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Adele Bertei's 'No New York' Memoir Review
Adele Bertei's memoir offers a potent evocation of 1970s and 80s New York, particularly the 'no wave' music scene.
TL;DR
- Adele Bertei's memoir offers a vivid account of New York's bohemian and 'no wave' music scene in the late 1970s and 80s.
- The book details Bertei's experiences after arriving in a financially troubled but creatively open Manhattan.
- Her writing style is noted for its sharp, 'gunslinger era' descriptions of figures like Joey Ramone and Alan Vega.
- Bertei joined the 'no wave' band The Contortions, described as 'Dada brutalism' and a 'negation of every way that had come before'.
- The memoir touches on the dark realities and collective struggles of the scene, influenced by personal trauma and addiction.
- It addresses the challenges of femaleness and queerness within the music industry of the time.
- The 'no wave' scene eventually declined due to factors like heroin, Aids, and gentrification.
- Despite a fading focus on Bertei's direct involvement later in the book, her account is considered essential for those interested in alternative music.