A Year With Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson Review – Portrait of a Wayward Pop Star

In 2004, British journalist Chris Heath dedicated over a year to observing Robbie Williams for his book Feel. The effort seemed justified given our fascination with successful individuals and the toll fame takes on them. Heath’s deep dive was into both the top pop star of his generation and his most self-critical subject.

Music writer Will Hodgkinson appears to have been inspired by this method, though his subject, Lawrence, is largely unknown to most people. Compared to the navigation of success, the struggle with failure often proves more relatable and interesting.

Like some other mononym singers such as Lulu, Sting, and Jedward, Lawrence has no last name. In the 1980s, he enjoyed some cult appeal with his indie band Felt, and later with Denim in the 1990s. However, commercial success eluded him, leading him to live on the margins—convincing himself that glory was just within reach if only things had been slightly different.

Hodgkinson, an admirer who has earlier written about 1970s pop, followed Lawrence for a year. A fan himself, Hodgkinson sees Lawrence as a genius and is intrigued by what defines an artist, especially one overlooked by mainstream success. He questions the mindset and determination required, painting a picture reminiscent of Withnail and I—but where only one character achieves fame.

Lawrence lives on a diet of crackers, milky tea, and a particular kind of liquorice that he fears Poundland has discontinued

Now 63, Lawrence lives alone in a London council flat, reduced in circumstances but not in vision. His daily diet includes crackers, milky tea, and a specific type of liquorice he dreads might be discontinued by Poundland. Without a romantic partner for decades, Lawrence loves to recount his ex’s peculiarities: one had a face “too round” while another had bad breath. Amassing enough two pence coins to trade for banknotes gives him a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

For storytelling’s sake, Hodgkinson walks the streets of London with Lawrence, window shopping for clothes Lawrence can’t afford and uncovering pieces of his biography along the way. Son of a Birmingham market stall trader, Lawrence laments how Felt’s 1985 single, “Primitive Painters,” wasn’t a hit and accepts his lonesome figure in stride. Former girlfriends, interviewed by Hodgkinson, don’t always remember him fondly. One even commented on his poor singing ability, while another missed the lack of lust, to which Lawrence admits he was “a two-minute wonder.”

Although not everything Lawrence says warrants documenting (“if you saw a cat from outer space, it would be a hairless cat”), his dedication is compelling. Despite the lack of success, he remains resolute about being a songwriter, viewing financial hardship as a mere collateral. Hodgkinson doesn’t label Lawrence’s intense focus with any mental health diagnosis, sticking to his role as a writer, not a psychiatrist.

Lawrence recounts the pain of seeing former peers like Jarvis Cocker rise to fame, and the crushing blow in 1997 when his band Denim seemed on the verge of a hit with “Summer Smash.” The song was pulled from airwaves following Princess Diana’s death, as the title felt insensitive. Hodgkinson probes what happened next, with Lawrence responding simply, “I had a mental collapse.” He leaves much unsaid, and Hodgkinson respects his silence.

Inspiringly, Lawrence hasn’t given up. His latest band, Mozart Estate, garners a modest 1,785 streams per month on Spotify, indicating that a breakthrough hit remains elusive.

However, Hodgkinson’s Street-Level Superstar extends a significant kindness by validating Lawrence’s artistry through a genuine biography. Many geniuses aren’t appreciated in their lifetime, and Lawrence may share that fate. When asked why he doesn’t seek a stable job, Lawrence firmly responds, “I am a songwriter. It is what I must do. However long I have to sit in this room with no money, no matter how many times the police break down my door to check I’m still alive, I cannot admit I’m not an artist.”

Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson is published by Nine Eight Books (£22).

Source: The Guardian