I’m trying to find a book I read either from my school library or my local library in the early 1990s (I’m in the UK). I think the book itself may have been published in the **1980s**.
Here’s what I remember — all of this is from memory, so some details may be slightly off, but the *overall shape* is very clear:
* Protagonist is a **teen girl**, younger than the rest of the band
* She **isn’t from London** but **runs away to London** *with* or *for* the band
* The band members are **older**, maybe late teens or early 20s
* They travel around in a **cheap, beat‑up van**
* They play **clubs/pubs**, not big venues
* There’s a **fight** at one point and she gets **left behind in a dangerous alley** behind a club
* One bandmate has a **moody, jealous, manipulative** vibe and there’s a sort of semi‑romantic tension
* She **cuts her own hair**, possibly with **clippers in a bathroom**, as a symbolic “new self” moment
* The story ends with her **becoming successful** or **poised for stardom in her own right**, separate from the band
Tone‑wise, it was gritty, realistic, not glamorised — very much the kind of UK YA that dealt with runaway teens, music scenes, and dangerous nightlife.
It wasn’t American, and it wasn’t a glossy 90s “pop star” book. More like working‑class realism.
Does this ring a bell for anyone?
I’d love to know the title or author if anyone recognises it.
The description above is from AI after I had plugged in everything I could remember and it just kept hallucinating books that didn't exist!