Simon Price

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Simon Price
Born (1967-09-25) 25 September 1967 (age 56)
Barry, Wales
OccupationMusic journalist
NationalityWelsh
Period1986–present

Simon Price (born 25 September 1967) is a British music journalist and author. He is known for his weekly review section in The Independent on Sunday and his books Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers) and Curepedia: An A-Z of the Cure .

Contents

Career

Writer

Price began his career on the Barry & District News, where he wrote a music column from 1984 to 1986. [1]

In the 1990s, Price was a staff writer for Melody Maker for nine years. [2]

From 2000 to 2013, Price wrote weekly music reviews in The Independent on Sunday newspaper. [3]

Everything, a biography of Manic Street Preachers, was claimed by Caroline Sullivan in The Guardian in 1999 to be the "fastest-selling rock book of all time". [4] It was later listed by The Guardian in a Top Ten of books about rock. [5] Ben Myers, who wrote Richard, a novel about Manics guitarist Richey Edwards, called it "one of the most exhaustively researched and passionately written band biographies in existence". [6] Price disowned a 2002 re-issue of the book following a dispute over edits by the publisher, who cut criticisms of the police search for Richey Edwards. [7]

Price won the Record of the Day Live Reviews: Writer of the Year awards in 2010, 2011 and 2012. [1]

In 2023, he published Curepedia: An A-Z of the Cure which was named as a music book of the year by The Guardian . [8]

DJ and Club Promoter

Price was heavily involved with the short-lived Romo scene in the mid- to late 1990s. [9] He wrote about it extensively for Melody Maker, [10] co-promoted the Arcadia club night [11] and acted as DJ and tour manager for the Fiddling While Romo Burns Romo package tour. [9]

In 2001, he co-created alternative "glam/rock/trash" club night Stay Beautiful. Named after the Manic Street Preachers song, it drew heavily on the band's ethos and attitudes. Having run for over 10 years in London, the club relocated in 2011 to Brighton, where it continued until 2016.

Since 2017, Price has run an alternative 1980s club called Spellbound in Brighton.

Other

Price has appeared on BBC radio and television stations as a pop expert. [12]

He is a recurring contributor to the "Chart Music" podcast, revisiting classic Top of the Pops episodes.

Personal life

The son of a radio presenter, Price attended Barry Comprehensive in Wales and studied French and philosophy at University College London. [1]

Alongside 54 other signatories, Price put his name to an open letter published in The Guardian on 15 September 2010, stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK. [13] He is also listed as a distinguished supporter of Humanists UK. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manic Street Preachers</span> Welsh rock band

Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire and cousins James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore. They form a key part of the 1990s Welsh Cool Cymru cultural movement.

<i>Generation Terrorists</i> 1992 album by Manic Street Preachers

Generation Terrorists is the debut studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 10 February 1992 by Columbia Records.

<i>Everything Must Go</i> (Manic Street Preachers album) 1996 studio album by Manic Street Preachers

Everything Must Go is the fourth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 20 May 1996 by Epic Records. It was the first record released by the band following the disappearance of lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicky Wire</span> Welsh musician and songwriter

Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is a Welsh musician and songwriter, best known as lyricist, bassist and secondary vocalist of the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richey Edwards</span> Welsh musician (1967–1995)

Richard James Edwards, also known as Richey James or Richey Manic, was a Welsh musician who was the lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his dark, politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status. Edwards has been cited as a leading lyricist of his generation, leading the Cool Cymru movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Moore (musician)</span> Welsh musician

Sean Anthony Moore is a Welsh musician, who is the drummer and percussionist and occasional trumpet player of the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He is cousin to bandmate James Dean Bradfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Carter (song)</span> 1996 song by Manic Street Preachers

"Kevin Carter" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as the third single from their album Everything Must Go in 1996. The song peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Is Suffering</span> 1994 single by Manic Street Preachers

"She Is Suffering" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in October 1994 by record label Epic as the third and final single from the band's third studio album, The Holy Bible. It was their last single to feature Richey Edwards before his disappearance on 1 February 1995. The single reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart on 15 October 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revol (song)</span> 1994 single by Manic Street Preachers

"Revol" is a song by the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in August 1994 by the Epic record label as the second single from their third studio album, The Holy Bible, which was released later in the month. The song reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart on 13 August 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)</span> 1993 single by Manic Street Preachers

"La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)" is a song by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in July 1993 by record label Columbia as the second single from their second studio album, Gold Against the Soul (1993). It reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Love Us</span> 1991 single by Manic Street Preachers

"You Love Us" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was initially released as a single on 7 May 1991 by Heavenly. The song was re-recorded and released on 20 January 1992 by Columbia Records as the third single from the band's debut studio album, Generation Terrorists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love's Sweet Exile</span> Song by Manic Street Preachers

"Love's Sweet Exile" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 28 October 1991 by record label Columbia as the second single from their debut album, Generation Terrorists (1992). The B-side, "Repeat (UK)", appears on the same album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">From Despair to Where</span> 1993 single by Manic Street Preachers

"From Despair to Where" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 1 June 1993 by record label Columbia as the first single from their second studio album, Gold Against the Soul (1993).

<i>Lifeblood</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Manic Street Preachers

Lifeblood is the seventh studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 1 November 2004 by Sony Music UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Baby Nothing</span> Song by Manic Street Preachers

"Little Baby Nothing" is a song recorded by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers for their debut studio album, Generation Terrorists (1992). It was released on 9 November 1992 by Columbia Records as the sixth and final single from the album. The song features guest vocals by American actress and singer Traci Lords.

<i>New Art Riot</i> 1990 EP by Manic Street Preachers

New Art Riot E.P. is an EP by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 25 June 1990 by Damaged Goods. It was the band's first release to feature the four-piece line-up of James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faster (Manic Street Preachers song)</span> 1994 single by Manic Street Preachers

"Faster" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in 1994 by record label Epic as the first single from the band's third studio album, The Holy Bible.

<i>Journal for Plague Lovers</i> 2009 studio album by Manic Street Preachers

Journal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 18 May 2009 by Columbia Records. Recorded between October 2008 and February 2009 and produced by Steve Albini and Dave Eringa, it features exclusively posthumously published lyrics by Richey Edwards, who disappeared on 1 February 1995 and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album in which the lyrics for every song were written solely by Edwards.

<i>The Holy Bible</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Manic Street Preachers

The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 30 August 1994 by Epic Records. While the album was being written and recorded, lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards was struggling with severe depression, alcohol abuse, self-harm and anorexia nervosa, and its contents are considered by many sources to reflect his mental state. The songs focus on themes relating to politics and human suffering. The Holy Bible was the band's last album released before Edwards' disappearance on 1 February 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard: A Novel</span> Novel by Benjamin Myers

Richard: A Novel is a book by English author and journalist Ben Myers about musician Richey Edwards. Edwards, who suffered from depression, alcoholism, anorexia and self-harm, disappeared on 1 February 1995 at the age of 27 and was declared officially presumed dead on 23 November 2008. Richard was published by Picador and was released on 1 October 2010.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Seal, Chris (10 December 2010). "Music journalism award for former Barry & District News writer!". Barry and District News.
  2. ↑ Price, Simon (21 September 2003). "Do you remember the rst time?". The Independent on Sunday.
  3. ↑ "Independent on Sunday to radically cut its arts output | Complete Music Update".
  4. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (13 July 1999). "Miscellany: Reviews: Book review Welsh wizardry Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers)". The Guardian.
  5. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (23 June 2000). "Caroline Sullivan's top 10 books on rock and pop". The Guardian (UK).
  6. ↑ Myersx, Ben (2010). Richard. Pan Macmillan.
  7. ↑ "'Don't buy Manics' book' says author". BBC News. 20 January 2002.
  8. ↑ "Five of the best music books of 2023". 20 December 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Romo Who's Who (Simon Price entry at top of page) on This Is Romo (Archived version)". 14 March 2007. Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  10. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Fiddling While Romo Burns - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Features | The Long Lunch | Fix Up Look Sharp: Dickon Edwards Meets Turbonegro's English Gent". The Quietus. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Articles, interviews and reviews from Simon Price: Rock's Backpages".
  13. ↑ "Letters: Harsh judgments on the pope and religion". The Guardian. London. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  14. ↑ "Simon Price". British Humanist Association. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.


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