Sylvia Patterson

I’m Not With the Man: A Writer’s Life with the Music Mavericks Acclaimed music journalist Sylvia Patterson discusses her latest book I’m Not With the Man, the follow-up to her Costa-nominated memoir I’m Not With the Band. Sylvia will be interviewed by Sheryl Garratt, former editor of The Face and author of Adventures In Wonderland: A Decade of Club Culture. About I’m Not With with Man Hilarious, revealing and poignant, this unparalleled collection of encounters with the weird and the wonderful who defined a musical era is the flipside to Sylvia Patterson’s acclaimed memoir, I’m Not with the Band. Whatever happened to the weirdos? The rock'n'roll rebels? The children of The Revolution who not so much raged against The Man as barely acknowledged the concept of authority? Sylvia Patterson remembers them. The freaks, geeks and oddballs who picked up microphones and instruments not to become rich or famous but because they were too mad (or unemployable) to do anything else. I'm Not With The Man celebrates the era of 'the rock 'n' roll nutter' through her own encounters with some of music's most uncompromising mavericks. From a cursing Adam Ant to a formidable Chrissie Hynde, from a carousing Liam Gallagher to a coruscating Sinead O'Connor, from a comedy Wu Tang Clan to an unrepentant Marianne Faithfull, and many, many more. From one of Britain’s best and most influential music writers, I'm Not With The Man heralds a farewell fanfare to the heroically unhinged; those who lived on the edge of not only society but their own precarious sanity. We will not see their like again. Praise for Sylvia Patterson ‘Sharp, sparkling and as witty as ever, this book gives us back those beloved wayward artists and all their glorious contradictions.’ Tiffany Murray, author of My Family and Other Rock Stars ‘a loving testament to a lost age, maybe, but also to the transformative potential of pop music — a power that Patterson … still believes is out there’ Sunday Times ‘I’m Not With the Man confirms that Sylvia Patterson was born at precisely the right time. There were few who documented the era quite as well, and with as much infectious glee, as she.’ i paper ‘One of the finest writers in the world’ David Quantick ‘One of my favourite music writers ever’ Jude Rogers ‘One of music journalism’s towering talents’ Mojo on Same Old Girl ‘Mercilessly funny … gripping and multi-layered’ Mail on Sunday on I’m Not with the Band ‘Very funny, glowingly humane … a thing of joy’ Sunday Times on I’m Not with the Band About Sylvia Patterson Sylvia Patterson is one of pop journalism's best-known voices. Born in Scotland, she moved to London aged twenty, to join Smash Hits as Staff Writer, going on to freelance for NME, The Face, Glamour, Q, Sunday Times and many other publications across the UK and USA.