Backstage Past

by Barry Fey, Pete Townshend (Foreword), Ozzy Osbourne ; Sharon Osbourne ; (Foreword)

Backstage Past will take you backstage into the dressing rooms and behind the scenes with the worlds greatest rock stars and legendary promoter, Barry Fey.
Long before corporate greed took over the rock concert business and caused ticket prices to skyrocket, Barry Fey and his company Feyline Concerts were promoting shows with ticket prices under $10 for The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, U2 and many others. Always concerned that his audiences had the best experience possible, he was honored a never equaled three consecutive years by Billboard Magazine as Concert Promoter of the Year in 1978 through 1980.
During Barry Fey's 32 years as a promoter he has rubbed elbows and cut deals with nearly every legend of Rock 'n Roll and in Backstage Past he shares those behind the scenes stories of a mercurial business during a tumultuous time. It is a backstage pass to never before revealed tales of the Rock `n Roll business and its performers.
This book includes an original poem by U2 great Bono. Forewords by Pete Townshend and Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Ellis · Rating 1 out of 5]

For those who don't live in Denver & might not know, Barry Fey was the top concert promoter here for many years and he made Red Rocks into what it is today: hands down the best place on the planet Earth to see a concert. I'd thought that he had been one of the last hold outs against Ticketmaster, but according to this, he basically put them in business. He also did not shine a very flattering light on himself with this book. I suffered through oh so many superfluous commas ("But, for The Who, I could make . . ." "But, they were incomparable . . .", why so many But,s?) long enough to get to the part where Fey is literally shoveling dirt onto Bill Graham's grave and grinning, and then I had to give up. Yes yes, The Who was a great band & sure, the Rolling Stones were too, but do we really need another book that celebrates the dinosaur ages of rock n' roll? This reads like one of those Rolling Stone phoning-it-in Best Of issues. Are we still at the point in music where we can say that no one will ever play guitar better than the guy who died 30 years ago or the guy who hasn't made a decent contribution to music since the 80s?

[Melissa Lee-Tammeus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stole this from my husband who received it as a gift from his parents. This is written by a promoter, Barry Fey, from Denver and his stories about rubbing elbows with musicians from the good old days. Seeing Denver is my home, I loved reminiscing and thinking about the places and times he was talking about. The most fun was being able to place myself at some of the same events he was actually talking about such as Bush/No Doubt at Red Rocks, Rod Stewart at Fiddler's, and Pink Floyd at the Stadium. I loved being able to say I was there. There is no doubt (!) Fey is a bit in love with himself and has no trouble talking about his money, which he has boatloads of. For awhile he goes off on a tangent about his gambling and horses, which I could have cared less about. But overall, if you love Denver and you love music, you may just love hearing the backstage stuff like when Bon Jovi was found having sex on a basketball court or when Stevie Nicks had trouble climbing the backstage stairs due to way too many drugs before a show. A blast from the past to be sure. In true rock and roll fashion.

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll only like Barry Fey's Backstage Past if one of the following applies to you: you're a baby boomer; you live in Colorado; you are a music fan; or you enjoy a brash, candid, funny narrative voice. Fey, a legendary music promoter, not only worked with virtually every significant band or singer in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, he also had a hand in saving the Denver Symphony and bringing major league baseball to Denver. His memoir dishes on all the acts that passed through town, and he doesn't pull any punches in revealing their foibles, as well as his own. He tells you who smoked the most pot, who were the biggest heroin addicts, and who made the most outrageous demands for their backstage accommodations, but he also tells you who were most generous to their fans and who were gracious to their crews. The book provides anecdote after anecdote of the rock'n'roll scene, with stories about everyone from The Who and the Rolling Stones to Barbra Streisand and Steve Martin. He's often profane, always amusing, and consistently entertaining.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mick Jagger was teaching me how to snort cocaine.” That is the first line (heh, pun not intended) of Barry Fey's biography. If you are into music and rock and roll then you will love this book. I moved to Colorado in 2008 and didn't know of Barry Fey too much as he had pretty much retired. But I saw this in the library, and being a music fan, I had to check it out. Ironically, Barry Fey died three days later. If you lived in Colorado in the 70's, 80's and 90's then you have Barry Fey to thank for bringing music to the area. His biography is a Who's Who of Rock and Roll. A fun read, and yeah, you've heard some of these stories before. But they are good stories (and I hadn't heard of some of them) and a great history of concerts in Colorado. A quick and fun read. (Note: Some of the stories are out of order and he does repeat himself but it's a very minor quibble and didn't take away anything from my enjoyment of the book).

[George Seaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and somewhat amusing look at Fey's forty-plus year career in the promotion of largely r&r groups, and his relationships with the members of those groups as well as his interaction with other promoters around the country through the years. This is a poorly written book, that rambles here and there with no real "center." There is a sense that the publisher thought it would be, perhaps, charming to publish the book exactly like Fey speaks...with absolutely no effort to edit. I didn't find any charm in that, nor in missing words or missing or misused punctuation. I'd give the book a rating of two stars (perhaps only one) if it weren't for the fact that many of Fey's tales take place in his adopted home, Denver, Colorado. (I used the word "tales..." Yes, that may be a good word if you precede it with the word "Tall.")

[Bill Lancaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

A colorful character, Barry Fey, was a rock promoter in the Denver area though his reach extended throughout the western U.S. This book is quite a tell-all, with backstage and off-stage stories about many of the major rock acts of the 70's, 80's and 90's. It is fun to read but the problem is Fey himself. Despite having written this book, he sounds like the most unlikeable of characters, mercurial, egotistical, dictatorial and generally not much fun to be around. And this is coming from him!
I'm sure that Barry Fey was a very accomplished promoter and business man (as he relentlessly reminds us), but not knowing him and not growing up in the Denver area, I liked the book best when I could separate the stories about him from the more interesting stories about the many acts he promoted.

[Linda Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because Barry Fey was a driving force in the music industry as a promoter. It was recommended to me by Tony Funches, bodyguard back in the day to Jim Morrison, The Rolling Stones and a host of other people. This book outlines the inner workings of backstage passes, parties, concerts, groupies and rock bands. Barry Fey passed away right after the book was published, a result of suicide. If you want to learn about the inside of promoting, how concerts came and continue to come together, as well as the personal story of a man who was there, then this book is a good read for you.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you already know a little bit about Barry Fey, a local Denver concert-promoter icon, you'll enjoy this book for its anecdotes, inside stories about the bands and their tours and shenanigans. You'll get a real feel for how BAR-ee's mind works, jumping this way and that, and how he speaks. If you're looking for a well-written, well-constructed history of the music industry, you should look elsewhere.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being an old hippy this was a stroll down memory lane. I didn't expect this to be literature. I enjoyed Barry's insider's view of the concert promoter's business. Many of his memories are reminders for those of us who were fortunate enough to enjoy the concerts he put on in Denver. I say thanks for the memories and "rest in peace" Barry! You were one of a kind and the world isn't the same without you.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, now I know who to blame for U2's popularity in the US in the 80's. I do remember growing up hearing the radio ads for his concerts. A big echoing radio voice stating "presented by Feyline". He glosses over most of his family life and most of the bands he talks about have their own books out.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although people either love him or hate him, I have to thank Barry Fey for all he did for Rock and Roll and acknowledge that he is responsible for bringing most of the great show I saw to the Denver area. The book is a quick read and can be read in sections while reading other books. Some interesting information on what goes on behind the scenes in the music industry and how it has changed.

[Matt Pusatory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a jumbled mess. At times extremely repetitive with a handful of typos and, in some cases, even missing words. But it was really interesting if you're into the Colorado music scene or classic rock at all.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has been to hundreds of rock concerts in Colorado since the 80's, I loved this book. I have always admired Barry Fey and all that he has done for the music industry in Colorado. The behind-the scenes with the rock stars were my favorite part.

[Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

With this poorly-written and lightly edited book, the author puts the promoter in self-promotion. That said, I have a weakness for rock and roll insider books. Approach it with low expectations and read it quickly. Don't get caught up on the facts...

[Michael Frederick · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you were a fan of rock&roll in the 70s and 80s, this is an interesting read. His. Writing style is not great and references to the same story show up in different parts of the book, but overall an interesting look into the business side of concerts and some great stories about the rock stars.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting perspective on an interesting time. A little chatty an trite at points, but you would expect some of that from a book like this.

[George Huner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought back a lot of memories of concerts I've seen and a few I missed.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is very interesting. Vulgar, but that's the rock n' roll business.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining, but, slight

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

[Paul McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful history of concert bookings by a legend in the concert business.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a story about a Denver icon and some of the history of rock in Denver, this book had some merits. However, it is so poorly written and edited, it is barely readable. I did love the lists and talking to my husband about his experiences growing up in Boulder and the concerts at Folsom Field. Barry Fey, warts and all, was a force, the right person who moved to the right place at the right time. I wanted to learn more about his business, like the section on the rise of Ticketmaster, and less about rockers that he re wally didn't know.

[Susan Akers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read because the author knew everybody in the music scene and his forte was booking and promoting concerts in the '60s and early seventies and there was a lot of name dropping and interesting stories.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in the Denver Metro area this book brought back many wonderful memories. The writing style is Barry Fey, bouncing from here to there and back again. I give it 5 stars for the memories.

[Laranuessel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. Especially if you’re from Denver. And love live music. It’s so sad Barry is no longer with us. RIP

[George Kanakaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining read.

[Sheila C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grew up in Denver and went to school with his kids, Barry Fey was always a larger than life figure who walked among the gods that were the rock lords in the heyday of rock music in the ‘70’s and 80’s. The first Feyline concert I attended was the now-to-me, jaw-dropping marquee of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young / The Beach Boys / Jesse Colin Young. Back then just another great concert in the lush banquet served by Fey to his hometown audiences. Some fantastic fun personal stories, this was a great walk back in time and birthed the earworm to obtain a bootleg of that memorable night in 1974. So great reading of how the concert era was back then, but sadly again shall never be. I mean, that gig above I believe the cost was a hefty one night young teen girl babysitter’s salary of $7.50?! Really great, fun dance to the back-in-the-day.