Mick Mercer (born Michael Mercer, 19 July 1957) is a journalist and author best known for his books, photos and reviews of the goth, punk and indie music scenes.

Life and work

Mercer is primarily a writer focused on the gothic scene and its music. He has also photographed bands from the punk era onwards. He published a monthly online magazine, The Mick, for over ten years and now hosts a weekly live internet radio show, Mick Mercer Radio as well as providing daily reviews and/or photo galleries on his Substack, Mick Mercer's Panache. Mercer ran one of the first punk fanzines, Panache, from 1976 to 1992. In 1978, he began writing for British music paper Record Mirror, then freelanced for ZigZag magazine, later becoming its editor until the magazine folded in 1986. During the 1980s, he wrote regularly for the British music weekly Melody Maker, and edited Siren magazine in the 1990s. He has written five books on gothic music, in addition to numerous self-published material. Mercer's Music to Die For compendium (2009) was described by The Quietus as having "a far greater stylistic variety than the casual observer might imagine", and as being "stuffed full of the best and most artistic music the world has to offer".

Discography

The second and third books spawned a series of CD compilations, with detailed sleeve notes provided by Mercer.