Julie Burchill

Along with her sidekick Tony Parsons were solely responsible for mapping the NME lifeline to Punk Rock in its adolescent years of 1976-79 .This teenage Bristolian answered an ad for a 'hip young gunslinger' in the New Musical Express and luckily the serious music paper that had no finger on the pulse of any teenager offered her the job. She up and left her Bristol roots and headed to the metropolis in early 1976. She went on to cram many a blank page with wit, venom, and good old fashioned libel. This 16 year old typewriter baby was working in an environment of people taking drugs, getting drunk and having nervous breakdowns and all this was just in the NME offices alone ! Take all this and stick it against a backdrop of Punk Rock and what more could a 16 year old want ?

Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons picture - Denis O'Regan

She became the hack from hell which got her noticed and soon moved on to more mainstream journalism when punks first wave crashed. But not before a parting shot of venom in 'The Boy Looked At Johnny' where she slags the whole scene. Julie, after two marriages ( bye bye Tony) and a short time as a lesbian, and being a mother is still as venomous and agressive in her writing style but in tabloid publications such as the Telegraph, Time Out and Londons Evening Standard. Her targets are now political or simpering books like her one on Diana. Another punk made good or bad ? Who cares ?