Like John Niven, I plundered my 1990s music biz past for my first book. So when I happened upon Kill Your Friends, I devoured it in one rapacious sitting, with the knowing nods and hollow laughter of a fellow escapee.
My experiences provided a springboard to a non-musical adventure. But in Kill Your Friends, Niven mines his 10 years in the industry to capture the whole grotty business via the narrative of Steven Stelfox, a psychopathic AR exec who will stop at nothing to climb the greasy pole.
Thankfully, the new film-of-the-book avoids nostalgia. Far from being a period piece about a so-called golden age of British music, Kill Your Friends only serves to remind one how the Britpop explosion was the beginning of the end of all that had made the century great – the end of the eccentrics and mavericks; the end of hunches and creative risk – and the beginning of bland Blairite Britain, from which the UK music industry has never recovered. I know, because I was there in its dying days.
The brilliant vileness of Stelfox and the multiplexes of Britain were always going to be awkward bedfellows, so fans of the book may feel they are getting a watered-down version with the casting of Nicholas Hoult, whose metrosexual blandness doesn’t quite fit. And although the screenplay was written by Niven, there is a sense of reluctant restraint in his script. This is a shame, as the real, dirty pleasure of the book is the almost physical onslaught of being party to Stelfox’s fabulously repugnant monologue.
Culture news in pictures
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5 November 2015
The chefs are getting ready for the daily service for the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at Sanderson hotel, London. The Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea has been re-imagined with new cakes and artistic details
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4 November 2015
Students from Central Saint Martins respond to Gustav Metzger’s worldwide call for a Day of Action to Remember Nature at Central St Martins in London
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3 November 2015
A Palestinian woman paints a mural, depicting a masked Palestinian holding a knife, in support of Palestinians committing stabbing attacks against Israelis, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
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2 November 2015
Max who, along with his girlfriend, has started Forest and Found is working in his shed. They specialise in finding old pieces of wood – from skips, or picked up during woodland walks, and turn them into amazing works of art – from spoons to chopping boards. Their work will be featured on a new website called The Small Home (www.thesmallhome.co.uk) launching on November 5 which is dedicated to supporting independent designers and craftspeople
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1 November 2015
A general view of the atmosphere during The World Famous Oxford Street Christmas Lights Switch On Event taking place at the Pandora Flagship Store in London
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31 October 2015
Actors (L-R) Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth attend Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2″ Hand and Footprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California
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30 October 2015
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami poses next to an artwork ahead of the opening of his exhibition ‘Takashi Murakami: The 500 Arhats’ at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan
EPA
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29 October 2015
A model parades a creation during the Hu Sheguang and Huqiu Bridal City Collection show at China Fashion Week in Beijing
AFP/Getty
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28 October 2015
Visitors look at Anna Boghiguian’s work “The Salt Traders” at the 14th Istanbul Biennial at Galata Greek Primary School in Istanbul, Turkey. Disparate ideas like a sea-borne zoo, an Aboriginal peace treaty and the lost birdsong of a ruined Armenian capital form a cohesive body of work at this year’s Istanbul Biennial, a top international art show taking place in turbulent times. “Saltwater: A Theory of Thought Forms,” drafted by U.S.-based art historian Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, is inspired by the waterways that shape this ancient city, and the sprawling show set in 36 venues stretches from a Black Sea lighthouse to the island refuge of the Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky
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27 October 2015
A boy looks at a painting by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso during the opening of the exhibition “Picasso! l’exposition anniversaire” (Picasso! the anniversary exhibition) at the national Picasso museum in Paris
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26 October 2015
The Bottles by RCM Collective is displayed during the 2015 Sculptures by the Sea exhibition at Bondi in Sydney, Australia
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25 October 2015
People visit the British artist, Susan Philipz’s art installation called “More than this” at the Andalusian Centre of Contemporary Art in Seville, southern Spain. The exhibition will run until 7 February 2016
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24 October 2015
An art object depicting a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin from the installation “History of Russia in Axes” by Russian artist Vasily Slonov is seen on display during an exhibition titled “Quilted Cavaliers of the Apocalypse” at the Winzavod center of contemporary art in Moscow, Russia
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23 October 2015
Lalique’s master artisan crafts handmade crystal decanter, France. The decanter showcases signature technique of contrasting clear and frosted crystal finishes to showcase its perfect detail and enhance the unique amber colour of tequila from the Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco, Mexico
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23 October 2015
Commuters walk past an installation by artist Subodh Gupta outside the VA in London
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22 October 2015
Spanish artist Marcel.li Antunez Roca, well-known in the international art scene for his mechanotronic performances and robotic installations, poses next to one of his creations, ahead of the exhibition “Alsaxy” at the Shadok museum in Strasbourg, eastern France
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21 October 2015
This morning saw the launch of ‘Swept Up’ in Leicester Square – subtle, delicate and atmospheric in this morning’s Autumnal rains. Michael Trpak’s theatrical pieces encourage people to stop, look up and enjoy the trees and the Square, and for them to find a moment in their busy day to stop and reflect. Brought to London for the first time by Heart of London Business Alliance, in collaboration with 4ourcreativearts, Leicester Square sees artist Michal Trpak’s beautiful ‘umbrella people’ flying amongst the plane trees of Leicester Gardens in a stunning Autumnal installation
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20 October 2015
Early morning commuters received a surprise in Battersea Park as a modern take of George Seurat’s classic ‘A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte’ was brought to life to celebrate the launch of the Affordable Art Fair Battersea this week
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19 October 2015
People stand next to tents during a tent cultural festival in Hefei, Anhui province, China
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18 October 2015
Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet and Danny Boyle attend the ‘Steve Jobs’ Closing Night Gala during the BFI London Film Festival, at Odeon Leicester Square in London
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17 October 2015
A woman dressed as a “Catrina”, Mexico’s grand dame of death, attends an alebrijes parade in Mexico City. Alebrijes are colorful sculptures that combine components of different animals to create a unique fantastical creature. The term was penned by Mexico City folk artist Pedro Linares, who originated the art form in the 1930s based on creatures he dreamt about during a severe illness, which he began recreating after his recovery
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16 October 2015
Artist Lauren Baker has designed set of bespoke chandeliers for the pop-up at the Moniker Art Fair , she was inspired by the bee logo of Patrón and designed the features to “create an alluring den for bees to buzz around”
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15 October 2015
A young visitor passes by the light installation ‘Ocelot’ by Cestmir Suska and Petr Pufler from Czech Republic during the Signal Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. The festival features international and local artists presenting new technologies and lighting design in the streets of the city through video mapping projections and audio-visual installations
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14 October 2015
A visitor walks past artwork by Chris Martin at the Frieze Art Fair in London. The Frieze Art Fair, which is one of the world’s leading contemporary art fairs, runs until October 17
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13 October 2015
Author Marlon James winning author of “A Brief History of Seven Killings”, poses with his award at the ceremony for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2015 at The Guildhall in London
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12 October 2015
Large pumpkins sit in pickup trucks before the start of the 42nd annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest in Half Moon Bay, California. The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off is offering a special $30,000 mega-prize for the world record breaking pumpkin at the prestigious Half Moon Bay event
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11 October 2015
Models walk on the stage during a fashion show featuring traditional designs as part of the Culture and Arts Festival at the site of the former royal palace, also known as “People’s Palace,” in Tripoli, Libya
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10 October 2015
Figures of Barbie, The Plastic Religion” created by Argentine artist couple Emiliano Pool Paolini and Marianela Perelli are displayed in Rosario some 350 North of Buenos Aires. Artist create religious figures using Barbie’s, Ken’s and Kelly’s dolls
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9 October 2015
A huge art installation by painter and sculptor Sanatan Dinda made with mud, bamboo and fibre is on display ahead of Durga Puja festival in Calcutta India. Bengalis all over the world will be marking the festival representing the victory of good over evil and the celebration of female power. This year the festival will run from 18 to 23 October
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8 October 2015
A visitor looks at ‘On Your Wavelength’, an art installation created by artist Marcus Lyall, which is powered by brain data donated via an EEG headset by visitors to the MERGE Bankside art festival, in Bankside, London. The installation is controlled in real time by the brain activity of participants. Their mental state is amplified to create a large-scale laser and musical piece, driven by how focused the participant is feeling, and has been made in collaboration with composer Rob Thomas and technologist Alex Anpilogov
What the film captures faultlessly, though, is the stifling dullness of a 1990s corporate record label. The movie’s bleached-out palette perfectly suits the grey-carpeted, glass-walled corridors of Unigram, the movie’s fictional record company. Devoid of character and style, without the gold discs on the walls it could be any head office in any industry in any town. The top brass are not musical visionaries; they are not charismatic Svengalis, or even movers and shakers. They are crass, unimaginative boors with enormous egos, predictable tastes and even more predictable cocaine habits. I recognised them all, because I used to spend every day with men just like them.
In 1997, while Blur and Oasis were battling it out in the charts, I was working at a small independent record label in Camden Town, just streets away from the Good Mixer, London’s spiritual home of Britpop. Although not to my tastes, the label dabbled with some of the lesser bands on the scene and there was a palpable buzz in the air, or at least in the pubs.
I was 24 years old, had come up through the ranks of record-shop jobs and could not have been happier to be paid a pittance to absorb music all day. I even enjoyed my official hangover task of stuffing 7in singles into cardboard mailers.
The main thing was, we all loved music. It really was that simple. Even the label owner, a volatile Japanese weirdo, loved music. That’s why we were there. It never occurred to me that it was possible to work at a record company and not love music. That revelation came a few years later when I found myself on the dark side – promoted and better paid – at a corporate label that bore an uncanny resemblance to Unigram.
Here was my first experience of music industry people who actually took pride in how little they cared about music. They talked about “units” and “product” and sneered about the artists who paid their wages while sucking up to them with expense-account lunches. “It’s just pieces of plastic,” they would say when anyone showed any genuine interest in making something good. If pushed, they would probably admit to having owned a New Order single in the early 1980s or bought London Calling when it came out, but it was dismissed as youthful folly. Nowadays they just talked about what was on TV the night before. I couldn’t understand what they were doing there.
In Kill Your Friends, the eager junior talent scout, brilliantly played by Craig Roberts, is openly mocked for making the rookie mistake of trying to talk about music with his superiors. His nerdiness is only considered worthwhile when it can be employed to schmooze a hot new act that Stelfox loathes but is desperate to sign, in order to get one over on his AR rivals. “Just talk to them about Tom Verlaine fucking guitar solos or something”, he sneers at the hapless scout.
I have lived that moment – I was that eager music nerd. I, too, believed I had something to offer the record industry with my extensive and interestingly filed record collection and my encyclopedic knowledge of obscure music facts. It seemed I was wrong.
My approach may be considered naïve but even now, with 20 years of hindsight, I don’t believe it to be so. The true success stories of the music business are men (because they mostly are men) who understand that you have to care about the money and the music. And although Stelfox doesn’t get his comeuppance, he ultimately fails in his work because he only cares about the money.
Berry Gordy, of Motown Records, famously claimed that money had never been the “main thing” for him. And decades later Rick Rubin was making a similar statement. “I never had the feeling I ever had to make a dime doing anything,” he said, talking about his role in creating Def Jam and American Recordings. Stelfox, however, has no truck with that approach. “Asking me what music I like is like asking a Forex trader what their favourite currency is,” he says. The movie opens with a close-up of his feet, encased in a particularly revolting pair of shiny loafers. “Do these look like the shoes of someone that gives a fuck about the Velvet Underground?” his disembodied voice asks. It’s a pithy summing-up of what is wrong with every major record label.
We, the fans, the music nerds, can tolerate this level of cynicism in almost any other industry. But how can anyone work in the music business and not care about the Velvets, we wonder, aghast. Bankers, futures traders and insurance salesmen are supposed to be like this. But we just can’t stomach it when it comes to our beloved records. We can stomach shysters, sharks, bullies, even criminals – the industry has played host to plenty of those over the years – they’re all welcome as long as they love the music. If anything, these characters add the colour and mystique that makes the business so compelling to the outsider. But it is an industry built entirely on human emotions; without that understanding you might make a quick buck with a cheesy club hit or a TV theme tune, but you will never build an empire.
So where do the Steven Stelfoxes stand in today’s industry, where even big-name artists with large followings are releasing their own records using crowdfunding platforms, and connecting directly with their fanbase through social media? Have the once-mighty curators of our record collections lost their powers? Some industry leaders have declared the days of AR to be numbered and certainly the hungry young buck hustling his way around pokey gigs every night of the week are long gone. Seth Hodder, AR at Mute during the 1990s and now at Budde Music Publishing, says there is still a place for them but that the industry is a more serious, hard-working environment in these digital days. AR is still pretty much male-dominated, he says, everyone still knows each other and hangs out together but there’s less money thrown around and more at stake now. Kill Your Friends, he is quick to point out, is very much a snapshot of 1990s major label culture, not the indies.
Unlike so many music biopics, watching Kill Your Friends does not make one long for the good old days. In fact, there is a pleasing sense of schadenfreude, knowing that while Stelfox and his ilk were snorting their expense accounts and bullying their underlings, three guys on the other side of the Atlantic were busy inventing something called Napster … although they probably didn’t give a fuck about the Velvet Underground either.
More about:
Steven Stelfox
John Niven
Budde Music Publishing
Lois Pryce.
Nicholas Hoult
Tom Verlaine
Berry Gordy
Rick Rubin
Steven Stelfoxes
Motown Records
Seth Hodder
Craig Roberts
Napster
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