Loud by Tana Douglas is a 2021 ABC Books publication.

Tana Douglas was a trailblazer in an overwhelmingly male dominated occupation. She became a female ‘roadie’ while still a teenager and thus embarked on an incredibly unorthodox life.

Here, Tana regales us with wild tales from the road, while touching upon her upbringing, and her struggles to balance her career and lifestyle with motherhood, while educating the reader about what goes into setting the stage for live shows, and providing technical details that most of us would never hear of otherwise.

This is a fascinating memoir. Tana worked in an environment that was tough under any circumstances and was forced to deal with double standards and sexism, but her tone is not a bitter one. In fact, I think Tana is proud of her accomplishments, as she should be. She paid some heavy dues and had many regrets, but overall, I get the impression that if she had it all to do over again, she wouldn’t hesitate to jump on the road again with some of the most famous and talented artists of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Overall, a solid memoir- very straightforward, but organized chronologically and very easy to read and follow. Some of Tana’s stories were hilarious, some shocking, some poignant, but all were interesting, as is Tana. I think she took the high road quite often and glossed over some of the seedier aspects of the business, choosing to keep the tone mild and matter of fact- but I think she succeeded in giving the reader what they signed on for.

All music fans and concert goers should read this book- it’s a look at what it takes to be a female pioneer in an alpha male environment as well as an up close and personal look at what goes into putting a show together for artists and fans, which was very enlightening.

4 stars ( )

Could use better proofreading in spots, but a helluva fun read. It's amazing how many connections Tana has had through the years in the industry. ( )

Female roadie in the 70s. Her first gig was with AC/DC when they were just starting out. Eventually she worked for everyone from Elton John to Iggy Pop. A really good look at the job and the way the boys' club integrated/protected/accommodated her as a young woman--and her defenses against those who didn't. ( )