Book review: STRANGE BOAT: MIKE SCOTT AND THE WATERBOYS by Ian Abrahams

Mike Scott

Gonzo Multimedia www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk [Published 23.06.14]

This is a comprehensive overview of the career of Mike Scott from his early days in bands like Another Pretty Face through to the Waterboys and his various solo work, although to be fair the Waterboys is Mike Scott! Sadly the author did not get to interview Mike despite repeated requests to his management, instead he is represented by archive interview quotes. There are interviews with key former members like Colin Blakey and Anthony Thistlethwaite, in fact the Waterboys have got through over forty members since the early 1980′s.

Lots of trivia including the fact Terraplane’s bass player Nick Linden helped out on early sessions. There are no real rock ‘n’ roll tales of excess as Mike Scott has a lot of literary influences, in fact the last Waterbpys album was based on the poetry of W.B. Yeats. He is interested more in creating music that encompasses his poetic nature and forever exploring new music. He comes across as a thoroughly nice person, although his focus is always on the music and how he wants it to appear.

He certainly eschewed the mainstream as even when ‘Whole Of The Moon’ was a hit single they used a video rather than trawl around the musical TV shows of that time.

Fans of the band and Mike Scott will enjoy this I am sure, the only downside is no new interviews with the man himself which would have really provided a deeper insight to his lyrics and ways of creating music.

Review by Jason Ritchie


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 7 April 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024

ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply