is an English music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term "post-rock". Besides electronic dance music, Reynolds has written about a wide range of artists and musical genres, and has written books on post-punk and rock...
; together they worked on an influential fanzine called Monitor before joining Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
in 1986. Stubbs would remain at Melody Maker for 12 years, where he combined his serious writing career with writing the humorous "Talk Talk Talk" section, which featured the character of "Mr Agreeable" who would insult virtually everything with barrages of swear words (asterisked out to fit within IPC Media
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
regulations)
Certain artists and bands were repeatedly parodied in "Talk Talk Talk", especially Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
(portrayed as an ultra-conservative stereotypical old-fashioned Northerner
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, obsessed with boarding houses in wet, down-at-heel seaside resorts and deeply suspicious of the rest of the world and of post-1945 immigrants into Britain), David Gedge
David Gedge
David Gedge is an English musician and songwriter. He is the main songwriter and vocalist in the bands The Wedding Present and Cinerama...
of The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are a British indie rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms...
(portrayed as a deeply boring "trainspotter" stereotype), Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
(portrayed as the opposite of his tough image), Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
(portrayed as a stereotypically stupid American rocker) and Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts
Dumpy's Rusty Nuts are a British rock band founded in 1981 by the lead singer Graham "Dumpy" Dunnell. Though unsuccessful as recording artists the band have been a successful and popular Live act for decades. The band attracted a cult following for their outstanding live performances in small rock...
(portrayed as the most pathetic band imaginable, jumping unconvincingly on every bandwagon going). The section also featured recurring comic characters created by Stubbs himself, such as Derek Kent (an elderly music journalist and pervert, name based on Nick Kent
Nick Kent
Nick Kent is a British rock critic and musician.-Career:Along with writers including Paul Morley, Charles Shaar Murray and Danny Baker, Nick Kent is seen as one of the most important and influential UK music journalists of the 1970s. He wrote for the British music publication New Musical Express,...
) and Pepe Le Punk (a stereotypically clueless Belgian rock writer).
Stubbs has also written, more seriously, for the now-defunct Vox magazine, for the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
(late 1990s and early 2000s), and as editor of The Wire
The Wire (magazine)
The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
, Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and the football magazines Goal and When Saturday Comes
When Saturday Comes
When Saturday Comes is a monthly magazine about football, first published in London in 1986. "It aims to provide a voice for intelligent football supporters, offering both a serious and humorous view of the sport, covering all the topics that fans are likely to talk about, whether serious or...
. He has also contributed to many of the themed special editions of Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
. He is the author of books on Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
in the Stories Behind Every Song series; a quote from the Hendrix book found its way into Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
s Pseuds' Corner. As an Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
supporter, he also wrote a book on Charlie Nicholas.
External links
- Official David Stubbs Site - the official site of David Stubbs and Mr Agreeable
- Profile at The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...