I Wanna Wrock!

“Wizard rock”—music based on the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling—is an idiosyncratic subgenre, with band names like Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys and The Whomping Willows. Drawing on input from insiders and fans, and interviews with more than a dozen wizard rockers, this book explores the history and aesthetics of the movement. An appendix lists dozens of popular bands, members and discographies: a must-have for fandom scholars and wizard rock devotees alike.

Paul A. Thomas is a library specialist at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, and also performs in the wizard rock band The 8th Horcrux.

Paul A. Thomas
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 258
Bibliographic Info: 20 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7303-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3464-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments viii
Notes on Terminology x
Preface 1
Introduction 7
1. Wizard Rock: A History 19
2. DIY Wrock; or, How to Make Your Own Band 47
3. Wrocking the Library: Live Wizard Rock 72
4. “I Am Harry Potter”: A Closer Look at ­Role-Play 96
5. The Structure and Demographics of the Community 112
6. Wizard Rock and the “Muggle World” 131
7. The Wider World of Wizard Rock 150
8. Why Do They Wrock So Hard? 172
Conclusion 183
Chapter Notes 185
Appendix A: List of Major Wrock Bands 205
Appendix B: Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club Releases 220
Bibliography 223
Index 241