A ‘melomaniac’ is defined as having ‘an inordinate liking for music or melody’ by Merriam-Webster. As Jamie Robertson tells his life story, it is anchored in the music he was listening to at the time – the records he bought, the gigs he attended (there are many) and, most importantly, the emotions music both triggered and helped Jamie to resolve.
I came to this book expecting it to only be about the importance of music. While that is the foundation of everything here, the main story is Robertson’s progress as an aspiring filmmaker with dreams of Hollywood. We learn a lot about the tricks of the filmmaker’s trade, as well as the insecurity of working as a freelancer. Mostly, though, we read the message in Peter Gabriel’s song Don’t Give Up being applied, steadily, day after day, and how that attitude can take you further than it might appear. Through many setbacks (as well as significant highs), he never gives up, even when that involves moving to the other side of the world and back again more than once.
I used to read self-help books. Most make their point about living your dream and not being ruled by limiting beliefs with all the subtlety of a flying mallet. Jamie’s story is an embodiment of such an approach to life, but through describing the events in his life (and how he reacts and feels about them), he is able to make these points much more subtly and deeply. He’s just telling his story – or is he? When finding it hard to get work as an editor or director in England, speak to your colleagues, contacts and friends and follow opportunities to Australia to find work. When the Australian film industry enters recession, come home to Britain for a while, or travel elsewhere. Want to photograph a gig? Ask for a complimentary ticket and permission, take some decent images, ask again, make better images, and so it goes.
Jamie tells his story as a straightforward narrative timeline. He begins in Scotland in 1954 and, steadily, chapter by chapter, event by event and gig by gig, he progresses until this telling of his story ends in 1997. Progress isn’t always smooth, and his life is always on the edge of being turned upside down – and frequently is – not only as a result of insecure work.
Once I became tuned in to the style of the book, the depths of Jamie’s story began to reveal themselves. At first, the narrative is jarring. When not recounting an event or a specific conversation, we move from a single-paragraph impression of an album he’s just bought straight into a description of the next television advertisement he was involved with. The balance seemed a little off in places, mostly because I was expecting a book entirely about music. It’s sometimes more concerned with TV commercials and the ups and downs of working in the television and film industries, but that’s told in a comprehensible way.
Yet, for all his adventures and career progression in filmmaking, the book is centred on Jamie’s obsession with music. At the close of the book is a list of gigs attended. His gig career began just before mine, and then our paths crossed (unknowingly) at The Who’s ‘Summer of 74’ gig at Charlton’s The Valley football ground in London. Encounters with The Who are an example of Jamie’s extraordinary adventures. After becoming a firm fan of The Who after Charlton, I bought The Kids Are Alright, the DVD of their career-spanning documentary. Jamie worked on the film itself and, through that job, met Keith Moon.
Early on he decided to reward himself with a new album whenever he’d signed a new contract. The book is filled with potted reviews of the music he bought, usually picking out a favourite track or two. Most of us who have been passionate about music for the majority of our lives will understand how music can anchor life’s highs and help us find a way out of the low points. Jamie consistently returns to and plays the blues. He comes back to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird often. As well as the blues, Jamie listens to prog (and beyond), and he’s not stuck in the past; his gig list continues after the autobiography to include 2023 performances by the likes of Big Big Train and Dim Gray.
The lows Jamie experienced included not only the passing of his father when he was young but also some of his mentors in the film industry. Grief leaves you feeling without an anchor, and music provides the way out. He quotes his first mentor, producer-director Alastair Macdonald, as saying, “Music is a powerful form of storytelling; it has the power to take your imagination on an adventure.” Alastair died in an accident while filming, and this event was one of the first of several tests of Jamie’s resilience in a difficult industry.
Much later, Jamie’s work dried up. Freelancers know how work can swing from having too much to handle to having nothing at all. Jamie hit a major drought which affected his relationships too, and for a while his solution wasn’t music, but pills and alcohol. As he puts it:
In many ways, this is an unusual book; one that will have you exploring your music collection with a new appreciation of old favourites. And you might be inspired to search for some of the Australian bands that Jamie rates, who have never made an impact in the UK.
Most of all, whatever your dream is, whatever challenges you face, Jamie’s progress could inspire you to keep going, make your own luck, and then look back at how far you’ve come. Highly recommended.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Publisher: Inter/Connexions
ISBN: 978-1-84888-549-3
Length: 537 pages
Date of Publication: 1st May 2024
LINKS
Music Measures Memories – Website | Facebook | Instagram
Jamie Robertson – Website | Facebook
Inter/Connexions – Website | Link to eBook | Link to Paperback
