Mick Houghton

Poacher turned gamekeeper, Mick Houghton was a music writer during the 1970s before becoming a PR for bands like Ramones, Talking Heads, The Undertones, Echo & The Bunnymen, Julian Cope and The KLF. Mick’s book on his all-time favourite label, Elektra Records and its founder Jac Holzman, Becoming Elektra, was published last October. He considers that a misspent youth due to an unhealthy obsession with pop music saved him from the real world and ever having to get a proper job for over 40 years.

Mick will be taking part in Tales from the Typographic Oceans event on Saturday afternoon – a discussion on rock’n’roll, the printed word and the counter culture with Rough Trade boss Geoff Travis and Andy Childs, former editor of Zigzag magazine. These three influencial figures from pre-punk onwards will talk to journalist and broadcaster Emma Warren about the birth of Xerox publishing and fanzine culture’s effect on all aspects of music from Sniffin’ Glue through to Jockey Slut.

“[Becoming Elektra] perfectly encapsulates the enigmatic, unpredictable spirit of a label which has instigated musical sea-changes and tantalised collectors for decades.”
– Record Collector magazine