For Those About to Rock: A Road Map to Being in a Band

by Dave Bidini

Playing in a rock band is the stuff of dreams. What is the reality? Dave Bidini, rhythm guitarist with the Rheostatics and acclaimed author of On a Cold Road, knows firsthand. In this wise, witty, and often irreverent book, he tackles the questions that any kid with a penchant to be on stage has asked. How do you decide what to play? How do you deal with tensions among the musicians? What happens when one person becomes more popular than the others? How do you get to gigs, and what do you wear?

Bidini handles his material with honesty and authority. From the serious considerations to the frivolous issues, Bidini takes young readers through forming a band, practices, performing, and the business of show business. Interspersed with advice and observations are hilarious anecdotes pulled from his own experience and the experiences of musicians he knows.

This is a sure-fire winner for all young musicians, even if their instrument of choice is the air guitar and their only venue is their shower stall.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

138 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2004

About the author

DAVE BIDINI is the author of nine books. His play, "The Five Hole Stories," was performed by One Yellow Rabbit and toured Canada in winter, 2009, and his two "hockumentaries," The Hockey Nomad and The Hockey Nomad Goes To Russia were Gemini-nominated films, and The Hockey Nomad won for Best Documentary.

Bidini is the recipient of numerous National Magazine Awards, and is a weekly columnist in The National Post. In 1994, his former band, Rheostatics, won a Genie Award for the song 'Claire' (from the film Whale Music), and two of their albums were included in the Top 20 Canadian Albums of All Time. His first hockey book, Tropic of Hockey, was named one of the Top 100 Canadian Books of All Time by McCllland and Stewart, and his baseball odyssey, Baseballissimo, is currently being made into a feature film.

He is a board member of Street Soccer Canada, and has attended two Homeless World Cups, traveling with Team Canada to Melbourne and Milan.

David Bidini lives in Toronto with his wife, guitarist Janet Morassutti, and their two children.

Reviews

[Mike Balsom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rheostatics are the most Canadian of the Canadian bands, bar none. Never mind the Tragically Hip - yeah, I know they get all the focus because of their success - Dave Bidini and his band are the real thing. The premise behind this very short book is it acts as a primer for young, up and coming musicians. Better that they know what they are signing up for when starting a band - long, hard trips through the Canadian wilderness, leaving old friends and band mates behind, trying to capture the sweat and spit of their live performance in an anti-septic studio. Through it all, though, Bidini’s sense of humour shines, and he relates rollicking tales of his own adventures with his Etobicoke crew. The book is a lot like some of the best songs from the Rheos - “Claire”, “Record Body Count”, “Introducing Happiness”, anything from “Whale Music” - it doesn’t matter how long it is, it is always too damn short!

[Richard Summerbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought Dave Bidini's book partly because I know him slightly through mutual acquaintances and friends, including his Rheostatics bandmate Dave Clark, but, as it turns out, you don't need any sort of personal connection to enjoy this thoroughly witty book. It's ostensibly aimed at guiding young people past the dull or confusing side-tracks they might get into while pursuing rock-and-roll fame and fortune, but it also regales us relative geezers with a raft of tales about rockers Bidini knew personally, or learned about, during his own fame in a Canadian band that "made it." It also documents his own quirky rise from Etobicoke youth who could hardly play a guitar into rock radio brightener and big-rock-tour survivor. The actual practical info for rock kids remains in good shape, except that the chapter about the social importance of record stores is more a reminiscence than a reality at this point (the book is from 2004).

I spotted this book in a gift shop in Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland and finished reading it while waiting in line for the Fogo Island ferry. Bidini's stories about touring and fellow rockers may be true, but I think they made a good fit for the Newfoundland tradition of tall tales - nat a woard of a loie, as comic Dave Paddon puts it. No spoilers from me, though. You can get the eye-poppers first hand.

[Rod Horncastle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast read. The author has had a lot of experience being a Canadian rock musician. Although I'm not a fan of his music...I enjoy his writing alot. (sorry Dave! I just don't hear any Southern Rock influences in your playing :p) But we both like Rush, so at least we could be friends on that level.

[Lester · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small and fun written book. One of my kids plays and sings in various bands..so there was a personal interest for me whilst reading. Besides..what music lover could resist a title like this?! AC/DC went through my head every time I even looked at the cover!! Looking forward to reading another Dave Bidini book.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of name dropping, venue bragging and solid advice for a band starting out. Bidini demystifies the realities of being in an independent band and the hard work and setbacks that are going to happen no matter how prepaired for the big time you might think you are.

[Thierry guimaraes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good like in the beginning the guy who's telling the story kinda goes hard in the first 1-2 pages but its very good