Rock Goes To College: Paul Sexton

Paul Sexton is coming to The Nick Rayns LCR on Wednesday 28 October to talk about his book Rock Goes to College, and the whole thing is set in the very venue where it's happening. He'll be in conversation with LCR staff member Gavin Hudson, with Professor George McKay chairing the evening.

If you're not familiar with the subject, Rock Goes to College is Sexton's account of the British university gig scene that launched some of the biggest names in rock. Back when the album era was taking off, young bands and solo artists toured university and polytechnic campuses across the UK in Ford Transits, honing their sound and hoping to get signed. It was a proper circuit, and the list of who went through it reads like a who's who of the era: Pink Floyd, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Kinks, Dire Straits, AC/DC, Genesis and Nick Drake all did their time on it. Even Paul McCartney took Wings out on the road this way after the Beatles split.

Setting the talk in the LCR puts Norwich right at the heart of that story. The venue welcomed those touring artists and helped forge reputations in front of student audiences long before arenas and commercial circuits became the norm, so there's a nice bit of local connection to the wider scene Sexton writes about. The talk runs from 7pm to 8pm, and booking is required, so you'll need to get your ticket sorted in advance rather than turning up on the night. Tickets are £15, and the talk is followed by book sales and a signing with the author, so you can pick up a copy of Rock Goes to College and get it signed while you're there.