As a teenager, Dave Russell discovered the joy of listening to rock music and watching live bands, an escape from his working class roots and strict upbringing. While pounding the streets of London as a telegram boy, he had the ambition to make music, but he could never have foreseen rubbing shoulders with real-life heroes or appearing on television and national radio as the singer in a band of complete unknowns. From performing in front of axe-wielding maniacs to interrupting a couple in flagrante delicto, this book is a journey of discovery – the real life of an aspiring musician, including redundancy, eviction, relationship break-ups and too many goodbyes.

Such a musician does not have the luxury of this book being reviewed by the national press or book clubs, but here are some comments by real people:

“Not bad for an ex-scaffolder,” my mate Glenn.

“You never told me you was in a band,” my milkman. “Is that your shed on the front cover?” my neighbour Clive.