Moving to London in 1971 with only a guitar, a tattered copy of the Melody Maker, and his own brilliant vision for the perfect punk band, Andrew Matheson set out to make music history. His band, The Hollywood Brats, were pre-punk prophets—uncompromising, ultra-thin, wild, and untamable—an outrageous crew of musicians who could only have found each other in the crazy world of the 1970s London music scene. The Brats recorded one genius-but-ignored album and ultimately fell afoul of the crooks who ran a music industry that wasn’t quite ready for the punk revolution. Directly inspiring Malcolm McLaren, the Sex Pistols, and the Clash, The Hollywood Brats imploded too soon to share the glory.



SICK ON YOU blazes through Matheson’s memories, from the strange coming together of the bands members, to their impressive financial struggles, to their bizarre and eye-catching outfits. We see the Brats ascend the industry ladder—meeting face-to-face with label executives—only to witness their bitter disappointment after those very same meetings.



Recounting the trials and tribulations of this eclectic group of boys navigating the chaotic 1970s London music scene, Matheson’s voice is provocative, occasionally inappropriate, and completely hilarious. SICK ON YOU is unlike any music memoir you’ve ever read, because it isn’t success story—it’s a magnetizing story of a spectacular failure.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Matheson was a founding member of The Hollywood Brats from 1971 to 1975. Then, after a brief stint playing football (aka soccer) in North America, Matheson rejoined the world of music with his 1979 album, Monterey Shoes. He has since been writing and recording music, producing, publishing magazine articles, and drinking pints.