Although nobody realised it at the time, the historic importance of the MC5 is vast. Often considered a ‘proto-punk’ band along with fellow Detroiters The Stooges as well as Big Apple natives the New York Dolls and the Velvet Underground, the impact of the MC5 reaches far and wide, with everyone from Green Day, The White Stripes, Motörhead, The Ramones, Rage Against The Machine and Bad Brains citing them as pivotal influences.

Fuelled by the radical politics of the White Panther party, the MC5 preached revolution and were often a target for the anxious authorities. Having released three albums between 1969 and 1971, two of the band passed away and guitarist Wayne Kramer spent time behind bars for drug-related offences. Thirty years of low-key solo projects followed, before the band reunited in the new Millennium for a one-off show that turned into a full-on reunion. For this definitive book, author Brett Callwood travelled to Detroit and Los Angeles to track down and interview the three surviving founder members of the MC5 in-depth. He also spoke at length with other key players in this remarkable tale.