Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk

Please Kill Me chronicles the birth and evolution of punk rock through firsthand accounts from the musicians, artists, and scene-makers who lived it. The book compiles interviews and testimonies from icons like Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, and dozens of others who shaped the movement from the 1960s through the 1970s. Through raw, unfiltered narratives, the text traces punk's origins from the Velvet Underground through the emergence of CBGB, the New York Dolls, the Ramones, and beyond. The story moves between New York, Detroit, and London, capturing the music, personalities, and culture that defined the scene. Individual accounts piece together tales of creative collaboration, substance abuse, violence, and artistic innovation during punk's formative years. The oral history format allows multiple perspectives on key events and relationships, creating a complex portrait of the era. The result is both a historical document and a meditation on youth culture, rebellion, and artistic movements - revealing how a fringe music scene grew to influence fashion, art, and attitudes far beyond its origins.

Readers consistently highlight the raw, unfiltered nature of the first-hand accounts and interviews that document the 1970s punk scene. Many appreciate how the oral history format captures the chaos and energy of the era through multiple perspectives. Likes: - Detailed accounts of CBGB, Max's Kansas City, and other key venues - Behind-the-scenes stories about the Ramones, Patti Smith, and other artists - Honest portrayal of both the creativity and destructive aspects of the scene - Chronological structure that shows punk's evolution Dislikes: - Heavy focus on New York scene, less coverage of UK punk - Some find the debauchery and drug stories excessive - Occasional contradicting accounts between interviewees - More attention to famous names vs lesser-known contributors Ratings: Goodreads: 4.24/5 (24,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (1,200+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.3/5 (2,800+ ratings)

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🎸 The book's title comes from a T-shirt that Richard Hell wore, which he created by writing "PLEASE KILL ME" on a white shirt with black marker. The shirt became an early punk fashion statement. ⚡ Many of the interviews were conducted while key figures were still alive, including Dee Dee Ramone and Joey Ramone, providing firsthand accounts that would be impossible to capture today. 🎤 Co-author Legs McNeil actually coined the term "punk" to describe this music genre when he co-founded Punk Magazine in 1975. 🗽 The book's oral history format was inspired by Jean Stein and George Plimpton's "Edie: An American Biography," about Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick. 📝 The authors conducted over 240 interviews over a two-year period to compile the book, creating what is often referred to as "the punk bible" or "punk's Old Testament."