ie They are  NOT coming from overseas !!

Pleasure and Pain

MY  LIFE

by Chrissy Amphlett with Larry Writer

Illustrated

ISBN: 0733619592

Publisher: HODDER, Australia.

Published: 2005

Binding: SOFTcover  340 pages illustrated with black & white

Condition: UNread Browsed instore - retired display copy HERE in MELBOURNE!

Edition:  FIRST Australian EDITION: 2nd printing  2005.

TIGHT  SCARCE   SOFTCOVER BROWSED ONLY  ~  IN  MELBOURNE  ... 

WHY do ebayers buy from US?

Because you KNOW what you're getting. My close up photos are of the actual item!!

Remains UNread - it was the display copy and browsed instore. It is Tight -  neat, no inscriptions or marks within. Appears as in my photos - this is the exact copy!!  A nicely preserved copy - superb!

Minimal, if any, discernible shelf wear, the interior is tight and spotlessly clean with  pages and it's illustrated with pages and pages of fabulous black & white photographs

Incredibly SCARCE title - this is an superb title - in MELBOURNE!!

The point of difference to others on sale is THIS is Unread!

Published in 2005, by Hodder Australia - THIS is the First Edition: 2nd Printing 2005! In original glossy SOFTcover binding with stunning front cover photograph of Chrissy Amphlett, in publisher's pictorial covers which are in excellent condition. ISBN 13:9780733619595   (Stored with 2018!)

* NOTE:  We have the UPDATED edition in softcover also ISBN: 9780733624742 *EMAIL if you have an interest in that copy!  $44.90

SYNOPSIS ....

Chrissy Amphlett is a legend in the world of Australian music - and now, for the first time, she tells her own story.

From growing up in Geelong, Victoria, to being the lead singer in the iconic band The Divinyls, to living in New York and mixing with the likes of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, she has led an amazing life.

In this book she tells of life on and off the road - and gives a unique account of a woman surviving in a male-dominated and drug-fuelled industry. Yet not only did she survive, she captivated her audiences with her empowered on-stage performances. From fury to soulful, brash to lecherous, Chrissy Amphlett's voice and character mesmerized all those around her.

She talks of the early days when she was breaking into the music scene; of being arrested for busking when a teenager travelling in Spain; of how her angry and provocative stage act drew on her childhood and background - she wanted to shock and, above all, be in control. And she tells of what it was to be at the top, in those years of success and excess, both in Australia and in the United States.

Chrissy has always lived life on her terms no matter what those around her wanted.

Larry Writer is the author of the bestseller, RAZOR.

Very INTERESTING - rockin  read!

REVIEW

HEART breaking  HEART warming  HONEST !!!   …..  I was so deeply affected by this book. I've been a fan since What A Life! I read this book in just a few days. I felt like a was there, living her life with her. I rode the emotional rollercoaster, the ups and downs, right alongside her. There were moments I had to stop reading because I felt such deep sadness toward her. But there were also times I laughed. She truly had traveled to hell and back, and never gave up, where others may have. She was the epitome of strength, a true force and the world is a little bit less without her

FABULOUS !! …  LIKE MISS AMPHLETT HERSELF … What a thoroughly enjoyable read! Ms Amphlett (in all her warts and all glory), presents a no-holds-barred account of her life pre-, during and post-Divinyls. Well written and well-paced; a must for fans of the rock music memoir. Recommended.

FIVE STARS  …   Great read! REALLY interesting read, I really enjoyed reading about her life, never knew chrissy had such a varied life. makes me like divinyls even more

 REALLY GREAT BOOK! ...  Terrific read , would recommend to any body who is interested in Aussie rock, great tale of hard ship by pioneering female artist.

Oh, Chrissy ….   Very informative and worthy of the read. IF you can find a copy - get in and buy it now as you wont be disappointed. Good luck!

What an amazing woman Chrissy Amphlett was!!!  …  And what an amazing read this book was!! No holds barred, honest, straight forward, and showing you the many sides of one of Australia's Rock n Roll leading Ladies, and the amazing Divinyls!

A great singer, and actress, who told it like it was!

This book is a must read for anyone who is a Chrissy Amphlett fan, or even just a Divinyls fan!

And would I recommend this book, most definitely! I read it in 2 days, that is how good a read it is!

Chrissy Amphlett was the original rock chick. …. This well written biography chronicles her hard won acceptance and rise to fame in the music world. The Divinyls probably could have been even bigger than they were and reading this book probably shows why. The last 3rd of the book is actually pretty hard to read, Chrissy seems by her own account not the easiest person in the world to like and she recounts quite a few "falling outs" she had with various people, but her sobriety, peace and the love she found with Charley feels very sad, very sad ... knowing that she will be dealt two cruel blows ... MS and breast cancer to which she succumbed (aged only 53!) earlier this year.

'UNputdownable'  …. Gosh, what an incredible life.  'Unputdownable' despite it being possibly more interesting for what it doesn't say than what it does. Chrissy is having a lend of her readers while at the same time laying herself bare. A very brave, if not quite honest, life story. Highly recommended.

Fantastic and inspiring! …  Chrissy is someone to look up to, I really believe she has the heart and soul of 1000 men. She is a brave woman and it was very confronting and real to read her biography. Very good book!

Queen of Rock n Roll ….. Chrissy Amphlett is truly the Queen of Rock n Roll, the one who all others following (Courtney Love ...) aspire to be. What she achieved in the male dominated rock industry in Australia is amazing. But she's not entirely a likeable person - and she admits that herself. I enjoyed the book for its insider scoop on 80s Oz rock and her take on her character, warts and all. The Divinyls are one of the best Australian bands ever - its a shame they never got the true recognition they deserved. After reading this book, you will understand that they bear a lot of responsibility for that

UNforgettable  - a GREAT read  ……  I read the 2005 edition years ago and still think about it. Most memorable was Chrissy's honesty and bravery - not only was she prepared to reveal her own demons and transgressions but she was also fearless and unapologetic in her descriptions of the transgressions committed by others - whose selfishness and spite in their dealings with either Chrissie personally or the band (Divinyls) ensured they were duly (and permanently) named and shamed - a rare feat in today's litigious culture. Others may call it pettiness, but I love it and as far as I know, no-one has refuted or challenged her statements, certainly not successfully.*

Chrissy inadvertently (I say inadvertently but I suspect she was fully aware - she was very capable of self-assessment) reveals that her success was not only based on her drive, her unique style and her passion for her art; but that she was underpinned by the extraordinary bond with her mother, whose unconditional love gave her the confidence to bravely venture into worlds unknown and to explore and develop other dimensions of her personality. From this she gained the strength to deal in what was primarily (and to an extent probably still is) a male dominated and obviously deeply sexist industry - the Australian music industry. From what I understand after having read some other autobiographies written of or by other female artists and performers, good mothers were key to their daughters' success in these chosen career types (to name a couple of other such Australian artists - Renee Geyer, Marcia Hines, who are not well known outside of this country).

Pleasure and Pain: the pleasures of success and fame; not just the accolades but also encountering opened doors of opportunity. The pleasure of experiencing real love, and the pleasure in the surprise of finding it so unexpectedly. Charley Drayton, a replacement drummer, an American, fell in love through working with this wild Australian; something of which she wasn't aware of for some time. He became her true life partner and remained with her to the end. And so Pain: it comes in many forms; drug addiction and debt, disease and sickness, and also in such forms as the consequences of mistakes - mistakes which become career path deciders and which can't be retracted. Other such pains: what comes of having to deal with the ruthlessness and selfishness of others working in the same industry as yours; the shock of encountering rudeness and indiscretion, and dealing the raw emotions that the hardships of working in the music industry tends to expose. I also recall Chrissy's description of her guilt pain, especially (in the 2005 edition at least) her shame over her arrogance - for punching the nerd-fan (or did she arm-twist, or verbally abuse? - I can't recall) on a Sydney street; her guilt for her part in the blatant emotional abuse of band members - to whom she later apologised and received forgiveness by-and-large, excepting one (a bass player?) who must have been so damaged that he disappeared so completely his whereabouts couldn't be determined at the then time of writing. She mentions how she wanted to reach him and couldn't, and her guilt was of such burning intensity that she even dreamt in her sleep of meeting him again - just to know if he was alright. I often wonder if she ever found him.

This autobiography also serves as a very reliable description of the life of a rock band - and especially the experience of being a female performer - and Chrissy was one of very few working then, in a defining period in Australia's music history - the early 80s, when the strength and quality of Australian music was such that it became universally recognised - think Midnight Oil, AC/DC, The Angels and The Saints as examples. Australian rock was daring, loud, aggressive and in the case of all of the above, Divinyls included (as well as Cold Chisel, who are also not well known outside this country), intense and distinctly threatening. Certainly unique. As was Chrissy Amphlett, whose definition of femininity and her understanding of the role of women in rock and music performance - as she demonstrated - I suspect would make many female performers today feel very uncomfortable. You can still find the odd claim on Facebook or wherever about her panty-less performances and similar such antics.

An outrageous performer and a ground breaker (certainly within the Australian music industry, which prefers its female singers to be more demure - think Kylie) and sadly no longer with us, cut down brutally by not one, but two diseases. And for a girl from a banal country town, she moved well ahead of the rest. I could never afford tickets in the Divinyls' heydáy and I was only lucky enough to see them perform live once - Chrissy's last tour.

A great book of its type; honest and well written. And if you manage to find any copy of the Australian releases of the Monkey Grip soundtrack and the first album "Desperate" - grab, as these are rare (and it is likely you'll only find them on second-hand vinyl or cassette tape). One of the band's earliest and most costly mistakes was their loss of control over their recordings - many of them their best hits. The book not only duly names the person responsible, but also describes his attempt to assume leadership and control over the band.

*Renee Geyer; I wonder if she has ever felt ashamed for her verbal abuse of Chrissy and Mark McEntee; an attitude which was completely unwarranted by the sound of it. I suspect not. Too intimidated perhaps by the fact that Chrissy was the better performer.

WHAT an amazing woman …..   Chrissy Amphlett has given us an insider's view into Australian Rock Music of the 1980's and 1990's. This is a no holds barred account of her life - growing up in Geelong then embarking on an amazing journey into Australian Rock. Chrissy should be congratulated for providing us with a very personal account of her life. She is not afraid to hold back when describing her ups and downs during the days of the Divinyls and the people involved in the process. She is very frank when talking about herself and her many addictions, as well as her recent battle with MS. This is a story of a woman who not only lived it but survived it. I found this book to be a real page turner. Chrissy is simply an amazing woman. The updated and revised version, which has just been released, tells the reader about her current struggle with MS and her endeavours to get on with her life and career. All I can say is thank you to Chrissy for giving us a wonderful account of her life and of a group that was very much part of the rock scene in the 80's and 90's. 

BEST rock bio I’ve ever read…  Brutally honest, full of insight both personally and professionally. Chrissy Amphlett wasn't just a great rock singer, she was a force of nature and I'm sorry we won't have any more music from her to experience.

NEVER DULL  ....  This was an excellent book with intrusting stories & characters.  She was the best. Great read.