When Owen Noone turns up at an open-mic evening in an Illinois bar, he not only brings the house down, he also changes the life of one shy, introspective student. Together they become Owen Noone and the Marauder, a rock n roll band that rises to fame on the back of an improbable hit single - a folk-meets-punk rendition of Yankee Doodle.
Signed up to a major record label and criss-crossing America on a national tour, the pair's dreams seem to be coming true; however, being a rock star turns out to be harder than they imagined, and as disasters strike and their private lives become public property, their legendary friendship and success unravel dramatically.
The irresistible charm of The Commitments coupled with the street smarts and music know-how of Nick Hornby, this assured and impressive debut defies categorisation. The story of a friendship and a road trip, playing a riff on the nature of fame and personality, it heralds the arrival of a writer of enormous talent.
