About the Author

Phil Marcade left Paris in his late teens to begin "a few months" of travel that would lead to a 40 year-stay in the U.S., mostly in New York City. He was at the center of the origins of the punk rock explosion, as a musician (founder and lead singer of The Senders) and scenester, forming intimate friendships with artists and musicians including Johnny Thunders, Nan Goldin, Cookie Muller, Wayne Kramer, Debbie Harry, Nancy Spungen and Willie DeVille. His first book, Au-dela de l'Avenue D (Scali, 2006), was published in France. In addition to writing, he works as a painter and graphic artist. He lives in Paris, France.

Reviews

"Punk Avenue is the story of a naive young man looking for simple fun, accidentally fumbling through a music revolution, and in the meantime becoming a symbol for the rise and fall of a scene." --Pop Matters "Nowadays, when punk aesthetics and ideologies are studied, archived and presented in curated museum shows, Marcade's new memoir, Punk Avenue, is a timely gem. His words fill the page with meaning but never overstay their welcome, illuminating untold stories, different scenes, and missing links between the hippies and the punks, between black American music and the reclamation of a three-minute sonic spike to the vein. This is uncluttered, unordained prose." --The Observer "The real noteworthy feat is not simply remembering stories, but weaving them together in a way that is fun and funny and sad and personal and gripping, whether you're a fan of early the early NYC punk scene or not. Marcade not only does exactly that in expert fashion with Punk Avenue, but he does it in a language that's not his first." ----Dying Scene "Punk Avenue throws in an outsider's perspective on the scene-author Marcade came to New York from Paris. Throw in contributions by Debbie Harry and Legs McNeil, and you have a decidedly interesting work on your hands." --Vol.1 Brooklyn "The French-born musician cut his teeth during the heyday of New York punk, rubbing elbows with the likes of the Ramones, Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls and Nancy Spungen (of Sid and Nancy fame)."--Tidal "Phil Marcade's Punk Avenue is both fascinating memoir and a detailed, first-person account of the birth (and growth) of punk rock in New York City." --Largehearted Boy "Marcade's great sense for storytelling, as well as his knack for being in the right place at the right time, make this a must-read for those interested in the history of punk." --Library Journal "The brief, insane explosion of the punk scene in 1970s New York has fascinated people ever since and left a lasting impression on art, culture, and music. Punk Avenue: Inside the New York City Underground, 1972-1982 is a first-person account by Phil Marcade that brings this savage decade to life. . . . Marcade's stories surprise and delight, reviving an influential, exciting moment in American culture." --Foreword Reviews "A musician's memoir of punk rock in its New York City heyday shows how much fun it was while it lasted, before AIDS and heroin had the last laugh. . . . Must-read for those who love that era and want a fresh perspective on it." --Kirkus Reviews "Punk Avenue leads us from the early highs through the dark periods of addiction and loss without losing hope." --The Villager "It was hard to put this book down. It's a fun and dishy read!... Gives us the real 411 about both CBGB's and Max's Kansas City and the drug scene that was happening." --Ginger Coyote, Punk Globe Magazine "Punk Avenue is a fast, fun read that fills in historical gaps and establishes Phil Marcade as more than a character lurking in the shadows. Fans of CBGB and American punk will dig it." --Razorcake "Just when you think you led a fascinating, fun, wild, scary life, along comes this maniac. I'm amazed Phil's still here. But thankful he managed to make it back with these untoppable tales from the inside of the inside -- of his pals Johnny Thunders, Joe Strummer, Debbie Harry, Dee Dee Ramone, of Max's, CBs and the long-ago Lower East Side, all told in a matter-of-fact style that only makes them more incredible. A definitive dispatch from the trenches (and gutters) of New York punk." -- Robert Duncan, Managing Editor, Creem; author, The Noise "A riveting account of desperate days and high-octane nights that vividly recall the gritty glamour of New York in the 1980s, that penniless yet golden age of sex not sexting, drugs not hugs, and pure, unadulterated rock and roll. Written in blood by somebody who was there, in the combat zone, loving every manic minute." -- Max Blagg, poet "Marcade's book is historically important, invaluable in fact, but it's also a fun, fast, nasty read. I couldn't think of a better introduction to NYC in the days when the streets were dangerous, the rents were cheap, and the fun never ended." -- James "The Hound" Marshall, Bar owner, radio personality