Book Launch: The Musical Lives of Charles Manson

Please join us to launch Nicholas Tochka's new book The Musical Lives of Charles Manson: The Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Invention of the Sixties - or, No Sense Makes Sense, newly published by Bloomsbury Academic.

Author Nick Tochka will discuss the book with Professor Paul Long, Professor in Creative and Cultural Industries at Monash University and co-founder and co-editor (with Dr. Holly Tessler of the University of Liverpool) of the Journal of Beatles Studies. Copies of the book will be available for $20. Followed by a short reception. The event will also be streamed live via Zoom.

Book Synopsis:

For over five decades, commentators have debated the meaning of Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca killings. Rock music links their narratives: from the aciddrenched singalongs at the Spahn Movie Ranch, to a bizarre theology centered on Beatles songs, to his commune's alleged links with Hollywood's elite, to an album, LIE: The Love and Terror Cult (1970). In this first comprehensive examination of the Manson Family's music, Nicholas Tochka writes with, against, and alongside the many authors - true-crime hacks, gonzo journalists, conspiracy theorists, and rock critics alike - who have told and retold the story of “the Manson murders.” Playing the truth games that these postwar Americans helped invent, The Musical Lives of Charles Manson presents a new take on the story of the commune - and on rock's role in fracturing the possibility of writing trustworthy histories after the Sixties.

Author Bio:

Nicholas Tochka is Associate Professor of Music (Ethnomusicology) at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His work examines the politics of music-making in the postwar world.

PARKING

The City of Melbourne has recently changed the parking restrictions around the Southbank Campus. Parking control hours are now expanded to 7am–10pm, seven days per week, and are capped at three hours. A $2-per-hour fee after 7pm is also now in place. There is no change to the $4-per-hour peak rate between 7am–7pm. Parking inspectors are regularly in the area fining drivers who overstay their meter, so we encourage everyone to be aware and avoid an expensive fine.

ACCESSIBILITY

All venues at the Southbank campus are wheelchair accessible. To read more about access services available at our venues, please visit:  https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/access-our-events.  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Please stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms. Face masks are welcome in all settings for community and personal safety.  

• In order to account for drop-off in attendance, we overbook a select number of free events at the Faculty. If you have not arrived by the start of the performance, your ticket may be released to any waiting patrons at the door. Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the performance to secure your seat.  

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Image: Book cover, Bloomsbury Academic, 2026.