The manager who shepherded Van Halen from obscurity to rock stardom goes behind the scenes to tell the complete, unadulterated story of David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, and the legendary band that changed rock music.
Van Halen's rise in the 1980s was one of the most thrilling the music world had ever seen--their mythos an epic party, a sweaty, sexy, never-ending rock extravaganza. During this unparalleled run of success, debauchery, and drama, no one was closer to the band than Noel Monk. A man who'd worked with some of rock's biggest and most notorious names, Monk spent seven years with Van Halen, serving first as their tour manger then as their personal manager until 1985, when both he and David Lee Roth exited as controversy, backstabbing, and disappointment consumed the band in this definitive rock and roll biography.
Throughout Van Halen's meteoric rise and abrupt halt, this confidant, fixer, friend, and promoter saw it all and lived to tell. Now, for the first time, in this tell-all memoir he shares the most outrageous escapades--from their coming of age to their most shocking behavior on the road; from Eddie's courtship and high profile wedding to Valerie Bertinelli to the incredible drug use which would ultimately lead to everyone's demise. Sharing never-before-told stories, Monk paints a compelling portrait of Eddie Van Halen, bringing into focus the unique combination of talent, vision, hardship, and naiveté that shaped one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time--and made him and his brother vulnerable to the trappings and failings of fame.
Illustrated with dozens of rare photographs from Monk's vaults, Runnin' with the Devil is manna from rock heaven no Van Halen fan can miss.
This explosive, firsthand account of rock and roll history reveals:
- Behind the Scenes Access: Join confidant and fixer Noel Monk for seven years of the band's unparalleled run of success, debauchery, and drama, from their coming of age to their most shocking behavior on the road.
- Unfiltered Band Dynamics: Witness the backstabbing and controversy that consumed the band, from Eddie Van Halen's high-profile wedding to Valerie Bertinelli to the escalating tensions that led to David Lee Roth's exit.
- A Portrait of a Legend: Go beyond the myth with a compelling look at Eddie Van Halen, focusing on the unique combination of talent, vision, and vulnerability that shaped one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.
- Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll: Read the never-before-told stories of the band's outrageous escapades and the incredible drug use that would ultimately contribute to their eventual implosion.
About the Author :
Noel Monk helped stage-manage Woodstock, served as Bill Graham's right-hand man at the legendary Fillmore East, and worked with rock musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, and the Sex Pistols. He is also the author of 12 Days on the Road: The Sex Pistols and America, and he lives in Colorado.
Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Joe Layden has written more than thirty books for adults and children, including #1 New York Times bestsellers As You Wish and The Rock Says, and the critically acclaimed The Last Great Fight. He lives in Rhode Island.
Review :
"More than an insider's story about VH; Monk also shares fascinating firsthand information about how the music industry operated at that time...An absolute must-read for VH fans and fans of rock music memoirs." - Library Journal
"The Van Halen book you've been waiting for...brutally honest and at times shocking...Van Halen fans will be discussing and debating it with the same attention to detail as Eddie's finger-tapping work on 'Eruption.'" - Houston Press
"Too bad the title The Dirt was already taken. Noel Monk - who went from being Van Halen's road manager to their business manager during their Diamond Dave prime - holds nothing back...Monk paints a convincing picture of a brilliant, substance-addled young band that wasn't built to last." - Rolling Stone
"Monk tells with a raconteur's tone the kind of juicy stories (ketchup-fetish groupies, booze-and-coke fueled hotel-trashing, ridiculous rock star requests) that fans want to read. He also has plenty of more soulful memories about a young, hungry Van Halen seeing the world for the first time." - LA Weekly
"There's plenty of sex and drugs here, along with the absurdities of the hard-rock life." - New York Times Book Review
