Getcha Rocks Off: Sex & Excess. Bust-Ups & Binges. Life & Death on the Rock ‘N' Roll Road

by Mick Wall

'Packed with war stories from a golden age of rock, and insights into the stars that made that music' CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE

'On reading Getcha Rocks Off you realise just how drastically things have changed in the rock industry but books like this perfectly evoke what they were like. Good times...' RECORD COLLECTOR

Hanging out with rock stars, trying to steal their chicks, or throwing up over their guitars after launching into the hospitality a little too enthusiastically, Mick Wall spent much of the 1980s sprawled in limos and five-star hotels with the biggest rock bands in the world, including Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Van Halen, Motörhead and more.

He was Kerrang! magazine's star writer and the presenter of Monsters of Rock, his own weekly show on Sky TV, and the decade passed in a blur of hard drugs, hot women, and some of the heaviest people your mother definitely would not like.

Depicting a world where vague concepts like 'the future' are disdained in favour of nights that last a week and weeks that last forever, Getcha Rocks Off is a rock apocalypse Cider With Roadies, and a more frank and disturbing Apathy for the Devil. It is the kind of book you need to put on your leather jacket to read, open that bottle of Jack and reach for the Charlie. And let the good times roll...

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2015

About the author

Mick Wall is an author, journalist, film, television and radio writer-producer, who’s worked inside the music industry for over 35 years. He began his career contributing to the music weekly Sounds in 1977, where he wrote about punk and the new wave, and then rockabilly, funk, New Romantic pop and, eventually, hard rock and heavy metal. By 1983, Wall become one of the main journalists in the early days of Kerrang! magazine, where he was their star cover story writer for the next nine years. He subsequently became the founding editor of Classic Rock magazine in 1998, and presented his own television and radio shows.

Reviews

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to the Word podcast (30th August 2015) with Mick Wall inspired me to read my first book by him, "Getcha Rocks Off: Sex & Excess. Bust-Ups & Binges. Life & Death on the Rock 'N' Roll Road”.

This book is very entertaining. An interesting memoir that details Mick Wall’s journey from teenager to accomplished music journalist and TV presenter. It is further enlivened by some Grade A rock n roll debauchery, an absolute riot of rock n roll excess, but written with enough wit, charm and self insight to make it much more than just salacious gossip. There’s plenty of cautionary tales, and actually precious few people here who appear in any way fulfilled by the cliched trappings of sex and drugs and rock and roll.

Here’s Mick describing himself during his most dissolute "…in my head, I was Keith Richards and Lou Reed and William Burroughs all rolled into one. The dirty spike kid with the magic medicine and the dead eyes and cigarettes that never went out. In reality I was the stinking, disgusting oaf who hadn't had a shower or even washed his clothes for nearly a year, who lived on Twix bars".

There are some great chapters on Step Forward records, Jimmy Page, Axl Rose and Guns n Roses, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne - and Don Arden, Phil Lynott, David Lee Roth and Van Halen, Lemmy of Motörhead, Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark and more. To be honest, not many of the people I have just listed hold much interest for me, however it is a testament to the way the book is written, that it is all engrossing, and variously funny, poignant, depressing, and insightful.

I’ll be reading more books by Mick Wall.

4/5

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this big bunch of rock and metal gossip and unapologetic casual penis use. Mick Wall was right at the heart of all the good messy stuff and he didn’t escape unscathed, Wall writes “I was good at getting wasted but I hadn’t perfected the ‘elegant’ part yet.” His tale is both personal (covering harrowing drug addiction and joyful casual sex) and is a who’s who of eighties rock and metal musicians and personalities. It has industry insights, for instance “The benefits of being even an average rock PR far outstripped those of being a good rock journalist, on every level.” There is a great story about Mick and Krusher Joule listening to Iron Maiden’s Powerslave while under the influence of various substances. We find out how Status Quo amused themselves on their early tours. Mick gets a spermy typewriter and he learns a love spell. There are strange tales aplenty. If, like me, you grew up loving Kerrang!’s idiosyncratic spelling and wanting to be like Pandora Peroxide then this book will delight you.

[Espen Rock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some funny anecdotes, but what Mick Wall has written is mostly a load of name-dropping self-indulgent stories that are too much about rock stars he's met to make this qualify as a proper autobiography and too much about himself to have any value as pieces about the musicians or the scene. Shame.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grubby.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mick Wall on tuntud rokibiograafiate kirjutaja (eesti keeles näiteks Led Zeppelinist "Kui Maal kõndisid hiiglased" või Metallicast "Enter Night"). See siin aga pole mitte ühestki konkreetsest bändist, samuti pole see mitte tema elulugu, sest see algab juba paarikümnese Micki sattumisega muusikaajakirjadele artiklite kirjutamisega. Tegevus on 70ndate teine pool ja 80ndad; raamat lõppeb aastaga 1991. kui tuli Nirvana ja Mick Walli mõistes rocki hävitas. Või redefineeris. 80ndate hiilgus, kuld ja kard, kokaiin ja heroiin, makeup ja spandex kadusid nagu poleks neid kunagi olnudki. Wallil on sellest kõigest natuke nagu kahju. Või mis natuke, tegelikult ikka päris kõvasti. 80ndate keskpaigaks oli ta juba päris tuntud tegelane, selline rockimaailma mitte päris kõrgaadlik aga umbes parunite-hertsogite leveli tegelane, selline kellele saadeti priipääsmeid kontserditele, kellele plaadifirmad ja ajakirjatoimetused maksid kinni nii mugava hotelli, rikkalikud lõuna- ja õhtusöögid ning limusiinisõidud mööda Los Angelese tänavaid. Ta polnud bändimees, polnud kunagi olnudki, aga ta oli selline hädavajalik tegelane, kes hängis bändimeestega, oli nende niiöelda isiklik sõber, usaldusalune ja pihi-isa. Raamatus toob ta välja lähemad sõprussidemed nii Motörheadi Lemmy, Thin Lizzy Phil Lynotti, Def Leppardi Steve Clark'i, Van Haleni David Lee Rothi kui Guns'n'Rosesi Slashiga. Eks siin natuke võõra au paistel enda soojendamist ju ole. Ma muidugi ei tea kas tänapäeval need nimed kellelegi kes on noorem kui 40 üldse midagi ütlevad enam. Tõele au andes tunnistab Wall üles ka pikaajalise vihavaenu Guns n' Rosesi ninamehe Axl Rose'ga ja näitab ka mõnda teist endiste aegade rockikangelast kui mitte just halvas valguses siis vähemalt üsna naeruväärse tolana.
Raamat oli nii ja naa. Mick Wall peategelasena pole eriti huvitav, kes ostab kellegi eluloo, kes pole ise hiilgav miljonite lemmik, pilgeni täis staadionitel legenaarsete kontserdite andja või oma eluga ajalehtede kõmuveergudele pidevalt sattuv rockistaar. Walli enda elu ei olegi huvitav, lisaväärtuse annavad hoopis tema tutvused 70ndate-80ndate miljonite lemmikutega, klassikaliste rockikangelaste ja krestomaatiliste muusikateoste loojatega. Lugeda oli huvitav ja mõnus. 80ndate Los Angelese glamuurne rockimaailm oli küll Nõukogude Liidu tähtsusetu provintsi Eesti NSV põhikoolis käivast teismelisest minust valgusaastate kaugusel, kuid eks Soome TV kaudu immitsenud meilegi üht-teist.

[HSB · Rating 4 out of 5]

In its best parts, this book is a great requiem for the so-called cock rock era from the 1970s to 1991 when grunge abruptly brought it to a close.

But to get there, unless you do some judicious skipping - I recommend avoiding the entire first third of the book, you have to go through what feels like EVERY SINGLE TIME Mick Wall either had sex or got high.

This is perhaps an unfair critique, but as a rock fan from the third world, I was appalled at how Wall appears to have slept through or otherwise been wholly uninterested in bands and concerts I'd have given a lot to see.

But then Wall is not a journalist who is driven by 'facts' - this is also evident if you hear his painfully sloppy podcast - or even the 'music', with some rare exceptions. He's in it mainly for the stories from fellow travellers who have the same interests in getting wasted / laid, but who happen to be lot more charismatic, rich, and successful.

If you stick with it through the dross of the Mick Wall sex and drug diary, you are rewarded with his unfiltered conversations with / impressions of Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Lemmy, Phil Lynott, Steve Clarke (from Def Leppard), and Jimmy Page (who he compares to Miss Havisham from Great Expectations in a segment that is at once hilarious and immensely depressing - possibly some of the best writing in the book).

It's a fantastic tribute to an age that I grew up through and which produced some of my favourite music - an almost essential glorification of a time that gets retrospectively more vilified and loathed with every passing year.

It's the best or at least the best I've read epitaph to 'rock', as a vital, lively red-blooded culturally relevant genre. A great reminder of what it used to be in these days, when rock is dead, or more accurately, buried so far underground, the only signs of life are the worms feasting on its decaying corpse.

[Phoebe K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that the writing was punchy, vivid, and candid in the ways you’d expect someone of that cultural era would write it. Sure the name dropping feels like tabloid gossip, but I think the style and tone fits considering how wild the times were (reading it with more than a pinch of salt too). It doesn’t read like anyone’s being put on a pedestal either, like, here’s a dude with talent and bad habits who’s a dick to be around. I did like how chapters about Steve Clark and Phil Lynott were handled with a little more grace.

As a casual rock enjoyer who’s main exposure to a lot of the bands mentioned here was through my dad’s playlist, it took a while for my brain to register who’s part of which band plus a little more extra reading elsewhere for context.

Hardcore rock enthusiasts will probably have a better appreciation for this beach read as it does feel like a friend inviting you out for drinks to tell you all the shit that went on in their life after being out of contact for years.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Says what it says on the cover. A very explicit, name dropping, self indulgent, scary, funny, shocking, sceptical, truthful, illuminating, back stage gossip, on stage antics, dressing rooms debauchery, hair raising, horrific and hilarious drug induced and wonderful recollections from a guy who not only bought the T-shirt, lived the Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll fantasy but also amazingly remembered most of it and could write it all down so well! If you like your heavy metal rock, you're gonna love this. If you like hearing about the excesses of life on the rock and roll road, you're gonna devour this. If you like easy listening music, than avoid it like the plague. Not for the kiddies and gran (Mind you saying that, most grans and grandads were we youngster in this era so may enjoy the memories) so maybe let the oldens loose on it, who knows they might also have tales to tell to make the hair curl!

[Katinka Reyntjens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Mick Wall's honest storytelling of times when decadence ruled, when the sky was beyond the limit in rock ‘n roll, no excess crazy enough. Being a kid in the eighties, I only got to know the bands vaguely via MTV and I was merely fascinated about all the glitter & glammer in the video clips.
He balances in his writing between ‘the music journalist vs the fan’,it's sometimes a thin line / tough exercise, but he always manages to get you back into the story and keeps it interesting. As a useless facts lover, this book certainly tought me a lot of new stuff.

[Mat Greener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembered Mick wall from sounds & kerrang & happened upon a podcast from him called dead rock stars I thought that was so good I would look for a book by him. Lots of good snippets / anecdotes about famous people. Some chapters slip into 50 shades of wall which may appeal to teenage kerrang readers but not to oldies. Book good & worth reading podcast better

[I C Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was 'ok' at best for me personally. A few little rock anecdotes that were quite interesting, a LOT of name dropping (Hard to avoid I guess given the subject matter) quite a bit of Mr Walls' sexual prowess, clearly a frustrated porn star as well it seems, and the usual gamut of drink and drugs, Rock 'N' Roll by numbers, just glad it was free on Kindle as I'd be disappointed if I'd paid tbh

[Annette Keating · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read- up until the last page where he referred to bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Smashing Pumpkins as Nirvana 'copycats.' Say what? 😂 Excellent writing on topics he is well experienced in, but this statement just made me cringe.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure this should be filed under the 'non-fiction' category, but a fun and entertaining, 'Sex, drugs and Rock & Roll trip down memory lane' kinda book. Lots of famous names, lots of Mick Wall's ridiculous anecdotes, and lots of 'did that really happen?' moments. Don't read too much into it!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read..the def leapard chapter was of most interest

[Grace Davies]

Good read, really entertaining.
I wish there had been more Stevie Nicks content

[Jamie Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give it 6 stars if I could...Long live rock!!!

[Belle Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book because Perzival, the other book I'm reading, is starting to drag a bit. Hey ho, that's Wolfy Von Esch for ya. Wall's writing is completely different, if his views on women are similarly medieval. I spent the first pages annoyed at how women are portrayed, but I suppose he's writing his truth, and I suppose it's just *possible* that all the women he's come across are trying to hitch their wagons to stars. On the other hand, since he's the common denominator, maybe it's just him.
He tends to treat the men with more warmth, notably when talking about the many rock stars he's known who've died. Or who should have died. Or who might die. Actually, he talks about all the men with more warmth than he treats the women, and it isn't just a rock star thing. His note that he wakes up with Stevie Nicks' breasts pressed against his face (he's apparently fallen asleep mid-chat, poor lamb) makes it seem as if she's trying to molest him. He does, however, treat Patti Smith with unusual warmth, possibly because he doesn't actually write a story about her, just mentions how much he likes her album.
But, his writing is vivacious, and does roll along quickly enough that I finished the book in three days, so that's ok. It is engagingly written, when talking about the men, so it's lucky that men compose about 75 percent of the stories in here. You will learn more about his fucking habits than you want to, but hey, it's all rock-n-roll, so if you don't mind reading (or even better, if you do) he doesn't mind sharing.

[Simon Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sex, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll - the (un)Holy trinity and pretty much the list of ingredients for Mick Wall's latest reflections on his career as one of the top music writers. Focusing on his early days through-to-the-glory-days of the late-80's rock and heavy metal scene, it's a fascinating trip from obscurity to headline-grabbing fame - mirroring the experiences of many of the artists he was writing about.

If you once harboured a small "wannabe" idea about being a part of that life, it's a sobering and dare I say it, cynical look into the less shiney side of the music business, but worthwhile all the same.

Now, I wonder if Ross Halfin will ever get round to writing his memoirs...

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mick Wall's soulless lifestyle that's apparently envious - taking loads of drugs, drinking, shagging groupie-leftovers and feeling like he's friends with other drug-taking, drinking goons (who just happen to be famous musicians) is getting tired. Here it's fully spent in this sapped, lazy, pleased with itself memoir. He can write. He can entertain with a phrase. But his book-a-year retirement scheme is starting to drizzle down to nothing.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. A good insight into life behind the scenes in the 1970's rock world