Before I read this book I watched the documentary "True Believers" [2008] on DVD. I think they complement each other well. Please note that so far the book has only been published in danish.
I read somewhere that Jesper initially thought that they had asked the wrong member of D-A-D for a biography. They should have asked Stig instead if they wanted a real nasty rock star, who'd been living the rock'n'roll dream full time. After having read this book I kinda agree with Jesper. Jesper is a very charismatic, witty and awesome frontman in one of Denmark's finest rockbands ever. But this book makes it quite clear that he is anything but a rockstar when the stage lights go out.
His ambition was always to combine a normal family life with a wife and kids and then having the band as a job. Well, one of the coolest jobs in the world that is. That leads to a rather unsatisfying and very uncontroversial but honest book with lots of focus on family, divorses, personal issues, depression, therapy and children to mention most of it. He reveals that he always leave the band after the gig to enjoy a cup of tea and a book alone in his tour-bus bed, abandoning any of the fun the other band members may be participating in.
Sex, Drugs and Rock'n'roll...
I can understand Jesper's reasons and I can see that if you want to combine a family with rock'n'roll then it's probably the right thing he has been doing. But honestly, I wouldn't write a book about it. It kills the myth and it's really not that interesting to read about, because his everyday life could be anybody Average Joe's apart from his special work hours when touring and rehearsing all over Copenhagen, including Mercyful Fate's old rehearsal place.
It seems he had no great written notes from the early days, so much of the earlier days are spiced up with philosophic thoughts about this and that, while it gets a bit more detailed from the Wig-Wam scandal and forward, perhaps because it is a bit fresher in memory.
It is a short and easy-read book and so it is never boring or anything like that, but it is just not quite what I had hoped for. Not many juicy details, not many scandals, not many amazing secrets revealed. If you want to get to know Jesper better off-stage, give it a read. The book has got a lot of very nice photos covering Jesper's life and covering Disneyland After Dark from the beginning and until now.
Jesper is a very friendly dude (I met him once), and I love him and D-A-D performing on-stage and on the D-A-D albums. In fact, they are fucking awesome! But honestly, this is not a book that will change the danish rock world.
[2012, Gyldendal]
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Content Type: Book Review
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Updated: 2012-10-11 00:56
Created: 2012-10-10 23:04
