Rock band "on tour" nonfiction rec's?

Try Diary of a Rock Star by Ian Hunter. E-bay would be best because it's out of print.

Bruce Thomas did one too, The Big Wheel I think that's one called.

For far more spice, Motley Crue's book is the one to choose. Or Hammer of the Gods, the one avout Led Zep.

Regards

Whacko

You can't go wrong with Hammer of the Gods.

'This is Spinal Tap'
The more you've been around bands the funnier it is

Diana Hignutt said:

You can't go wrong with Hammer of the Gods.

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I second this. And Spinal Tap is priceless.

Some others are Kurt Cobain's journals; A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other (about Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon); and Up & Down with The Rolling Stones by Tony Sanchez.

Ambri said:

BTW Whacko, the first half of your sig line wouldn't happen to be a Beatles reference, would it?

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Well spotted, it would.

STP - I think it was written back in the 70s, it's about a Rolling Stones tour. It's been years since I read it, but it was pretty riveting reading.

This book has "the recording studio BS" covered. It was originally a series of online "blog" type writings that got a lot of attention (from people who know about recording studios) when it was first being posted:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0879309458/?tag=absowrit-20

Here's the first part in the online archives, which should be plenty enough to give you an idea what it's about:
http://web.archive.org/web/20061012053750/http://www.mixerman.net/diaries1.php

If you google Mixerman or Mixerman Chronicles you'll find lots of posts from recording-studio people back then wondering and asking who Mixerman is, who the producer is, who the band is, and where/what the studio is. There was speculation as to whether this was a real documentary, or an amalgum of several years' worth of recording studio stories, but there was never any doubt that the author(s) knew what he was talking about. As far as I know Mixerman is still anonymous and no other "hidden details" ever came out.

The story is from the recording engineer/studio manager's (under the name "Mixerman") point of view. The band has just got a big-label recording contract and there are huge shenanigans in getting their first album recorded. It's got the studio part covered, and is a great read even just for the entertainment value.

Another good reference for behind the scene stuff is the movie, The Last Walt, about the group known simply as The Band. The conversations about the groups early years are legendary. Especially the time spent at Bob Dylan's house in upstate NY and how it changed Robie into a word smith...

I think it depends quite a bit on the genre. My personal fave is Get in the Van by Henry Rollings, but that's quite a bit different than Hammer of the Gods or something like that. Country star biogs are usually pretty insane.

Greg Scott said:

Country star biogs are usually pretty insane.

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That's because Country stars could teach Rock'n'Rollers a lesson or two!

Regards

Whacko