Directions to the outskirts of town: Punk Rock Tour Diaries

by Welly Artcore

In 1994 punk rock fanzine writer Welly Artcore jumped in the van with legendary British punk band CHAOS U.K. for a two month tour around the U.S. Four years later he did it all again with his own band, FOUR LETTER WORD, this time also travelling across Canada. From the impossible drives, to scrapes with the authorities and the bands they shared stages and floors with along the way, with often nothing more than the name of a club on a piece of paper that turned out to be a disused unit in an industrial estate, they somehow made most of the gigs. All the while, he did something so many others don't, he wrote it all down.

328 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2021

Reviews

[Mike Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is 2 tour diaries in one book. It is expertly written by Welly, more so when he is writing about his experiences with Four Letter Word. There is a real hint of the craziness that takes over when you are stuck in a van, for hours on end, with the same group of people.
I am a fan of tour diaries in the zine form. Here, in book form, you get a real experience of the gruelling nature of touring. Though I am not sure reading a book should feel gruelling. The first half of this book was really challenging. The second half was more engaging. Overall I felt like it was a story, or two stories, half told.
I am glad that I invested time in this book.

[Bill Sassenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories from the road of punk rock obscurity