Well, I read this last year but I was re-reading it the other day so I thought I'll write a blog post about it. So to start with this is the most enjoyable rock music memoir since Bob Dylan's. It was first published in 2009 but I picked it up at a book shop sale and read the first page and with sentences like this in the first paragraph: "The past smells like rotten eggs and apparently you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette." and second paragraph: "I had protracted periods of anxiety, migraines, hysteria and dread." so I knew I would like it but in the end I loved it. To be honest I didn't even have any of his albums but did buy Good Bones, his latest album after I finished reading it. I really had only a vague idea who he is but now I'm a fan and would like to get some more stuff by him. I would recommend this book to anyone, it's that great.
He's brutally honest about the music industry. Why would anyone want to be a rock star but of-course he is one - this is a perfect example of what this book is like, he likes to contradict himself. He's got a few too many could have been story's too. He tells a story about a school trip to Alice Springs and being bitten by a dog and what happens next which sets up the rest of the book absolutely splendidly in the first few pages. He writes about growing up in Melbourne in the 60's, so many Aussie bands people have long forgotten but should be remembered and why he loves music so much which leads to starting a band. One of the early chapters is about his first bands residency in Perth which is where I'm from so extra special and funny too. This is not the band he's remembered for but if you don't know who that is they were called The Sports maybe I thought because Aussies love their sport more than anything else really but to quote Stephen Cummings it's because "Being Not much of a sportsman, I decided to call it The Sports." They signed to Australia's biggest major label, Mushroom Records and one of England's biggest indie labels at the time called Stiff Records. Then recorded four or five albums, E.P.'s and a hand-full of of hit singles. Michael Gudinski got shot down in flames but then again he does that to himself throughout the book too.
I'll not tell you everything that happens in his book because I want you to read it yourself. A few bio details just to finish of after The Sports broke up Stephen Cummings has had now sixteen solo albums and two novels but has kept a very low profile as a solo artist which is fair after what he writes in this book. The last thing I'll say is he's worked and toured or just some name-dropping of some great Aussie artists The Church's Steve Kilbey, Neil Finn, Paul Hester, The Go-Betweens, Paul Kelly, Kim Salmon, Don Walker, David McComb all make cameos plus the chapter on Nick Cave is the reason why I haven't written anything more about him after finishing my top 50 songs last year, it's so completely perfect about Cave nothing more needs to be said or written. Plus after that new song "I'll take the money and run, rabbit" rubbish why bother. Anyway stop reading this and go out and find Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy? by Stephen Cummings, you'll find out who Billy is too. I would give it 5 stars or 10 out of 10 and tell you to read it yourself today or tomorrow.
Here's an old song from youtube video of classic Sports' Who Listens To The Radio track.
So than was Stephen then and the middle photo is now by Fred Kroh and the top image is the front cover of Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?
Stay tuned for more soon...
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