This is not what I expected going into it therefore take my review with a pinch of salt. Initially, I thought this was going to be Ryder’s comedy book with a series of anecdotes and jokes. It actually turned out to be a semi-serious guidance book about those wanting to become part of this lifestyle. If you’re wanting to get into music - this might just be the book for you!

Candid, revelatory and at times very funny, this is a good insight into the mad world of fame and performance. Ryder's voice and delivery is unmistakable and hearing him read his own words absolutely adds to the overall experience. Very enjoyable.

I’m a big Shaun Ryder fan so when I spotted this audio book on NetGalley I immediately requested it. Shaun narrates it himself which made the book for me, I could listen to him tell his stories all day long! I enjoyed this one but given it’s a how to book I did find it a bit repetitive, with some elements from earlier sections being referred to again later on. I also already knew most of his stories from having read his autobiography a few years ago. I did still enjoy this one though so I would recommend it if you’re a Happy Mondays fan and want to know more about how to get into the world of rock and roll!

How To Be A Rockstar is like listening to an old friend tell you a very sweary story of their life and I enjoyed every second of it. Shaun shares a lot of background on his rise to fame with the Happy Mondays and Black Grape, he gives his version of the many controversial myths about himself and gives some solid advice and insight on what it's like trying to make it in the music world - it's honestly really interesting and Shaun's way of telling it is hilarious. There are so many genuinely funny anecdotes, lots of fun name drops and I especially enjoyed hearing about his song writing process - I wonder if he's ever considered that his ability to create and play back music so clearly in his mind could be attributed to his ADHD? (I have it too). I'm amongst the younger generation of fans, I don't remember any of Shaun Ryder and his band's wilder days so it was interesting to hear about it first hand. Would I have wanted to be a part of the ecstasy fueled entourage from back in the day? Absolutely not, but it's a lot of fun to hear about. A lot of people know Shaun and Bez from reality shows like Gogglebox and I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and might buy this book based on that and although they get a mention and there is an interview with them both at the end of the audiobook, this book is primarily about the musician side of Shaun's life.



Note to publisher - my reviews are pending on retail sites, I'll add the links once they are published :)

Laugh out loud funny, this book is narrated perfectly by the author. The stories Shaun tells in How To Be A Rockstar are hilarious, regardless of if you are a fan of Shaun’s music or not you will find it hard to keep a straight face while listening to this audiobook. One thing that I found surprising though was that there is an awful lot of wisdom in this book, Shaun’s views on the world around us and his outlook on life really shone throughout the book. I found myself inspired, amused and entertained. An absolute joy to listen to.

Early on, Ryder muses that most people have heard of the band Motley Crew because of their much covered hell-raising but probably couldn’t name a single record they’d made. Well, that’s precisely how I feel about the Happy Mondays. Ryder and his mate Bez – the one who prances about on stage but adds nothing of any substance to the music – are well known for their regular television appearances (Celebrity Gogglebox, Celebrity Mastermind and Celebrity Big Brother to name but a few), but I’m a total stranger to their musical output – and they’ve been going for around forty years! In truth, I’m sure I’ve heard some of it, but I just can’t call a single song to mind.

I’d thought that this would be simply a series of anecdotes but actually it’s a (semi) serious attempt to provide some guidance to anyone starting out on the long and treacherous road to rock stardom. And in addition there are plenty of anecdotes here too, as well as a decent history of the band and their various travails as well as reflections on Ryder’s time with his other ensemble, Black Grape. Mixed in with this are a few pearls of wisdom such as: do your own thing and make sure you practice. Okay, there’s a bit more than that but you get my drift. It’s actually good fun, with the audio version I listened to being narrated by the author himself. He states early on that he’s long suffered from ADHD and I think this comes across a little in his rapid and somewhat ranting delivery.

This book will definitely appeal to fans of the band – I’ve now tracked down a few of the Monday’s tracks and I confess that I’m not about to join that particular club – and to anyone thinking about starting up a band. Seriously, there actually are some fairly basic, but nonetheless precious, pointers here.

If ever a book was meant to be read by its author, it's this one. Shaun Ryder's voice and delivery are perfect - so evocative. It's funny and irreverent as you'd expect but I loved hearing about how seriously the Mondays took the music, even if they didn't always take themselves seriously. Ryder says he's never cared about being cool which makes him the coolest bloke ever. Highly highly recommended.