For those who may have always wanted to be in a band, then The Thrill of It All, by Joseph O'Connor can give you an insight into the highs and lows of all that such a life can offer - undoubtedly using some insider knowledge from the experience of his sister, Sinead O'Connor! We follow the formation and disintegration of The Ships in the Night, a band whose eclectic bunch of musicians make it hard to place them in a particular genre. In the very un-rock and roll setting of Luton Polytechnic in the 1980's, Robbie Goulding becomes aware of the exotic creature that is Francis Mulvey - an Vietnamese orphan who was adopted by an Irish couple living in Yorkshire! Fran wears make up, Fran wears dresses, and Fran seems to respect nothing and no one, except maybe music. When Fran discovers a kindred spirit in Robbie, they start to skip lectures and perform music together, eventually busking to bewildered passers by in the local shopping centre! Also at the Poly is Trez, a beautiful creature who plays a mean cello, but can turn her hand to pretty much any stringed instrument. When she calls on her twin brother, and drummer, Sean, the band finally comes together. Many gigs in many towns follow, with countless knock backs before they get any kind of a recording contract. Eventually, things turn around for them on a tour in the USA, and suddenly, it's all systems go. The pressure of four people, living, eating, sleeping, and making music together 24/7 starts to make cracks appear. Drugs and drink and unforeseen pregnancies begin to take up more energy than the music. It is made plain from the opening of the book, that things do not end well for the band. However, that journey is an entertaining roller coaster of emotion, and is told primarily from the viewpoint of Robbie. This may be a book about the music business, but it is also about family, with much humour to be had from the exchanges between Robbie and his Irish father who is less than impressed by the choice of career his son has made. But even more so, this is a story of the type of friendships that go so deep that despite the mammoth efforts made to ensure mutual destruction, somehow, that friendship can survive. Great characters and touching moments, there are a couple of flabby moments, the trimming of which would have kept it tight as a snare! Overall, a really good read - and if you get the chance to read the audio version narrated by Ciaran Hinds, then you will not be disappointed!
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 416 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.72.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.
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