On Nov. 4, Faith No More co-founder and queer musician Roddy Bottum celebrated the release of his memoir The Royal We (by Akashic Books) a reflection on his journey through the underbelly of a San Francisco that once was and now, no more. The book serves as a tribute to a city and community that no longer exists. In The Royal We, Bottum documents his childhood growing up queer in Los Angeles (without any queer role models) to San Francisco, where he formed Faith No More and went on to tour the world, surviving heroin addiction and the plight of AIDS.
There are personal tales of Bottum’s friendships with Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain and memories of Faith No More’s rise to fame, but it’s the testimonies of tragedy, addiction, and a deeply loving recollection of a remarkable San Francisco community that make this work so unique and intriguing. Writing with an idiosyncratic voice full of candor and a genuine love for the city and scene around him, Bottum has crafted an irresistible memoir that flows in an unstoppable train that’s both captivating and moving, the press release stated.
The book retails for $27.95 and available now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other book retailers.
Bottum will appear on a mini-book tour but no Texas dates were announced. However, some appearances will feature special queer guests. He will discuss the book at The Strand in New York with legendary drag performer Paul Soileau AKA Christeene on Nov. 13; then at Skylight Books in Los Angeles with Margaret Cho on Nov. 18; and City Lights in San Francisco with writer and musician Brontez Purnell on Nov. 20.
On the day of its release, The Royal We was also honored as one of Rough Trade’s Books Of The Year for 2025.
Bottum is a musician, writer, creator and actor based in New York City. He started Faith No More in San Francisco in the early 1980s. In 1992, he came out of the closet as a gay man in the world of rock music. That same year he also formed the band Imperial Teen, a band often cited as one of the original pioneers of alternative queer rock. He has performed and created records with Crickets, JD Samson, Nastie Band, and Man on Man, a band with his partner, Joey Holman. He’s developing his Sasquatch opera project into a musical.
–From staff reports