Synopses & Reviews
Anyone who has ever had a set of drumsor tapped out a beat on a tablehas fantasized about joining a band and going on tour. This gritty and hilarious memoir by drummer Mike Lankford takes readers on a wild ride, from the raucous garage band of his teenage years to the bright lights and slick sounds of his professional but small-time road band. Playing some serious blues and rock'n'roll and pushing the broken-down van in between, Mike Lankford shows us the unglamorous side of the music businessand takes us places we never thought we'd go.
Synopsis
Sometime between actually meeting Elvis outside The Old South Club in Lawton, Oklahoma, and seeing a red sparkle Roger's drum set, rock'n'roll took over Mike Lankford's life. His first problem was how to buy a drum set - since the salesman at the salesman at the music store woudn't let him "borrow" one. But get those drums he did, and Life in Double Time is the unvarnished and unhinged account of the consequences. After winning the Battle of the Bands in high school, Mike was member of a series of local groups before declaring himself ready to go out on the road. But lying low in southern Olklahoma didn't yield any big gigs, until suddenly, oppurtunity knocked. With no rehearsals and very little understanding of what he was getting himself into, he took off with what his mother called "a Negro band headed for parts unknown", a seasoned blues outfit from Chicago called Salt & Pepper. (The band's white drummer had run off to Texas, and they desperately needed a new white drummer, or a new name.). No leaps to stardom, no overnight success, Mike Lankford gives us the real story about going on the road. Without missing a beat, Life in Double Time combines Mike's eye-opening, hilarious adventures and lyrical writing to prove once and for all that, especially in the music world, fact is stranger than fiction.
About the Author
Mike Lankford has played the Midwest for the past 20 years and lives in Iowa.