Michael Anthony Farren (3 September 1943 – 27 July 2013) was an English rock musician, singer, journalist, and author associated with

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. H ...

and the UK underground.

Early life

Farren was born in

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of ...

, and after moving to

Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Ho ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the Englis ...

, attended

Worthing High School for Boys Worthing High School is a secondary school with academy status located in Worthing, West Sussex. It caters for academic years 7-11 (ages 11–16) and has over 950 students on roll. History The school has its origins as the Bedford Row Pupil t ...

, which was a state grammar school. In 1963, he moved to London, where he studied at

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's became part of ...

.Mick Farren Obituary ''The Independent''
Retrieved 31 July 2013

Music

Farren was the singer with the

proto-punk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated w ...

band The Deviants between 1967 and 1969, releasing three albums. During 1970 he released the solo album ''

Mona – The Carnivorous Circus ''Mona—The Carnivorous Circus'' is a 1970 album by the UK underground artist Mick Farren. The album was recorded to fulfill contractual obligations. Farren had recently returned from a tour of the west coast of North America without his band ...

'', which also featured

Steve Peregrin Took Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter; 28 July 1949 – 27 October 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on ...

, John Gustafson and

Paul Buckmaster Paul John Buckmaster (13 June 1946 – 7 November 2017) was a Grammy Award-winning British cellist, arranger, conductor and composer, with a career spanning five decades. He is best known for his orchestral collaborations with David Bowie, Sha ...

, before ending his music business to concentrate on writing. During the mid-1970s, he briefly revived his musical career, releasing the single "Play With Fire" featuring Marky (soon-to-be Ramone) Bell, Jon Tiven, and Doug Snyder, the EP ''Screwed Up'', album ''

Vampires Stole My Lunch Money ''Vampires Stole My Lunch Money'' is a 1978 album by the UK underground artist Mick Farren. Farren had left music performance after his 1970 album ''Mona – The Carnivorous Circus'' to concentrate on journalism and writing. However, in 1976 ...

'' and single "Broken Statue". The album featured fellow '' New Musical Express (NME)'' journalist

Chrissie Hynde Christine Ellen Hynde (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band the Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alon ...

and Dr. Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson. He also contributed song ideas and music for short-lived Ladbroke Grove ensemble Warsaw Pakt's 1977 ''Needle Time'' LP. He sporadically did musical work after that, collaborating with Wayne Kramer on ''Who Shot You Dutch?'' and ''Death Tongue'', Jack Lancaster on ''The Deathray Tapes'' and Andy Colquhoun on The Deviants albums '' Eating Jello With a Heated Fork'' and ''

Dr. Crow ''Dr. Crow'' is a studio album by Mick Farren and friends released in 2002 under the name The Deviants. The album was recorded with longtime friends and collaborators Andy Colquhoun and Jack Lancaster and featured Wayne Kramer's backing band ...

''. Aside from his own work, he provided lyrics for various musician friends over the years. He collaborated with Ian Fraser Kilmister (

Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he wa ...

), co-writing "Lost Johnny" for

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

, and "Keep Us on the Road" and "Damage Case" for

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...

. With

Larry Wallis Larry Wallis (19 May 1949 – 19 September 2019) was an English guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead. Biography and career Early bands In 1968, he formed a ban ...

, he co-wrote "When's the Fun Begin?" for the

Pink Fairies Pink Fairies are an English rock band initially active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug use, and anarchy, and often performed impromptu gigs and other stunts, ...

and several tracks on Wallis' solo album ''Death in the Guitafternoon''. He provided lyrics for the Wayne Kramer single "Get Some" during the mid-1970s, and continued to work with and for him during the 1990s.

Discography

Singles

:Solo *1976 – "Play With Fire" / "Lost Johnny" (Ork records) *1978 – "Half Price Drinks" (Logo Records) *1978 – "Broken Statue" / "It's All In The Picture" (Logo records) :Other appearances *1968 - The Deviants - "You've Got To Hold On" / "Let's Loot The Supermarket" (Stable Records) *1977 – Mick Farren and The Deviants – ''Screwed Up'' EP (

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...

) *1987 – Wayne Kramer & Mick Farren – ''Who Shot You Dutch?'' *199? – Lunar Malice – "Gunfire In The Night" / "Touched By The Fire"

Albums

:With The Deviants :Solo *1970 – ''

'' (Transatlantic Records) *1978 – ''

'' (Logo Records) *2005 – ''To The Masterlock'' – live (

Captain Trip Records Captain Trip Records is a Japanese music label founded and run by musician Ken Matsutani. The label specializes in experimental music and various subgenres of rock, particularly psychedelic rock and progressive rock. In addition to the publication ...

, Japan) :Other appearances *1991 – Wayne Kramer – ''Death Tongue'' (Progressive Records) *1993 – Tijuana Bible – ''Gringo Madness'' *1995 – Mick Farren and Jack Lancaster – ''The Deathray Tapes'' ( Alive Records) *2013 – Mick Farren and Andy Colquhoun - '' Black Vinyl Dress''

Compilations

*1996 – Mick Farren and The Deviants – ''Fragments of Broken Probes'' *1996 – The Social Deviants – ''Garbage'' ( Alive Records) *1999 – The Deviants – ''The Deviants Have Left The Planet'' *2000 – Mick Farren and The Deviants – ''This CD Is Condemned'' ( Alive Records) *2001 – Mick Farren and The Deviants – ''On Your Knees, Earthlings'' ( Alive Records)

Writing

During the early 1970s he contributed to the UK

Underground press The terms underground press or clandestine press refer to periodicals and publications that are produced without official approval, illegally or against the wishes of a dominant (governmental, religious, or institutional) group. In specific rec ...

such as the

International Times ''International Times'' (''it'' or ''IT'') is the name of various underground newspapers, with the original title founded in London in 1966 and running until October 1973. Editors included John "Hoppy" Hopkins, David Mair ...

, also establishing ''Nasty Tales'' which he successfully defended from an obscenity charge. He later wrote for the mainstream ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', for which he wrote the article ''The Titanic Sails At Dawn'', an analysis of what he considered the malaise afflicting then-contemporary rock music and which described the conditions that subsequently resulted in punk. He wrote 23 novels, including the ''

Victor Renquist Victor Renquist is a fictional character created by Mick Farren. He has appeared in a series of books known as ''The Renquist Quartet''. Profile Born in the twelfth century, the illegitimate son of a nobleman, Victor Renquist grows up to become a s ...

'' novels and the ''DNA Cowboys'' sequence. His 1989 novel ''The Armageddon Crazy'' dealt with a post-2000 United States dominated by

fundamentalists Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishi ...

who subvert the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...

. He began writing fantasy literature in the 70s. Farren wrote eleven works of non-fiction, including a number of biographical (including four on

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

), autobiographical and culture books (such as '' The Black Leather Jacket''), and much poetry. From 2003 to 2008, he was a columnist for the weekly newspaper ''

Los Angeles CityBeat ''Los Angeles CityBeat'' was an alternative weekly newspaper in Los Angeles, California, debuting June 12, 2003. The publication ceased production with the March 26, 2009, issue. ''LA CityBeat'' was available every Thursday at more than 1,500 di ...

''. In his 3 May 2010 Doc40 blog, Farren announced that he was writing another Victor Renquist novel, with the working title of ''Renquist V''. In 2013, he worked with digital imprint Ink Monkey Books on audio inserts (with Andy Colquhoun of The Deviants) for reissues of ''The Texts of Festival ''and the ''DNA Cowboys sequence.''

Bibliography

Fiction series

Car Warriors

:* ''Back From Hell: Car Warriors #2'' (1999)

Flame of Evil

# '' Kindling'' (2004) # ''Conflagration'' (2006)

Jeb Stuart Ho

:Also known as ''The DNA Cowboys Trilogy''. # ''The Quest of The DNA Cowboys'' (1976) # ''Synaptic Manhunt'' (1976) # ''The Neural Atrocity'' (1977) # ''The Last Stand of the DNA Cowboys'' (1989)

The Victor Renquist Quartet

# ''The Time of Feasting'' (1996) # ''Darklost'' (2000) # ''More Than Mortal'' (2001) # ''Underland'' (2002)

Novels

* ''The Texts of Festival'' (1973) * ''The Tale of Willy's Rats'' (1974) * ''The Feelies'' (1978) * ''The Song of Phaid the Gambler'' (1981), reissued as: # ''Phaid the Gambler'' (1986) # ''Citizen Phaid'' (1986) * ''

Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its in ...

'' (1985) * ''CORP*S*E'' (1986), aka ''Vickers'' * ''Their Master's War'' (1987) * ''Exit Funtopia'' (1988), aka ''The Long Orbit'' * ''The Armageddon Crazy'' (1989) aka ''Armageddon Crazy'' * ''Mars – The Red Planet'' (1990) * ''Necrom'' (1991) * ''Jim Morrison's Adventures in the Afterlife'' (1999) * ''Road Movie'' (2012)

Story collections

* ''Short Stories (1972–1973)'' (2001) * ''From the anthology - Dead Cats Bouncing, edited by Gerard Houarner and GAK, Bedlam Press'' (2002) a short story: Dead Cat Meets Slide * ''Zones of Chaos'' (2009)

Nonfiction

*''Watch Out Kids'' *''Get On Down'' *''Elvis In His Own Words'' *''The Rolling Stones In Their Own Words'' *''The Rock & Roll Circus'' *''Elvis – The Illustrated Record'' *'' The Black Leather Jacket'' *''Elvis And The Colonel'' *''The Hitchhiker's Guide to Elvis'' *''The CIA Files'' *''Conspiracies, Lies And Hidden Agendas'' *''Give The Anarchist A Cigarette'' *''Gene Vincent: There's One In Every Town'' *''Words of Wisdom From the Greatest Minds of All Time'' *''Who's Watching You?: The Chilling Truth about the State, Surveillance and Personal Freedom'' *''(Who put the) Bomp! Saving the World One Record at a Time'' *''Zones of Chaos'' (an anthology) *''Speed-Speed-Speedfreak - A fast history of amphetamine''

Counterculture activity

Farren organised the Phun City Festival in 1970. He has long been associated with the

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporati ...

(UK) who provided security at Phun City; they even awarded Farren an "approval patch" in 1970 for use on his first solo album ''Mona''. He was a prominent activist in the

White Panthers The White Panthers were an anti-racist political collective founded in November 1968 by Pun Plamondon, Leni Sinclair, and John Sinclair. It was started in response to an interview where Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, w ...

UK movement, a group that most notably organised free food and other support services for free festivals from the

Windsor Free Festival The Windsor Free Festival was a British Free Festival held in Windsor Great Park from 1972 to 1974. Organised by some London commune dwellers, notably Ubi Dwyer and Sid Rawle, it was in many ways the forerunner of the Stonehenge Free Festival, par ...

onwards.

Death

Farren died at age 69 in 2013, after collapsing while performing with the Deviants at the Borderline Club in London. The cause of death was stated to be a heart attack.

References

External links

*
Doc 40
Mick Farren personal blog * {{DEFAULTSORT:Farren, Mick 1943 births 2013 deaths Alive Naturalsound Records artists Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Cthulhu Mythos writers English biographers English male journalists English rock singers Musicians from Gloucestershire People educated at Worthing High School People from Cheltenham Pink Fairies members Protopunk musicians The Deviants (band) members Male biographers