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Lipstick and Leather

On the Road with the World’s Most Notorious Rock Stars

Kim Hawes

Lipstick and Leather by Kim Hawes

What do Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Elvis Costello, Rush and Chumbawamba have in common? Kim Hawes, pioneering female tour manager.

Kim Hawes spent years sleeping underneath Lemmy from Motorhead… on a tour bus. She feuded with the members of Black Sabbath, tripped mushrooms on stage with Hawkwind, faced down the Hells Angels and escalated band prank wars. She threw Madonna off her stage, turned down an invite from Nelson Mandela, and dealt with the aftermath of Chumbawamba drenching John Prescott.

Through hard work, hard drinking and hard times, Kim refused to conform to others’ expectations. She hurled a TV through the glass ceiling of the male-dominated music industry, blazing a trail for young women today. She carved out a place for women in a largely man’s world, taking no crap and no prisoners while getting results other tour managers only dreamed of.

This memoir of the nitty gritty of life on the road – the fights, the dares, the smashed hotel rooms and even an encounter with a Soviet submarine – is full of fresh stories about the famous names you think you know.

Lipstick and Leather: On the road with the world’s most notorious rock stars is a must read for anyone who wants a fresh insight into life on the road.

RRP: £19.99
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781914518003
Publication Date: 06/04/2023
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Kim Hawes
Kim Hawes, now an educator, author, coach and mentor, has come a long way from her early days of rolling posters and selling merchandise. She was recently recognised for her...

Reviews

‘I don’t think I’ve read a better book about the sheer hard work and determination it takes to put a band on stage.’

Ian Rankin

‘Kim Hawes took lipstick and feminism deep into the heart of macho darkness and came out trumps as this book hilariously and poignantly reveals.’

John Robb, Music Journalist, Musician & Author

‘Some hugely colourful stories and wild anecdotes. An inspirational read and a life well lived!’

Vic Galloway, BBC Broadcaster, Musician & Author

‘A barrage of mishaps and mischief, stunts and scrapes, with all sorts of bands and artists pretending to be adults.’

Boff, Chumbawamba

‘A warts and all journey through the highs and lows of the touring world – required reading for anyone who wants to move into that world.’

Chris Tams