A book for us all.
One-time Bodgie, present-day Prawnhead, and seemingly perennial staple of the Adelaide music scene, Don Morrison has forgotten more about the harsh realities of the music business than most of us will ever dare experience. Or maybe he hasn’t quite forgotten them. This book, a memoir of his “thirty years at the dag end of the Australian music industry”, provides a host of tales from Morrison’s colourful career; looking at the highs and lows of embracing the life of the troubadour. More importantly though, This Could Be Big will make you smile, sometimes knowingly. You will enjoy the ride as you eagerly turn the pages, without ever dismissing the realistic slice-of-life that this book offers the reader.
The dubious joys of touring far and wide, the dealings with managers, agents and other sharks, the drab reality of the day job and the succour & solace of crafting guitars are all recanted with a disarming honesty and good-natured humour that will resonate with readers.
Morrison documents his travels through the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of his struggle to make ends meet as a jobbing musician. Sharing stage space with Midnight Oil, attempting to translate the humour behind the name “Thunderbox Carbunckle” to a Japanese backpacker, and the joys of intra-band relationships are just some of the tales he shares. There are plenty more besides…
One of the prevailing themes of the book is that, more often than not, the differences between being big and remaining a struggler aren’t that huge, and that luck and circumstance are major players in a game that has slaughtered so many wide-eyed aspirants. Morrison also clearly articulates the differences between the joyful process of making music, and the pain and hassles that go with attempting to turn that same music into a profitable venture.
This book is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone even vaguely involved in the world of music. No matter what stage of your career you think you are at, or with which particular genre you have chosen to align yourselves, you should all read this. Morrison writes earnestly and sometimes critically, but he has a wit and a way with words that show that, despite all the crap, it’s still a great ride.
Here’s to you Don, I reckon you’re doing just fine.
David Robinson, SCALA News