Kill Your Friends by John Niven

John Niven is a Scottish author and this is his second book. Niven was a music industry employee for about 10 years - I believe he used to hang around with Mogwai. In Kill Your Friends he has written about what he knows. This is summed up in a great quote from Hunter S Thompson -

'The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. These is also a negative side.'

I love Thompson and it is clear that Niven does too. Kill your friends is a Gonzo rush through the music business in 1997. The repuganant anti-hero of the book, Steven Stelfox, is an amalgam of every nasty character trait that you could imagine an A&R man having. He hates music but he likes cocaine and prostitutes. He is only interested in the money and he will fuck anyone over to get what he wants.

The prose is easy to read and funny. The thinly-disguised 'musicians' mixed with famous names raise a wry smile. The characters are familiar. I have met a few 'scensters' over the years who are complete cocks (and some who are cool). Niven might be ripping off Irvine Welsh a bit but this is a good read. I'll look out for his next book.