Marc Burrows

Marc Burrows is an author, music and film critic, comic and musician from London. He published his first book as an author, a biography of Sir Terry Pratchett, to much acclaim in 2020, via Pen & Sword books, and is currently working on two books, a look at the relationship between Marc Bolan and David Bowie, and a guide to the albums of the Manic Street Preachers, both for Pen & Sword and expected in 2022 and 2021 respectively. As a journalist, music and film critic and essayist he has written regularly for the Guardian (where was he full time staff for five years), Observer, i Paper, the Quietus, Drowned In Sound, Hey U Guys, Music OMH and many more, and is a specialist in music, popular culture, mental health and humorous writing. He has appeared as a pundit/talking head on BBC Points West, CNN, London Live, Radio 4’s The Today Programme and the BBC World Service.

Marc has been performing stand up comedy since 2009, and has entertained audiences at comedy clubs, Fringe events, conventions and music festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival, Camp Bestival, Green Man and the Lincoln Steampunk Weekend. He has written five one-man shows, taking each to the Edinburgh Fringe and beyond. His most recent, Mind Your Head (2017 and 2018), was a hugely personal – and thankfully very funny – journey through his history mental health issues.

Outside of writing and comedy, he is perhaps best known as a member of The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, the cult Victorian-themed punk rock band. Marc joined the band on bass in 2009 and has been a key member ever since, writing two of the group’s most popular songs, ‘Doing It For The Whigs’ and ‘Ebenezer’s Carol’. The band have recorded four critically acclaimed albums, the most recent of which, 2015’s Not Your Typical Victorians and 2018’s Double Negative, were both being listed in several publications’ “Best of the Year” lists. The quartet, which also includes fellow comedian Andrew O’Neill on guitar and Andy Heintz. former lead singer of goth legends Creaming Jesus on vocals, have performed around the world, regularly tour the UK and US to sell out audiences and have performed several times at Glastonbury and Bestival, and on Download Festivals gigantic second stage. In 2019 they celebrated their 10th anniversary with a lengthy tour that included three sell-out hometown shows at London’s Black Heart. Marc also releases his own music under the name Before Victoria.

He is available to discuss (either in a serious or comic tone) Rock and pop music, 90s pop culture and music, 2000s pop culture and music, classic rock music, indie and Britpop, Sci-fi and Fantasy, Terry Pratchett, general pop culture, movies (new and classic), comedy, politics, LGBTQ+ issues, mental health

Marc works full time as part of Twitter’s curation team, and as a result of all of the above is frequently tired.

BOOKS

– I Think I Can See Where You’re Going From and other advice from Guardian Readers (editor), Faber & Faber (2014)

– The Magic Of Terry Pratchett, Pen & Sword/White Owl, 2020

– The London Boys: The Teenage Dreams of David Bowie and Marc Bolan, Pen & Sword Books (upcoming, 2022)

– Manic Street Preachers: Album by Album (editor), (White Owl Books, upcoming 2021)

ONE MAN STAND UP SHOWS

– The 90s In Half an Hour (Edinburgh Fringe, 2011)

– An Indie Boy’s Guide to Sex and Girls (Edinburgh Fringe, 2012)

– The Ten Best Songs of All Time (Edinburgh Fringe, 2014)

– Mind Your Head (Edinburgh Fringe, 2017 & 18).

MUSIC

With The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing

– The Steampunk Album That Cannot Be Named For Legal Reasons (2010)

– This May Be The Reason Why The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing Cannot Be Killed By Conventional Weapons (2012)

– Not Your Typical Victorians (2015)

– Double Negative (2018)

As Before Victoria

– A Christmas Gift To You From Phil Spector Marc Burrows (2011)

– Carry On Up The Chartists (2016)

– Sods & Odds (2017)

– The Sad Machines (2017)

Marc Burrows
Stand up, bass (but not Stand-Up Bass)
Writing: The Guardian, Drowned In Sound, The Quietus, Rock Sound, Music OMH

Twitter: 20thcenturymarc

Biography of Sir Terry Pratchett out now: www.askmeaboutterrypratchett.com

Guardian book: I Think I Can See Where You’re Going Wrong out now