The story told in this book mainly revolves around music. It’s Kid Congo’s musical journey, about how his love of music and fashion formed and evolved, about learning to play instruments, and the history of the bands he joined and where they went. There were times when I wished the story went deeper, had more emotions coaxed out, mainly during his and his friends’ struggle with addiction. There’s a large chunk of the book where he and his friends get deep into the drug scene and I felt it was told very matter-of-factly. It seemed obvious to me at that point that there was a third-party writer, retelling a story told to him, lacking the first-person power of a true addiction tale.

This was a fun, light read that felt like a time piece back into the old punk days. It’s great for someone that appreciates the stories of musicians and their escapades and being carried along through the days of “remember when.” If you want a deep-cutting memoir that peers into the soul of an individual this one ain’t it. Still recommend for casual fans of The Cramps or other glam punk bands.

Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an eARC of the book for review!

Although his name isn’t well known to the general public, Powers is fairly famous in the rock underground as a guitarist who did stints with the Gun Club, the Cramps, and Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds. If a bit uneven, his memoir is pretty good, covering his time in all of those groups in some depth, though there’s considerably more space given to the Gun Club, particularly how he learned guitar and developed a style from scratch with encouragement from Gun Club singer Jeffrey Lee Pierce. He also writes a lot about his pre-pro years growing up as a Latinx gay misfit in Los Angeles, and though numerous memoirs follow a similar trajectory of finding identity through punk and new wave as a teen, he tells it in a more interesting and humorous way than the norm. A good number of his mishaps crossed the line from typical teen high jinx to obnoxious and even dangerous incidents, and while there might be some more detail about them than necessary, they are relayed without much pride or guilt.

Fans of the Gun Club, Cramps, and to a lesser degree the Bad Seeds will find a lot about their music and peculiar inner dynamics. Being in the Cramps, for instance, was a bit like being in a cult, and his time in the Bad Seeds came to an unceremonious end when Mick Harvey announced he was returning to guitar from bass. Jeffrey Lee Pierce comes off as a talented but volatile figure who was nearly impossible to put up with. But because his collaboration with Pierce meant so much to him artistically, Powers usually did, as associates of hard-to-abide behavior of talents sometimes do – even if Pierce wasn’t nearly as legendary as figures of the sort like Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, or even Captain Beefheart. In the process, he came up with a guitar style that was, although some would consider it amateur given his lack of prior experience, distinct and individual. As in so many musical memoirs, Powers fell prey to addiction and relapse, his path through those fairly similar to what you’ll read in other autobiographies, though it doesn’t dominate the narrative as much as it does in some other such books.

Kid Congo Powers is a queer punk pioneer. I can never get enough of stories about the early days of LA / NYC punk. This dude is the real deal and needs to get his due. Hopefully this book turns people on to his amazing music.

Some New Kind of Kick is the story of a Hispanic gay punk’s journey from a confused adolescent to guitarist with The Cramps.

It’s the late 1970s. Punk rock is just beginning in Los Angeles. Here is your chance to take a drug-fueled lap around the club and gay scene with Kid Congo.

Since I grew up in the same area at the same time, many of the stories in the book bring back good memories. Unfortunately, many of those same stories are name bombs that show who the author met but little about those people’s personalities or quirks. I expected more personal details about some seemingly interesting characters.

Some New Kind of Kick is an interesting read for those interested in punk music and/or gay culture, particularly in Los Angeles. It is also an empowering coming-of-age tale about how to find yourself when everyone else around you looks/feels completely different from you. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to Hachette Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this memoir and history of a glam and punk music musician and survivor.

Music never judges. People judge for the music that others listen to, but Music itself is always welcoming and accepting. Music wants to be enjoyed, to be sung and danced to, even when played in a way to make others feel bad, or even feel fear. Music doesn't know and Music doesn't really care. Outsiders have always found shelter in music, the scene, the fans, the players sometimes more accepting than families. These outsiders might prosper in the scene, enriching the scene with their talents, even if its only knowing one chord, or singing out of key. They want to give back all that they have received to help others feel safe. Kid Congo Powers is one of these outsiders and his book Some New Kind of Kick written with Chris Campion is about his live in music, his bands, his loves and his many losses.

Brian Tristan was born in California the son of Mexican American parents and a strong feeling of not belonging. Not knowing of familiar with his Mexican background, and looking not enough to be American, he was also gay which was something he did not understand, being which added to his alienation. Until he found music. And he world around it. A scene where he could dress like he wanted, be who he wanted and people supported him and loved him, and unfortunately introduced him to the world of drugs. Waiting on line for a show he met Jeffrey Lee Pierce who pushed him to learn guitar and together they would form a band The Gun Club. Soon he was approached to join the band the Cramps, an amazing band, when their guitarist went AWOL. In the Cramps he was given the nickname Kid Congo Powers, but tax problems and Kid's drug problems caused him to leave the band. Opportunity came in the form of joining Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and further adventures lay in wait.

A very good warts and all memoir about a man who helped in the creation of a lot of great music and has quite the resume. Kid is not shy about discussing anything in his life, good or bad, and knows a tremendous amount of people. This is not a dishy gossip piece, people are treated like people, some are good some are bad. There is a tremendous amount of loss cousins, friends, bandmates, parents, and Kid writes about this very powerfully, what these have done to him, and how he feels he should have done more. The section about him cleaning himself off of drugs, is my favorite, Kid seems so proud and happy, it really comes off the page.

A very good story about a nice guy who loved music, and admits he was very lucky about who he got to play it with. A nice look at the LA punk scene, plenty of fun stories about rock n' roll excess, even better stories about the power of music and how it helped Kid find who he is. Recommended for glam and punk fans, or for people who love music in general and love reading good stories about a good guy at peace with himself.

A punk rock Zelig of sorts, Brian Tristan, AKA Kid Congo Powers, puts his story to paper and it’s quite the journey. As a young man growing up queer in a Mexican-American family in the 1970’s, Powers was automatically going to experience an otherness that required him to seek out his own place. Like misfits and outcasts of all stripes from this generation, he found his tribe in the punk subculture. The call of music would lead along a path never boring, a life filled with travel and adventures around the world, a freedom to be the person he was inside, and not least of all a very impressive CV to anyone familiar with, for want of a better word, the alternative music scenes of the past 40 years. From co-founding the Gun Club, to joining the Cramps, to touring with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, the list of legends the Kid has worked with and the associated stories are worth the price of admission alone. The more personal side of his life, of acceptance both within and externally of his sexuality, and finding peace amidst the difficulties of mental health, drug abuse, and eventual loss within his circle of close friends and musical collaborators, reveal an inner strength of character and grace of the author, making for a great read.
Thanks to #NetGalley for a chance to read #Some New Kind of Kick by the incomparable Kid Congo Powers.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a bit familiar with who the author is, but I am more familiar with the punk scene he came from. He tells his story in an interesting way, and this kept my interest. If music, especially from the 70s punk scene, interests you, READ THIS BOOK. You won't be disappointed!!.