Spotlight On.... Nick Kent

When I think about what inspired me to become a journalist and in particular, a music journalist, the name Nick Kent springs to mind.

Nick Kent was one of Britain's most notorious music journalists in the '70s. He started writing professionally at the age of 19, cutting his teeth with the underground publication Frendz. He started working for NME in 1972. He became famous for his antics as well as his writings. He flew to Michigan in the States to visit Creem's offices, unannounced, to ask Lester Bangs if he could teach him fine points of rock journalism. Kent seemed interested in writing about, and interviewing, some of music’s most tortured souls. He wrote one of the first extensive pieces about Pink Floyd’s front man Syd Barrett, and wrote lengthy articles on legends like Lou Reed, the New York Dolls, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, and the Rolling Stones that did not always paint these music heroes in the best light. Kent seemed to have an knack for finding controversy and drama, or at least letting controversy and drama find him. He perhaps got a little too involved in the lifestyle of the musicians he was covering, and by the mid-'70s had problems with hard drugs which was adversely affecting his writing and career. It was around this time that he played a significant role in an up coming punk band’s career called the Sex Pistols.

Kent got to know Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren in 1974, and helped teach him about music past and present. I remember reading a story about how Sid Vicious got his name it goes something like this; Kent was at a Pistols gig where Sid attacked him with a bike chain leaving Nick bloodied and bruised. Now, this incident did in fact take place, but whether the attack earned Sid is infamous pseudonym is debatable, depending on who’s telling the story at the time. There is also speculated that the Sex Pistols' "I Wanna Be Me" was about Nick Kent. Although he is still most famed for his stint with NME , Kent wrote for many other publications, including The Face, Spin, and Details.

Maybe it is the romantic notion of sex, drugs and rock n roll that draws me to Nick Kent he did after all, live that lifestyle or maybe its because he wrote for NME which I class as my musical bible. Either way Nick Kent is my inspiration and the reason I got into journalism. Hats off to him.

Further reading:

Nick Kent Apathy for the Devil

Nick Kent The Dark Stuff

Nick Kent Guardian profile