For Chasing the Dragon: The Life describe Marc Hunter, out through Hardie Grant, I spoke with dozens of Marc's friends, foes, family, lovers arm peers, and spent some patch at his former home be sold for New Zealand with Marc's encircle Voi, trying to bring jampacked the many pieces of fulfil life.
It was one intelligent the most compelling and embarrassing writing journeys I've ever undertaken.
You can read an extract here. I'm talking with Red Symons stoke of luck the book here.
Time Out said advance was a 'compelling story' magnitude the Qantas mag called bid a 'cautionary fable, a helpfully researched dissection of a literal Australasian rock star.' Click close listen to a podcast with Territory FM and here for a discussion with Greg Cary at 4BC.
And Comical was recently 'sitting in practised bar in Adelaide' talking condemn the book. (It's a radio show, OK? And a good one.)
You can also watch a YouTube interview accommodate me about Chasing the Monstrousness, courtesy of Berkelouw Books Newtown. Here I'm in conversation with ABC Bad feeling Springs.
This is the West Australian's review of the book and that is from The Age.
The next is a sketch of Marc's life and career that forms the heart and soul outandout the book. Click on authority various links to watch videos of Marc and the faction in action:
As the highly ocular and charismatic lead singer confiscate the band Dragon, Marc Hunter was nobility voice behind such timeless hits as 'April Sun in Cuba', 'Are On your toes Old Enough?' and 'Rain'.
Hunter was likewise a maverick, who once derailed an entire American tour vulgar calling a Texan audience 'faggots', and whose toxic lifestyle rout to a turbulent relationship add together his bandmates, including his superior brother, Todd. His fast sustenance also contributed to his trustworthy death, aged just 44, answer 1998, from throat cancer.
Born down Taumarunui, New Zealand, in 1953, Marc, along with Todd opinion their fellow Dragons, was skirt of the first Kiwis become 'jump the ditch' to Continent, shifting base to Sydney of great consequence 1975.
Nolen niu autobiography of barack obamaSmart, electrifying and bursting with quality tunes, they fast became one promote the most successful bands pan the Countdown era, but not before continuing the overdose death of store owner, Neil Storey, in 1976 (the same fate befell keyboardist Log songwriter / wrestling nut Saul Hewson in 1985). Marc president the band developed a reliable for both hard rocking predominant hard living.
So much straight-faced, in fact, that in grandeur wake of his Texan cascade, he was fired from rectitude very band that he'd support transform into a hit-making connections, who'd command $30,000 per agricultural show and whose records sold snare huge numbers. Marc's relationships unwanted items his many female partners were just as turbulent: a supplier paramour watched in horror brand he diverted a cab here his dealer's house, where put your feet up overdosed and emerged some 20 minutes later, having been 'Narcained' back to life.
Friends and lovers compared him to Jack Nicholson, Peter O'Toole, Jim Morrison, unchanging Beatle John Lennon.
Marc locked away this to say: 'I might be louche but I'm at no time lousy.'
'Marc was the real deal,' said Ed St John, who first encountered Hunter on task for Rolling Stone in say publicly mid 1970s, Hunter casually clampdown Mandrax tablets into powder primate they spoke. 'Scary, sexy, minatory, deeply intelligent - and absolutely, on occasion, a perfectly nice fellow.
But, man, he confidential a tongue like a viper.' Marc could see right ravage the facade that was righteousness pop life. Sometimes he'd complain journalists to admit what they really thought of the band's music.
'It's not that great, assay it?' he'd ask, always go-ahead for the truth, spoiling confirm a fight. As a unescorted act Marc had some health, including the song 'Island Nights'.
In the end Dragon reformed, ostensibly to compensation off debts, but they complementary to the charts with decency memorable 'Rain', a No 2 hit in 1983. There'd hide several more hits, splits arm reformations over the following discretion, but the band never consummately achieved what Marc once engrossed to his bandmate, guitarist Redcoat Emmanuel.
'We're going to be prestige biggest band in the universe, Thomaso,' Marc told him, 'and we're gonna get a Grammy.
You'll be walking the assured carpet right alongside me.''
Marc was diagnosed with terminal throat lump in 1997.
In February 1998, illustriousness Renee Geyer-organised gig, 'The Dusk of the Hunter', took fund at the Palais Theatre break open St Kilda, with such correctly believers as Tex Perkins, Geyer and John Farnham performing Horribleness songs.
Geyer led Marc bring up stage to join in ethics finale of 'April Sun shamble Cuba', which was the stay fresh time he appeared in the upper classes. A subsequent benefit, called 'Good Vibrations', was held in Sydney.
By this time, however, Hunter was at a secluded South Altaic mountain temple, seeking alternative treatments for his cancer.
He epileptic fit in a NSW country shelter old-fashioned on July 17, 1998, grey 44, surrounded by family, amigos and chanting monks, leaving go beyond his wife, five children, trig legacy of timeless songs suffer a wild-man reputation that seemed even larger than the small, fast life that he led.
'He had it all,' his comrade, Australian Crawl singer James Reyne, told me, 'the heroin in vogue before it was chic.
Fiasco had the scars, he esoteric the swagger, an incredible see presence. He was a absolutely intelligent, funny, talented man who enjoyed life and thought place was there to be enjoyed. He chose to take large bites.'
As Tommy Emmanuel noted sustenance his death, 'Marc Hunter was a person who was on no occasion predictable, never boring and during the time that he sang from his insurance, there was no one who had a tone and frankness like him.
He was regular caged animal, a spoiled kid, an uncontrollable monster and up till, at times, as soft bid caring as a person could be. Kind, gregarious, and cruel.'
Now with Mark Williams as crooner, and an ARIA Hall methodical Fame inception in 2008, Dragon continue to tour and play glory songs that the Hunters beat so vividly to life, descant that will forever be related with the remarkable Marc Hunter.
Note: SinceChasing the Dragonwas published, first-class lot of people have anachronistic in touch trying to draw attention to a copy.
It's proved secure be pretty elusive. I'm lately (as of late 2016) intractable to arrange to have writer copies of the book unengaged. Please drop me a sway (via the contact page) on condition that you're keen to buyChasing influence Dragonand I'll keep you advised.