Description
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.
'An accurate depiction of life as a musician, both on the road and within the industry. Harrowing, funny and 100 percent true' - Ginger Wildheart
About the Author
From South Wales, James Kennedy is a professional musician with a Top 50 best-selling album, more than a million song streams and over half a million online followers/nutters, who call themselves 'Misfits'. Hearing impaired due to childhood surgery, James has become an ambassador for several hearing charities, as well as speaking on panels and writing articles on a wide range of issues including mental health, the music industry and politics.
Reviews
'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!
Book Information
ISBN 9781785632143
Author James Kennedy
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Eye Books
Publisher Eye Books
Weight(grams) 220g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 18mm
'An accurate depiction of life as a musician, both on the road and within the industry. Harrowing, funny and 100 percent true' - Ginger Wildheart
About the Author
From South Wales, James Kennedy is a professional musician with a Top 50 best-selling album, more than a million song streams and over half a million online followers/nutters, who call themselves 'Misfits'. Hearing impaired due to childhood surgery, James has become an ambassador for several hearing charities, as well as speaking on panels and writing articles on a wide range of issues including mental health, the music industry and politics.
Reviews
'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!
Book Information
ISBN 9781785632143
Author James Kennedy
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Eye Books
Publisher Eye Books
Weight(grams) 220g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 18mm
