Loud

Welcome to the jungle! And the jungle is LOUD!

The first female roadie, for bands like The Who and AC/DC, writes her memoir. Of course, it’s chock full of sex, drugs and rock and roll. But, also, it shows her courageous battle for equity at a time when women were anything but equal in most men’s eyes.

From her start as an unpaid roadie with a French tightrope walker’s troop, Tana, who was only fifteen, would a year later be a roadie with the newly formed band AC/DC. And the wonders she would see!

Loud is an interesting and entertaining look behind the curtain at many influential 1970s through the 1990s rock acts with some stops at a riot or two. The book would be an excellent choice for music fans, or anyone interested in being a roadie themselves. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to Harper 360, ABC Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Tana left home at a young age and some how found herself working as roadie in Australia. She was lucky to start just as big rock shows were beginning to tour in Australia and she had some wonderful mentors. Throughout most of her career she was the only the only woman working backstage. She worked her up from unpacking trucks to learning lighting and sound design. While there are some stories from the road and backstage most of the book is Tana's story. If you are just looking for gossip on bad backstage behavior you will be disappointed. I really enjoyed reading about how she was able to work her up through the ranks and the different turns her career has taken. I would have liked to have read more about the work she is doing now on helping more women enter the music business. Accompanying the text are a lot of fun photographs. The book was well written and easy to read. Enjoy the fun ride through music history.