Drumming with Dead Can Dance
and Parallel Adventures
by Peter Ulrich
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Nov 15 2022 | Archive Date Jun 08 2023
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Description
Advance Praise
"...[G]reat book... one of the best memoirs I have read... honest, open and while very in-depth it is a fun and interesting book to read... You do not have to be a fan of Dead Can Dance, but if you are not, you will be once you have finished reading it." —Aaron Badgley, Spill Magazine
"This book really does capture so much, so well, what it was like in the early days, both for struggling artists and the fledgling independent label community.” —Ivo Watts-Russell, founder 4AD Records
"Getting a glimpse into the crucible of creation/re-creation was exhilarating...Through this memoir you can enjoy the view too, and see the inner world of a seminal and highly influential band as they rise into success." —Benjamin Schreihals, Gothic Beauty Magazine
"A thoroughly absorbing memoir, filled with fascinating detail." —Joanne Harris, author
"[Ulrich is] a natural writer, deftly weaving in tales of life... and affording cameos to those who burned brightly. A historical document of a vast musical landscape, this will fascinate those who weren't there, and make misty those of us who were." —Jane Cornwell, Songlines Magazine
"Well, what a journey...fantastic read." —Paul Erikson, original bassist of Dead Can Dance
"...in-depth memoir... very exciting... all those tiny details we wanted... Highly recommended." —Klemen Breznikar, It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine
"...the book...It's great! Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston - my first DCD gig. Lisa came on with a teacup and saucer." —Glen Johnson, founder, singer, guitarist of Piano Magic
"...highly collectable piece of fan memorabilia for DCD devotees. Furthermore... richly descriptive recollections of the adventures in sound... other 4AD projects, including This Mortal Coil... a solo career and further collaborations... his preoccupation with possibilities of instrumentation reveals a unique passion... Ulrich's devotion to the cause is impeccable."—Bryony Hegarty, Louder Than War
"...a real treat to recall my own collaboration with Peter and our insanely eclectic adventures in creating The Painted Caravan trilogy." —Treboy (Big T) Lloyd, founder, writer, producer of The Peter Ulrich Collaboration, head of City Canyons LLC
"Lively and entertaining... with sterling levels of recall... A voluminous, lengthy, extensive five stars." —John Lloyd, Fox Books, Leicester, UK
"A wonderful and fascinating personal story... so many nuances and parts of the story that I didn’t realise... and... a lot of forgotten memories."—Steve Webbon, Beggars Group
"Part autobiography, part band biog, this is nothing if not unorthodox, but fully in keeping with the band that inspired it... the self-taught percussionist was closely involved in some of their defining records and shows, and his insights are often illuminating... Engagingly written"—Johnny Sharp, PROG Magazine
"...just finished the book... absolutely loved it!" —Greg Fasolino, "one of the foremost Goth and Post-Punk historians in the world (post-punk.com)"
"...that story you tell about a dinner in Venice and then you present Lisa's completely different recollection of the same event... I love that! We all have such faulty memories of what occurred. There is no reality!" —Sam Rosenthal, founder of Projekt Records and black tape for a blue girl
"A fabulous fly-on-the-wall read." —Coral Rockks 985FM CKWR, Canada
"...incredibly well-crafted... and [the] writer's voice carries such positivity and a general love of music, along with the camaraderie of creation and what it feels like to be in a band - struggles and successes and all!" —Bret Helm, founder, singer, bassist of Audra
"How one phone call can change everything. Ulrich tells a heady, detailed story of living in and learning fast having joined Dead Can Dance - one of the most unique groups ever, leading to his personal musical flowering. The creative ebbs and flows, worlds of life on the road and music business shenanigans come vividly to life."—Dave Massey - music journalist and historian, music publishing A&R/Creative Director and fellow drummer
"Ulrich comes across as very personable, with plenty of rather wry humour, and... a sense of genuine surprise and delight at being part of a diverse music scene."— warped-perspective.com
"[Ulrich's] personality and sense of humor absolutely comes through! Really wonderful job." —Timothy O'Donnell, graphic design v23/4AD
"Great book, very well written..."—Claudio Bustamante, Fairfax City Music, YouTube Channel
"I love how this weaves so much historical and influential contemporary music with the story... beautifully written... utterly compelling." —Lisa Tenzin-Dolma, author, singer-songwriter
"I am reading this book and keep telling my friends about it. I feel like I am sitting in a time machine - haha - love it!" —Magno Damase, DCD fan posting on Facebook
"Fabulous memories of exciting times, superbly written." —Colin Wallace, 4AD
Marketing Plan
Marketing:
- Pre-pub buzz-building campaign
- Online marketing
- Social media campaign
- Targeted email marketing
- Community outreach
- Text-generated flash fiction campaign ahead of launch
- e-newsletters and websites
- Book club outreach
- Library outreach
- Course adoptions
Publicity:
- Media attention
- Online review and feature attention
- Local author promotion: Norwich, UK, and Australia!
- Social Media Campaign
- Book & author festival outreach
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781636280738 |
| PRICE | $26.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 248 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Dan O, Bookseller
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Red Hen Press for an advanced copy of this biography about a man, a band, his music and what he learned along the way.
Before CD burners and file sharing I worked for a number of years in an independent record shop that was well known not only for our musical selection, but the musical snobbery of our staff. Again this was before the Internet, so knowledge was gained from reading British music magazines, ICE for bootlegs and what we picked up at shows or from our customers. The store had a large import section and the label that sold the best and had the most turnover was 4AD. Import singles, 12 inch, vinyl, bootlegs, it didn't really matter. They were a label of quality, and people were willing spend to find out. Import CDs usually weren't sealed so we could play pretty much anything and that is how I first heard Dead Can Dance. Their music was like a soundscape, sort of like the musical soundtracks they would later be known for. The sounds, the beats, the vocalizations everything was different, and wonderful. They were a band ahead of their time. And Peter Ulrich was there as they found their sound. Drumming with Dead Can Dance and Parallel Adventures tells the story of the band as he saw it, his life before and after, and a lot about music and percussion.
Peter Ulrich was unhappy and needing a change from his job when he received a call out of the blue to audition for a band that he had never heard of, but happened to live in the same estate that he was living at in London. Ulrich had been in bands but had been away from music for awhile, and thought that nothing would come of it. The music he was asked to play along with was difficult and different, and thought he had botched it until the woman said well I guess he is in the band. Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry had started the band, Dead Can Dance in Australia, had some success, came to London and lost two members, and had to start on the bottom. Soon Ulrich was drumming and beginning to look at music in a totally different way as the band worked their way up, finally signing with 4AD and gaining a reputation. However life doesn't stop for music, and Ulrich had to step away from the band. That is when is life really began.
Peter Ulrich is not only a good drummer, and a fine composer, but Ulrich is a really good writer. I have never really read a band story that didn't have blow out fights, drunken fights, or egos getting in the way of the story, especially getting in the way of the story. Ulrich tells the story like it was, or in the case of a night buying dinner, lets the other person tell their version. I have read a lot of books about music, bands, and history, and usually there is some grudge settling, or a spat from 40 years ago that no one remembers except the writer or source, but Ulrich is that rare person who seems to have enjoyed his time, left for good reasons, and stayed friendly with everyone. The book is a fascinating look at a band on the rise, touring in the 80's and 90's and what it took to prepare, and how they did so. Except for stories about other bands starting fights, or tossing televisions out the window, this is not a story of excess. Just a story about a guy, his friends, and a life about music, and his family.
A really good book about a band that really was unique. There is a lot about different percussion instruments, techniques and equipment. Plus the appendix offers a nice guide to world music for those who are interested. One of most informative, without gossip or grudges books on music that I have read.
