Medical Grade Music

No-one, least of all Steve Davis and Kavus Torabi themselves, expected the six-time former World Snooker champion and a British-Iranian underground rock musician to become one of the most trusted brands in British alternative music. In their weekly radio shows and as two-thirds of The Utopia Strong, they set out to do exactly that.

Part sonic memoir, part Socratic dialogue, part gonzo mission to the heart of what makes music truly psychedelic, Medical Grade Music takes us from the snooker halls of Plumstead to the wildest shores of Plymouth's '90s thrash scene in the first work of joint autobiography to trace the evolution of a life-changing friendship through the discographies of Gentle Giant, Voivod and a host of deviant psychedelic avatars.

“So here we have our Butch and Sundance, adrift on strange seas with heads full of stray cats and gentle giants, magmatic rumbles surging up from hidden volcanoes, new lands glistening with life in a Roger Dean dawn. For all those boys in RAF greatcoats with stacks of LPs tucked under their arms waiting for MAN to come on; all those girls who insisted you come with them to see King Crimson at the Rainbow in 1973 and to their spiritual descendants, wherever and whoever they may be”

-- Spider Stacey
Not sure how two heads discussing weirdo music became the feelgood music book of the year, but if the legendary Nurse With Wound List blew your mind, Steve and Kavus's navigation of the freak zone will warm your heart -- David Keenan
Medical Grade Music is an extraordinary, vital trip to the heart of the underground. Funny, deeply human and often surreal, it's one of the most original and entertaining music books I've ever read - but it's also one of the most touching -- Harry Sword
I couldn't get past the intro -- Barry Hearn
Amiable, unusual and occasionally impenetrable . . . [Davis and Torabi] recall their intertwining musical passions with self-effacing wit and no small measure of detail Mirror
Theirs is one of the great unlikely bromances, and their enthusiasm for the music that they champion, as fans, curators and creators fizz off the page with the kind of dilated, white knuckle spirit of adventure that created it in the first place. This is a trip into a parallel musical universe and a great primer in the kind of ambitious music that the more conservative punk/pop/rock narratives tend to dismiss. More than this though, it's a roadmap on how to follow your dreams (and trips) to their illogical conclusions and a paean to friendship, and a rollicking read Louder Than War
An enjoyable "pot-pourri of excess, poor behaviour and unfortunate lifestyle decisions" Choice

Steve Davis is a six time World Snooker Champion, BBC snooker 'pundit' and well-known enthusiast for out-there music. Kavus Torabi is a member of Gong, Cardiacs and many other underground psychedelic bands. They met many years ago and forged a friendship through a shared love of cult experimental music. They became DJs - both on the live circuit and on their monthly 'Fire Shuffle' show on NTS - and they are now The Utopia Strong, a band with a celebrated album release and many gigs behind them. This is their story.

No-one, least of all Steve Davis and Kavus Torabi themselves, expected the six-time former World Snooker champion and a British-Iranian underground rock musician to become one of the most trusted brands in British alternative music. In their weekly radio shows and as two-thirds of The Utopia Strong, they set out to do exactly that.Part sonic memoir, part Socratic dialogue, part gonzo mission to the heart of what makes music truly psychedelic, Medical Grade Music takes us from the snooker halls of Plumstead to the wildest shores of Plymouth's '90s thrash scene in the first work of joint autobiography to trace the evolution of a life-changing friendship through the discographies of Gentle Giant, Voivod and a host of deviant psychedelic avatars.

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