The Road To Nowhere: How to be a successful failure in the music industry!

by Johnny Samson

So what's it really like to play in a band? The budding rock star sets off on the road with high hopes of stardom, glamour and riches, but reality soon kicks in. The Road to Nowhere follows the trail of the journeyman musician - free from the chains of any degree of commercial success and able instead to dedicate a life to sending hundreds of unanswered emails in a vain attempt to get a gig at the Dog & Duck for $20 on a Tuesday night. A thread runs through it of the author's own hilarious and (predominantly) disastrous experiences, and dogged refusal to learn from the lessons repeatedly presented.
Be it tales of learning to play, forming a band, the rehearsal room, the recording studio, playing live or doing a photo-shoot, anyone that has played in a band will recognise the places visited within these pages. If you're not into travelling, but you're curious about foreign lands, then this might answer some questions. And those innocent souls that are considering the idea of setting off on their own musical adventure may gain some useful advice - perhaps not enough to save them, but at least they'll know what to pack...

244 pages, Paperback

Published June 21, 2021

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun.
Easy pick-me-up and put-me-down,
Plastic chair and all;
Few too many footnotes to keep track of, but hey, it was also part of the humor and fun.

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[Lawrence Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend lent me their copy of this, thinking I'd enjoy it because like the author I've spent my life playing in bands that haven't really gone anywhere. Well, she was right. Johnny absolutely nails the experience, and I laughed out loud on numerous occasions as I read this. Perfectly encapsulates the frustration, anger, joy, bitterness and wonderful experiences that happen when playing in bands for a long time. This is perhaps a much more insightful look at the industry than any bio you might read by an established well-known artist. Brilliant!

[Ruth Capoun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I started off thinking this would be a bit different than it was. I did like it though.
I think he touched base with just about every scenario that a musician would come across in their careers!
Some great info for an up and coming musician done with a bit of humour too!
I wish the footnotes were done better. They were kind of a pain to follow.
All in all.....an interesting read.