Ringside: A tale of music and mayhem from the man behind rock and roll superstars Cold Chisel

by Rod Willis

At 18 Rod Willis jumped on a boat for London, the Mecca for music and fashion in the 1960s. A decade on, after working in the US and Europe with UFO, Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac, he returned to Australia. A burning desire to find an act he could take to the top led him to an unknown band by the name of Cold Chisel. Little did Rod know, when he took on the role of manager, that it was the beginning of a remarkably successful 32-year relationship. Along the way he would be instrumental in establishing the trailblazing Dirty Pool Management Agency, which would change the local music industry forever. Ringside takes you behind the doors of the studios and beer barns that were the breeding grounds for bands like Cold Chisel, and reveals how Cold Chisel became the biggest band in Australia. After initial struggles, they struck paydirt with the 1980 album East, one of the highest-selling Australian albums of all time. Rod guided 'Chisel' until 1983 and their unforgettable Last Stand tour.

Genres: Music, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

Published February 29, 2024

Reviews

[Thomas Heymann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing biography by one of Australia most loved and respected artist managers Rod Willis retelling his journey over 6 decades in the music business and at the helm of one of Australia’s greatest rock bands of all time Cold Chisel. Some candid insights into the inner workings of a band. Should be made into a movie!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is squarely aimed at the Cold Chisel faithful. The problem is, if you're a big Chisel fan, you've probably heard all these stories before. Most of it you could find in Wikipedia articles. Strangely, it's not until the reunions that Willis really branches out.

[Tim Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read - the roller coaster life of a band manager

[Donald Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Ringside' is a terrific read, not just the Cold Chisel years, but Rod's sometimes hair-raising exploits in the late 60s/early 70s British music scene.

[Stephen Swan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great look behind the scenes of an icon, but sketchy and ungenerous in too many parts

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skip read till chapter 8 then read the lot. Good background for fans of Cold Chisel and a bit of the workings of the music industry back in their day.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A fantastic memoir featuring the ups and downs of Cold Chisel, but also much, much more. Easy to read, and fascinating.

[Cath Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ringside Seat to Oz Music

Great insight into Australian music industry, great band Cold Chisel & trip down memory lane. A wild & wonderful ride.

[Nikita Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good read (wrangling Cold Chisel in the early days reminded me of wrangling teenagers!), but I found the beginning a bit slow and confusing at times. I found the middle to end of the autobiography a bit more cohesive - possibly because of my prior knowledge around Cold Chisel. Overall, it was worth the read and would definitely recommend.