Overview

My Life as a Rock'n'Roll Underdog 'Harrowing, funny and 100% true' Ginger Wildheart The tale that follows is not another cliched collection of rock'n'roll debaucheries (sorry) nor is it another tired fable of triumph over adversity (you're welcome). It's the story of a half-deaf kid from a tiny, remote village in South Wales who was hailed as a genius by the UK's biggest radio station and headhunted by major record labels, only for the music industry to collapse. It crashed hard, taking with it an entire generation of talented artists who would never now get their shot. CNN called it 'music's lost decade'. Along the way, there are goodies, baddies, gun-toting label execs, life-saving surgeons, therapy, true love, loyalty, hope, breakdowns, suicidal managers, betrayal, drummers and way too many hangovers. James Kennedy shows that the best lessons are to be learned from good losers. It really is all about the journey. Part memoir, part expose of the music world's murky underbelly, Noise Damage is emotional, painfully honest, funny, informative and ridiculous. It's also a celebration of the life-changing magic of music.

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9781785632143

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Reviews

'A refreshingly different addition to the crowded shelves of rock autobiographies. This is partly because James tells the familiar booze-fuelled-tour-antics story from a different perspective; he tells the story of the ninety-nine percent of bands that don't make it. But Noise Damage also stands out because it is remarkably well-written, with humour, humility and insight' - Catherine Fearns, V13

'History, it's said, is written by the winners, but this insightful, candid autobiography from Kyshera's James Kennedy suggests otherwise. A journey through disillusion, the machinations of the music industry and hard-won self-acceptance, it's required, revelatory reading' - Metal Hammer, 'The indefatigable Welsh misfit's entertaining memoir of underachievement - ebullient writing style and hard-earned hungover wisdom' - Classic Rock, 'Both Adrian Smith's autobiography and Rob Halford's tome are good, but neither match the raw passion of Noise Damage. A splendid read about the trials and tribulations of trying to break into the music stratosphere, it's a book that every aspiring musician or band leader should own' - Metal Talk, 'A refreshingly different addition to the crowded shelves of rock autobiographies. This is partly because James tells the familiar booze-fuelled-tour-antics story from a different perspective; he tells the story of the ninety-nine percent of bands that don't make it. But Noise Damage also stands out because it is remarkably well-written, with humour, humility and insight' - Catherine Fearns, V13, 'A wonderful volume that does unique things with so many familiar genre tropes. I ended the book feeling I'd read of a life worth living, been encouraged to live my own, and wanting to wish Kennedy all the luck in the world: anyone who lives this hard, works this hard, and writes this well, deserves it' - Nick Soulsby, Trebuchet Magazine, 'An absolute must-read for anyone attempting a career in music. A genuinely powerful testimony' - Darren Johnson, Get Ready to Rock!

Author Information

James Kennedy is a musician, author and podcaster from South Wales, UK. Formerly in the band 'Kyshera' , Kennedy has also released several solo albums and currently fronts the band 'James Kennedy and the Underdogs' . His musical output has included Progressive Rock, Punk, Electronic, Acoustic, Experimental and Hard Rock genres and his lyrics often explore political, social and personal themes. His life until the breakup of Kyshera was documented in his best selling book 'Noise Damage : My Life as a Rock'n'Roll Underdog' and he hosts 'The James Kennedy Podcast', a weekly show where he chats with rockstars, politicians, activists and thought-leaders.

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