JONN PENNEY: SELF-ISH. The Story of Ned's Atomic Dustbin

SELF-ISH is the story of Jonn Penney and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin told through the lyrics he wrote, the memories behind them and the life that was happening around them.

What a treat of an in conversation this will be!

What began as a relatively simple idea for a lyric book gradually became something considerably more ambitious: a beautifully designed hardback book bringing together Jonn’s words, stories and reflections on his life before, during and after the extraordinary rise of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin.

For Jonn, the lyrics were always the natural place to begin.

“This is a lyric book, because that’s where I’m at. The words are what I’m most proud of and I think it gives you a better idea of who I am if I use the lyrics as an anchor for the many phases of my Ned life.”

From the songs that soundtracked the band’s beginnings in the Black Country through their success in Britain, America and beyond, Jonn revisits the circumstances in which those words were written and discovers what they tell him about the person who wrote them.

It is part lyric collection, part memoir and part conversation between the Jonn Penney of today and the young man who unexpectedly found himself fronting one of the most distinctive British alternative bands of the early 1990s.

“I’ve always felt like an ‘accidental rock star’,” Jonn explains, “because almost all of these words just seemed to pour out of me automatically in those rehearsal rooms. I didn’t feel like I was driving the words as they emerged, it felt like I’d accidentally burped them out.”

There are stories, memories and candid diversions along the way, but Jonn deliberately resisted turning SELF-ISH into a conventional illustrated rock autobiography. With very few photographs, the focus remains firmly on the words, accompanied instead by striking original graphic design throughout the book.

“I might like to show off and demand attention on stage, but a book is a different beast,” says Jonn. “Talking constantly about my boring old self is not exactly my idea of fun, but I’m told some folk want to read this stuff… and it’s actually been a real treat to reflect on everything I did.”

Jonn kept no diaries, something which gives SELF-ISH its particular perspective. Rather than attempting to present a definitive historical account, it is deliberately a reflection: a man in his fifties looking back at the experiences, feelings, friendships, successes and occasional chaos of his younger self.

“I didn’t keep diaries and I only have the traces of feelings I had for reference, so I’m a fifty-something reflecting on what happened - well, what my memory tells me happened - with a fifty-something perspective.”

The finished book has evolved significantly since SELF-ISH was first announced for pre-order a year ago. The result is a substantial, beautifully produced hardback, with a vivid orange embossed cover and spine, ribbon marker and specially created full-colour artwork punctuating Jonn’s lyrics and stories.

After a much longer journey to publication than originally anticipated, SELF-ISH is finally here.

For anyone who lived through the beautiful chaos of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, ever tried to decipher exactly what Jonn was singing about, or simply wants to know more about the person behind those words, SELF-ISH provides the answers.

Or, at least, what Jonn remembers of them.

Copies of Jonn's book will be available to purchase at the event and there'll be a dedicated book signing afterwards.

About the Author:

As the singer and lyricist for 90s indie rock band, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Jonn Penney found his ‘happy place’ on stage, during the hundreds of rabidly supported gigs across the globe that the band played in the first half of the decade.Away from the white-hot spotlight of touring and releasing albums, Jonn created the vocal melodies and penned 99% of his lyrics in rehearsal rooms with his four band-mates, instantaneously inspired by their uniquely energised riffs and hooks.His telling observations in rhyme on all manner of both personal and vicarious subjects saw him create a body of lyrical work that poignantly reflects his humble, down-to-earth and deeply introspective personality.Neds had three indie single hits in 1990, followed by two Top Twenty singles and a #4 album in 1991. More Top 20 singles and albums followed in 1992, before the band split following the release of a third album in 1995. When all five original members of the band reformed in 2006, Jonn was once again able to visit that happy place on stage, singing his words to unswervingly loyal fans, articulating his gently pensive yet at times bitingly insightful thoughts.These days, Jonn is content with his ‘accidental rockstar’ lot; he also enjoys Earl Grey tea, dark beers, dark chocolate and making light of a world that tries to dim us all down.