Loud

by Tana Douglas

Overview

'Music had become my talisman … Once atone and in my bed, I could turn up my little radio and be carried away … This world of music gave me hope … i saw it as a destination, something bigger than the options shown to me so far.' At just fifteen, Tana Douglas ran away to the circus that was rock'n'roll in the 1970s, soon taking a job with a young band called AC/DC. While still a teenager, she headed to the UK and later the US to work for a who's who of bands and artists. Life on the road was exhilarating, hard work, occasionally surreal but never dull, particularly when you're the only woman in the road crew and the #MeToo movement is still 40 years away. Whether wrangling Iggy Pop across Europe, climbing trusses while seven months pregnant, drinking shots of JD with Bon Scoft backstage at Wembley, or donning a tailor-made suit to do lights for Elton at Windsor Castle, Tana did it all. Loud is rock 'n' roll like you've never experienced it before, by a woman who not only survived the all-male world of touring but climbed to the TOP and lived TO tell the tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780733340901
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	632,999
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Tana Douglas was sixteen when she took her first job as a roadie with AC/DC. Now recognised as the world's first female roadie, Tana has worked alongside some of rock 'n' roll's biggest names in a career spanning three continents and more than 30 years. Tana currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Loud is her first book.

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

1 Father of Mine 3

2 White Rabbit 15

3 Darling Nikki 30

4 Born to Run 36

5 She's Got Balls 52

6 It's a Long Way to the Top 75

7 Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon 97

8 California Dreamin' 121

9 London Calling 139

10 Rockin' All Over the World 152

11 Lust for Life 171

12 Who Are You 192

13 What Is Life 208

14 Crazy Train 223

15 God Save the Queen 234

16 Ghost in the Machine 246

17 Empty Garden 262

18 Under Pressure 280

19 There Goes the Neighbourhood 296

20 Are You Gonna Go My Way 312

21 For What It's Worth 325

Epilogue 331

Postscript 332

In Memoriam 333

Playlist 335

Acknowledgements 338

Editorial Reviews

2022-03-30
An entertaining memoir from the world’s first female roadie.

During her many years in the business, Douglas not only broke the rules, but trampled over them, and it’s clear she enjoyed every step of the way. She was a pioneer, carving a reputation for herself in a male-dominated business. Though occasionally self-serving and overly nostalgic, her memoir is fun, rollicking, and sometimes poignant. As the author recounts, she fell into her role by accident after running away from an oppressive home in Brisbane, Australia. At age 16, she linked up with a bunch of guys who called their infant band AC/DC. Of course, that band would become legendary, but they began playing pubs and clubs. Needing a job, Douglas starting setting up amps and instruments. She graduated to overseeing cables and power systems and eventually worked for other bands touring Australia. This led to work in the U.K. and the U.S. with bigger and bigger acts. She had a knack for innovation, and she soon jumped into sound mixing and stage control. “If you want it done, ask a roadie,” writes Douglas. “It’s what we do.” Often the only woman on the crew, she did her share of partying, although she managed to avoid the dangerous side. She punctuates her account with sketches of the performers she encountered, although many have been forgotten as the music business moved on. Life on the touring circuit could be addictive. “If it doesn’t kill you,” she writes, “it’s one hell of a way to make a living!” For the author, the price tag was a chaotic private life, including the loss of friends to drugs or booze (the postscript includes a list). Through it all, Douglas survived and thrived, eventually becoming a respected logistics specialist for the entertainment industry. The book may not be for everyone, but it thrums with energy.

Candid and authentic, Douglas tells her remarkable story with strength and humor.

Kirkus Reviews