Carl Howell is dead, passing like a wave through the lives of his friends. A brilliant singer, a loved son, a hated rival, a meal ticket, a soulmate, Carl means different things to different people - how can they continue without him? Chinaski takes a look at the music industry, the fans and the vampires, and asks, what can we really know about our icons?

Set in the late 80s/early 90s, during the last gasp of youth subculture, before rave culture came along and made people like each other, before brit pop made indie music mainstream, Chinaski charts the rise of an indie band destined for fame. A realistic account of the seamier side of the music industry told from the point of view of the girlfriend, the band member and the music journalist.