05/06/2025
Alan was at the school in the late 1960s.
Check out this review of Alan Niven's new book, "SOUND N’ FURY-
ROCK N’ ROLL STORIES" Review by Marina Di.
I was immediately drawn to Sound N’ Fury because of the bands mentioned— , , ̈tleycrüe, and more. These names aren’t just dropped for clout—they’re lived
through, tangled in the chaos and brilliance that defined them. For anyone who grew up idolizing these bands, this book feels like unlocking a secret side of the story. The storytelling isn’t glossy
or sugar-coated. It’s sharp, detailed, and told like a midnight kitchen-table confession. You think you know your favourite band—until you read this. Then you realize there’s always more to
learn, more to feel, and more to question.
doesn’t write a memoir. He drops a needle on memory and lets it spin—loud, crackling, and unfiltered. Sound N’ Fury isn’t just a backstage pass—it’s a seat at the kitchen table with a storyteller who’s seen it all, burned through it, and somehow still hears the music.
Known for managing acts like Guns N’ Roses and Great White, Niven guides us through the glorious, brutal chaos of the rock world with the dry wit of someone who survived it. He’s not
here to polish legends. He’s here to tell the truth, or at least the version of it that wasn’t airbrushed by publicists or rewritten by label execs. These stories are lived-in. They smell like whiskey, cigarette ash, and stage dust.
Each chapter is a standalone “track”—a burst of memory, character, or madness. Whether it’s dodging lawsuits, dragging Axl to a show with police backup, or outmaneuvering industry egos, Niven delivers it all with a voice that’s equal parts cynical, poetic, and deeply human. The section on the Guns N’ Roses/Aerosmith tour alone is worth the price of admission. It's raw, sometimes ruthless, but never hollow.
He calls himself the “old jukebox,” and that’s exactly how this book plays. You press a button and out comes a story, half-snarled, half-confessional, always honest. There’s no hero complex here. Just a guy who made it out, bruised but aware, and decided to write it down because, as he says, “I am going to tell you stories.”
And he does. With fury. With love. With the clarity that only comes after the amps are off.
A loud, defiant, and unapologetically tangible reminder that behind every stage light is someone just trying to keep the band from falling apart.
