Backstage: How I Almost Got Rich Playing Drums in a Christian Hardcore Band

by Aaron Lunsford

Nothing could have prepared an ambitious group of college dropouts for what awaited them on the road to potential rock stardom. Suicide, depression, extreme poverty, injuries, broken down vans and nervous encounters with supermodels. This is the story of “Christian Hardcore” band, As Cities Burn.

Aaron Lunsford, drummer, takes readers behind the scenes, sharing his unique, and sometimes harsh, perspective on what it was like to attempt to "make it" as a band in the early-to-mid 2000’s. Aaron’s comments on the ins and outs of the music business, as well as the moral pressures of the “Christian” music scene, are eye-opening.

Backstage gives fans of any genre of music a chance to put themselves in the shoes of those who dare to dream, and often fall short in the end.

195 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2015

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Einfach geschrieben, nicht sehr tiefgründig aber genau das, was erwartet wird. Anekdoten eines Schlagzeugers aus den Anfangstagen seiner Bands. Ich kannte die Band nicht und wurde dennoch sehr gut unterhalten.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic of this book is very interesting to me. I was really into As Cities Burn back in the day. It was one of my favorite bands of that time. Their lyrics were profound and their music was awesome. I enjoyed reading about the band going on tours, about the band mates, and about the bands they toured with. However, the author of the book writes in a very acerbic style. He goes back and forth between a very arrogant voice and then self deprecation. He states at the beginning that the book is a memoir of the best three years of his life. He proceeds to write about how boring and brutal it was to tour. How much he hates many of the fans of As Cities Burn. He dislikes hardcore music. He hates the bassist of the band, etc. I really do appreciate his honesty in the book. It takes a lot to write about your best friend's suicide and allude to your divorce. I just really don't understand why he claims to love his time in ACB. It seems that he actually hated most of it. I think the author would benefit from taking a more balanced approach to his writing. Also, his actual writing is riddled with mistakes. It's written as if it was a long cellphone text message with ellipses and typos (possibly deliberate but who knows). All in all, it was a mixed bag. The content was interesting to me, but the tone of the author was ultimately condescending and negative. If you're a ACB fan you're going to want to read this. If not, this book is not for you.

[Derek Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m part of the niche scene this book was in large part for and about, so that had a lot going for it. It was incredibly fast and easy to read, some pretty good stories. But man, the writing was subpar at best, the editing was horrible, and the language - as much as Aaron wants to boast of it - was probably 50% unnecessary. I also feel like it was leading somewhere, like a neat full circle call-back to the first chapter, but then just didn’t.
Hopefully as he keeps writing he gets better, actual professional, editors on his team. That would go a long way.

[Jameson Ketchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaron has a biting yet eloquent way of storytelling. He's very matter of fact yet paints vivid pictures in every instance. He covers so many bands and stories that I grew up loving. It's a gem.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, though I very firmly fit into the tiny niche that is its audience. Aaron Lunsford is insightful, lucid, and amazingly, refreshingly honest about his life as a touring musician in a Christian hardcore band. And he's genuinely funny without making jokes, which is something that can't be taught. Something that can be, however, is effective and aesthetically-pleasing formatting; my only quibbles with this book are Lunsford's frequent insistence on using ALL-CAPS and his penchant for indulgence in internet parlance, outdated modes at that.

Overall, fascinating, hilarious, and occaisionally moving. I'm rooting for the ACB comeback, Aaron!

[Josh Ferrara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insightful look inside the world of an indie rock band

I read this specifically because I was/am a huge ACB fan. When your favorite bands aren't on MTV, you've got to hope for info like this if you ever want more of the story than just gossip.

Aaron did a great job painting the picture. Having grown up in Baton Rouge and been around some of these earliest experiences, I was excited to hear the other side.

It's a quick read, so if you're intrigued, just go for it!