Coming in 2025...

Published in paperback on 24 February, 2025
Available in advance from preferred outlet The Great British Book Shop, from Waterstones and from most other booksellers.
£10.99 | pp247 | ISBN: 978-1-0685345-2-2
Kindle edition from Amazon
Foreword by John Niven

Alan Tyler is the singer of The Rockingbirds, the chaotic, swashbuckling country-rockers who galloped haphazardly into the 90s Camden indie scene, got signed, appeared on Top Of The Pops, went head to head with Nirvana at Reading ‘92, and produced, eventually, four albums of unsurpassed Americana.

From DIY/punk beginnings, in 1980 Tyler arrived at the experimentalists’ haven of the London Musicians Collective and was soon playing swingy pop at Bernie Rhodes' Club Left, sharing the agitpop aspirations of Scritti Politti and other Rough Trade acts before being there at the dawn of Creation Records. At various times he’s been a choirboy, a fanzine writer, a Young Socialist, a tap dancer, a polytechnic philosopher, a cycle dispatch rider, a news-monitoring video pirate, an ill-suited civil servant, and a Deptford Creek dwelling river poet. Long after his Heavenly Recordings heyday, Tyler remains a stalwart of London’s roots music scene: a critically recognised singer-songwriter who has never had a single hit.

Buckle up for a ride from the suburbs to the city, and from the city to the country. From the lowest dives to the tallest buildings and, finally, to pride of place in your local bookshop's self-sabotage section...

Things said about How To Never Have A Hit

By people who are in it...

“Absolutely tore through it. Brilliantly written.” – Pete Astor

“This is so moving!! I loved it... One way or another this will be a beautiful thing in the world.” Sukie Smith

“It’s very funny and [a] literally revelatory story of his life and times with the Rockingbirds, before and since. You’re going to love it.” Sean Read

And by a few who aren’t…

“Alan Tyler proves just as good a story-teller over book length as song length.” – Andrew Mueller

“A funny, moving and above all unique memoir from the most talented musician you only think you’ve heard of. It’s a great book.” – David Quantick

“It is absolutely bloody marvellous.” – John Mitchinson

Gigs 2024
Sunday 4 February, 2024 , 5pm,The Stag, 14 All Saints' St, Hastings TN34 3BJ. Free
Thursday 8 February, 2024 My Grass Is Blue, The Betsey Trotwood, 56 Farringdon Road EC1R 3BL . 8pm. £5
Alan Tyler and Patrick Ralla host Come Down & Meet the Folks , a monthly Sunday shindig at the Betsey Trotwood.

Gigs 2023
Friday 27 January Sundowner, The Jenny Lind 69 High Street, Hastings,TN34 3E.
Tuesday 21 February Fat Tuesday festival, Hastings
Thursday 9 March Bowes Park Folk Club, Mum's Bistro, Myddleton Road, N22 8NG, 7.45pm, Free.
Sunday 9 March What's Cookin', The Red Lion, 80 High St S, London E6 6ET. 5pm. Free
Friday 2 June Red Rooster Festival, Shack Stage
Friday 22 December Sundowner, The Jenny Lind 69 High Street, Hastings,TN34 3E.

A new album Made in Middlesex was released on 19 November, 2021 on Hanky Panky Records.
"...songs generously underlining the emotional and geographic landscapes of England" - Uncut
"...a treasure, no less." - At The Barrier

Alan Tyler is the lead singer of English country rockers The Rockingbirds. He has also performed and released records with The Lost Sons Of Littlefield, with his acoustic trio The Alan Tyler Show and as a solo artist.

Gigs in 2022

Friday 3 June, 2022 - Alan Tyler & The Tapadoband Red Rooster Festival
Sunday 26 June2022 - Tyler & The Tapados Come Down & Meet the Folks
The electro-country combo headline Alan & Patrick's monthly music shindig at The Betsey Trotwood
On stage at 7pm. Free, no booking required.
Saturday 9 July, 2022 - The Rockingbirds The Somers Town Festival
Marking 30 years since the release of the Camden country rockers' first album The Rockingbirds, the band play this popular Saturday afternoon summer street festival (on stage at 4.30pm).
Large Plants and Wesley Gonzalez are also on the bill. Free.
Saturday 23 July, 2022 - The Alan Tyler Show What's Cookin' All Dayer
The Abbey Arms, Abbey Wood. Tyler's acoustic trio play river songs, country songs, and other favourites.
Also on the bill, Wire Fence, Hank Wangford, Rob Corcoran and more...
Gigs in 2021

Friday 19 November, 2021 - The Betsey Trotwood, Farringdon Road, London. Tickets £9.90 in advance.
Frixay 26 November 2021 - The Jenny Lind, Hastings
Wednesday 8 December - What's Cookin', Leytonstone, London
Gigs in 2019

6 January - The Alan Tyler Show - What's Cookin', East Ham, London
3 February - Alan Tyler and Patrick Ralla - This'll Be The Day, a tribute to Buddy Holly, The Old Fountain, Old St. London
22 March - Alan Tyler - a guest appearance with The Messengers of God, at the Betsey Trotwood, London. https://www.facebook.com/events/387065605177485/
13 April - The Rockingbirds - The Rambling Roots Festival High Wycombe
9 May - The Alan Tyler Show - My Grass is Blue, the Betsey Trotwood, Farringdon, London.

Gigs in 2018

Alan appears every 2nd and last Sunday of each month at his long running 2018 AMAUK Grass Roots Award winning music event Come Down And Meet The Folks

15 January - El Tapado album launch - The Social, Little Portland Street, London W1
4 February - Alan Tyler & Fiddlin' Jim Morrison - The Birds Nest, Deptford
4 March (Sunday) - The Alan Tyler Show - The Birds Nest, Deptford
7 April (Sat) - Alan Tyler (El Tapado show) - Bucks Students' Union, Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 2JZ
18 April (Weds) The Alan Tyler Show - What's Cookin, Leytonstone, London
11 July (Weds) Alan Tyler solo (supporting Darren Hayman) - St Pancras Old Church, Pancras Rd, Camden Town NW1 1UL
13 July (Fri) The Rockingbirds - Walled Garden Music Festival, Brightling Park, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5HH
15 July (Fri) Alan Tyler (El Tapado show) - Walled Garden Music Festival, Brightling Park, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5HH

Gigs in 2017

Weds, 18 January - What's Cookin', Leytonstone, London
Tues, 31 January - In Yer Ear, The King & Queen, London W1 (solo appearance)
Thursday 13 April - My Grass Is Blue, The Betsey Trotwood, Clerkenwell, London
Saturday, 6 May - Bark Festival, The Betsey Trotwood, Clerkenwell, London
Friday 2 June - Red Rooster 2017, Suffolk (The Rockingbirds also apprearing on Thursday 1 June.

Saturday 15 July (3:30-5:00) - Mascara Bar Stoke Newington, London
Sunday 16 July - What's Cookin' All Dayer (6:45) What's Cookin', Leytonstone, London
Sunday 5 November - The Birds Nest, Deptford
Sunday 3 December - The Birds Nest, Deptford

Gigs in 2016

Sunday 17 January (3 pm) - The Birds Nest, Deptford, London
Wednesday 3 February - What's Cookin', Leytonstone, London
18 February - Bilbao, Colegio de Abogados (Rampas de Uribitarte, 3)
19 February - San Sebastian, Club44, Altxerri Jazz Bar
20 February - Burgos, matinee, Carabas
20 February - Santander, El Cafe de Noa
26 February - Morden Arms, Greenwich
27 March - Come Down and Meet The Folks, The Apple Tree, Clerkenwell. http://comedownandmeethefolks.co.uk
9 April - Goldsmiths Arms, 3 Croydon Rd, Penge
15 April - KK Club, Occupation Road, Corby NN17 1EE
16 April - Heron Theatre, Milnthorpe, Cumbria
29 April - Hereford River Carnival
28 May - Brockley Max festival
4 June - William Blake's Songs of Innocence, Deptford Cinema.
5 June - Country Soul Sessions, Spice Of Life pub, Soho, W1

19 June - The Birds Nest, Deptford
6 August - Canal & River Trust Tent, Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire
12 August -Kalamazoo Club, Kings Head, Crouch End
23 October - The Birds Nest, Deptford