Lucy Desoto is an internationally recognised rock and blues musician and no stranger to the creative process. Since 1975, Lucy Desoto has sung and played keyboards in bands with some of Australia’s leading rock musicians, building a reputation for great song writing and skilled performances. In 2001, Lucy attained a first class honours degree in Media Arts at Sydney University, and started post-graduate film studies. In 2008, Lucy’s documentary film Rock ’n Roll Outlaw screened to sold-out shows at the Melbourne International Film Festival and later that year Lucy was awarded a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology Sydney. Now based in Alice Springs, Lucy continues to rock ’n’ roll. This is her first book.

Australian rock music has a rich history of performers and bands that have created not just the musical theme for Australian lives but have also shaped the international music scene. In the early days of the 1950s and ‘60s, Australian rock saw performers like Johnny O’Keefe and The Easybeats. The 1970s saw Cold Chisel and AC/DC, among others, performing to packed halls locally. AC/DC turned this into international success, blasting through three decades of touring and performing. However, it was only in the 1980s and 1990s that Australian rock truly made its mark on the international stage with iconic bands such as Men at Work, Midnight Oil and INXS.

Australia Rocks brings the bands and the times to life through unique photographs and evocative text. Written by a rock musician, it also goes beyond the ‘big names’ to highlight the many independent, often lesser-known performers who played such an integral part in shaping the industry, and shines a light on how rock music was not only influenced by global events (the Vietnam War, for example) but also formed part of enormous cultural shifts (the Swinging Sixties, the protest movement, etc.). From the demure dance halls of the 1950s to the smoke-filled pubs of the 1970s and the packed concerts of the 1990s and beyond, Australia Rocks will have music lovers dusting off their vinyl collection and remembering the good times.

Mature Traveller, October 2016
“Rockers, popsters and all the music tribes will get a lot from this fabulously researched history.” – Click here to read the full feature

ABC’s The Nightlife, September 2016
Author Lucy Desoto gives some insight on one of Australia’s biggest homegrown acts – Cold Chisel. Click here to listen in!

West Australian, August 2017
“Desoto balances the passion and energy of true insider with the clarity of an academic (she has a PhD in creative arts). The result is a genuine slice of social history”

PS News, May 2017
“It’s an intriguing tour through the decades, looking at the musicians, bands and the aficionados who globally left an imprint on music and developed and created the soundtrack of our Australian lives..” – Click here to read the full review.

The Senior, December 2016
“The engaging and highly readable text is accompanied by a number of great colour photos, which immediately transport the reader back to the dance halls and smokey pubs where Australia’s rock ‘n’ roll legacy was forged”.

City Hub, December 2016
“Strewn with iconic and rare photographs, original album artworks, posters and newspaper clipping, with hefty hardback packs a vibrant visual history” – Review and launch announcement, Click here to read in full.

Yours Magazine, December 2016
“this tome is a coffee-table book with attitude … this lavishly curated and illustrated release represents a happy-go-lucky musical stroll down memory lane.”

What’s My Scene, November 2016
“a must-have for every music lover’s coffee table.”

Femail, November 2016
“Rock musician, Lucy Desoto has lived the story and she charts the big names that burst Australian rock on to the world as well those who rocked the local scene.” – Click here to read in full.

Daily Mail Australia, October 2016
“From chilled out festivals and demure dance halls to outrageous costumes and plenty of flesh on display – stunning pictures show how Australian music has changed”

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