Penguin Books Australia

'WHEN PUNK BROKE IN THE BAY AREA, WITH THE CLAMOR AND THE RAGE, THE SEX AND THE SAFETY PINS, THE SOUND AND THE FURY, YOU WERE EITHER THERE OR YOU WEREN'T.  IF YOU WERE THERE YOU'RE PROBABLY IN THIS BOOK.  IF YOU WEREN'T YOU SHOULDN'T READ IT.'
-DANIEL HANDLER, AUTHOR OF ADVERBS

FROM THE ART-DAMAGE OF SAN FRANCISCO'S FAB MAB IN NORTH BEACH TO THE STILL VIBRANT ALL-AGES DIY-ETHOS OF BERKELEY'S GILMAN STREET, GIMME SOMETHING BETTER CHRONICLES OVER TWO DECADES OF BAY AREA PUNK, INCLUDING THE SEX PISTOLS' NOTORIOUS FINAL PERFORMANCE, JELLO BIAFRA'S BID FOR MAYOR, THE CREATION OF MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL, AND THE RISE OF THE EAST BAY POP-PUNK SOUND THAT TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM.

THIS DEFINITIVE ORAL HISTORY EXPLORES THE MUSIC, PROGRESSIVE POLITICS, DIVINE DECADENCE, AND SMARTASS WIT OF BAY AREA PUNK THROUGH THE VOICES OF THOSE WHO WERE THERE - WITH MEMBERS OF DEAD KENNEDY'S AVENGERS, FLIPPER, MDC, GREEN DAY, RANCID, NOFX, AND AFI.

'JACK BOULWARE AND SILKE TUDOR HAVE MANAGED TO DOCUMENT PUNK WITHOUT GETTING IT WRONG - WHICH PUTS THEM IN A CLASS OF ABOUT ONE PERCENT OF THE WRITERS ON THE SUBJECT.  GIMME SOMETHING BETTER IS A GREAT READ, AND A GREAT SERVICE TO A SCENE THAT HAS MOSTLY BEEN UNDERREPORTED OR MISREPRESENTED.' - JESSE MICHAELS, OPERATION IVY

'PART HILARIOUS, PART TOUCHING, DEEPLY RESEARCHED ORAL HISTORY.' - PENELOPE HOUSTON, THE AVENGERS

'SOMETIMES IT WAS MORE OF A 'SCREWMENT' THEN A MOVEMENT, BUT THE BAY AREA PUNKS ALWAYS OFFERED UP SOME DAMN THING TO PUZZLE OR MARVEL OVER.' - IAN MACKAYE, FUGAZI AND MINOR THREAT