From Mohair Suits to Kinky Boots

LoveReading Says

The arrival of punk in the late seventies came at the point where a movement of self-expression was at fever pitch. In East London, Geoff Deane found himself at the centre of a maelstrom of cultural enlightenment, where a wide spectrum of musical influences were converging and made visible by outrageous haircuts and extravagant fashion. 

This era threw up all kinds of talented characters who would become household names. In this memoir, it's clear that the difference with Geoff is he wasn't happy doing the same thing for very long, which is what made him one of the most loved creative spirits of his generation. Too much energy, a curious mind and an out-of-control sense of fun led him to not only be the front man of the Leyton Buzzards, but not long after the salsa group Modern Romance and ultimately the screenwriter of Kinky Boots which projected him into the Hollywood elite. 

But hold on, this isn't a rags to riches story. In fact it's mostly just rags. What Geoff does with great skill is make sure his early experiences of life are shown as much affection as those stories from across the pond. To Geoff, characters from his childhood such as "Ol' Bollock Neck" (and others too charming to mention by name) provide as much value as the likes of Elton John or Liz Hurley, who both appear in an account of a private screening of Kinky Boots which goes badly wrong. In fact, things going badly wrong is a common theme of many of Geoff's stories, some of which include spectacles of random violence (with the author on the receiving end) which are somehow amusing and most definitely rose-tinted.

Mohair Suits to Kinky Boots is a collection of hilarious stories and fond memories deeply rooted in a Jewish, Cockney upbringing from a man who isn't afraid to share... It's also an opportunity to improve your rhyming slang - there's a glossary of terms at the front of the book to help you decipher some of the more confusing lines!  So put your scotch pegs up, grab a sherbet and get your mince pies on this book. Well worth a few squid of anyone's money.

Greg Hackett

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