Mute

Dave Barbarossa was given his monicker by no less a music industry luminary than Malcolm McLaren, and from that point on it was clear that his was to be a life less ordinary. And so it has proved. Now with ‘Mute’ - his second novel that follows the success of his debut ‘Mud Sharks’ - the former drummer with Adam & the Ants, Bow Wow Wow and Republica draws on his long experience of both life itself, and more particularly a life on the road, to create a world that is authentic, heartfelt and full of insight. ‘Mute’ will be published on 14 November 2025 by Astral Horizon Press.
 
‘Mud Sharks’ was hailed as “A formidable coming-of-age tale of salvation through punk from lifeless ’70s London” by Eamonn Forde in Q. Louder Than War’s Lizzie Alderdice enjoyed, “A cracking good read!” Lara Reinberger, of Vive Le Rock, hailed an “Intense true-to-life story about the reality of life behind the trappings fame” from an influential musician but also a gifted writer”.
 
Nor was the praise restricted to the media. Roland Gift, musician and actor, said, “‘Mud Sharks’ takes me back to the London I first knew, before skinny lattes and nouvelle cuisine, when a café was a caff, bars were pubs, and UKIP were the National Front. I’ve missed it”. The author Max Decharne said, “Most musicians can’t write, and most writers make lousy musicians, but Dave Barbarossa is the exception that proves the rule. Drawing on his years of experience in the music business, he has crafted a superbly human novel that’s shot through with authenticity. A cracking debut”.
 
The new novel ‘Mute’ also stands in the twilight liminal zone between fiction and reality, between fiction and autobiography and, despite the title, Dave has a lot to say. They say, “write what you know”, and in this searing and essential novel he has done just that.
 
Dave Barbarossa himself says of the book, “‘Mute’ is set in a band in the late ’90s. Daniel is the keyboard player coerced by Torin, his coke-driven, misogynistic rich kid of a lead singer into destroying his band, loyalties and morals. Ultimately, redemption and justice prevail. The undercurrent in this...