So It Started There: From Punk to Pulp

Born in Sheffield, England, Banks never imagined he would end up playing drums with Pulp, one of the most influential Britpop bands of the 1990s. Banks found punk in his early teens, sneaking into iconic punk shows and forming bands with his mates. After a brief attempt at bass guitar, he discovered his proclivity for drums. He played in hometown bands before stumbling into auditioning for Pulp. The band didn’t rise to fame quickly; Banks recounts the ups and downs of Pulp’s journey in his sarcastic and humorous voice. Although Banks’s memoir entertains throughout, the first part of the over 400-page book is a more satisfying read, as it shows his strong connections to music and the influence of his working-class upbringing on his life. The memoir is also a uniquely interactive read: Banks starts each chapter with a QR code that brings readers to his own curated Spotify playlists—45 in total—of music that has influenced him.