Well … it might be easier to list the things Stuart Coupe hasn’t done, or who in the music industry he hasn’t met. He’s the everywhere man of music. Oh, and literature, as if he wasn’t busy enough. Always keen to spread word of great music, he began a local music magazine during his university days, then went on to write record and gig reviews for bigger magazines and newspapers (RAM, The Sun Herald, The Sydney Morning Herald). Careers as a publicist, DJ, artist manager, writer, book reviewer, promoter, music producer, record store owner and radio announcer have followed. If there’s anything happening in music that he doesn’t know about today, he’ll be all over it by tomorrow.

The small-town sprat from Launceston was an activist small fry in Adelaide and grew to be a big fish in Sydney and beyond. His first record purchase annoyed his mother and disgusted his father. Coupe’s attraction to punk and the Marxist politics of his university days would have dismayed them further. His mother was later mollified by his procurement of a signed record by Tiny Tim.

His writing attracted interest from bigger players in Sydney (Anthony O’Grady at RAM and David Dale at SMH). Another influence came unexpectedly from Lisa Wilkinson, then editor of Dolly. His writing credits are as eclectic as his music tastes: from interviews with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to fun facts on Twisties packets. (As a one-time freelancer, he wrote whatever would garner him an income.) His promotional work for local and international artists was heartfelt but costly. His biographies of Michael Gudinski and Paul Kelly are more profitable.

Shake Some Action is a roller-coaster tale of sex (presumably, but tastefully omitted), drugs (way too much and candidly explored) and rock’n’roll (never enough). The characters he writes of within the industry often live up to our clichéd assumptions – Coupe initially thought Spinal Tap was a documentary. There’ll be familiar musicians and industry heavyweights within this book but, more importantly, you’ll discover obscure artists where Coupe’s enthusiasm will make you want to search them out. This is outstanding, no-holds-barred writing.

Reviewed by Bob Moore

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stuart Coupe has worked as a journalist, author, editor, manager, record label director, radio presenter, publicist and tour promoter.

After growing up in Launceston, Tasmania he attended Flinders University in Adelaide where he became editor of the university magazine, Empire Times, and founded the music magazine Roadrunner. In late 1978 he was poached by Rock Australia Magazine (RAM) and moved to Sydney. After 18 months at RAM he became the music writer for the Sun Herald for the next decade. Stuart is the only Australian to interview Bob Dylan twice and has conducted thousands of conversations with musicians from around the globe. He estimates that he has had in excess of eight million words published over the years.

Stuart also managed the Hoodoo Gurus, and then Paul Kelly.

As a tour promoter Stuart was responsible for Australian tours by musicians Lucinda Williams, Link Wray, Dick Dale, Harry Dean Stanton, Rosanne Cash, Mary-Chapin Carpenter and others. He also promoted events and tours with authors James Ellroy, Ed McBain, Lawrence Block, Elmore Leonard and PJ O’Rourke.

After a stint co-presenting the album show on 2MMM in the 1980s, Stuart has spent the past 15 years presenting a weekly show on FBi radio in Sydney. For five years he has also presented the nationally syndicated radio show entitled ‘Dirt Music’ on radio 2SER and ‘Wildcard’ on FBI radio. He is also a frequent commentator on radio, TV and in print media on matters relating to music and popular culture.

Stuart has frequently worked as a publicist, starting with The Clash, The Cramps and other international artists. He currently runs Stuart Coupe Publicity with a wide range of clients from the independent music world in Australia as well as international touring artists. He was a founder and director of Laughing Outlaw Records which released music from predominantly new and emerging Australian artists.

For 17 years Stuart was the crime fiction book reviewer of the Sydney Morning Herald. He also founded and edited Mean Streets magazine, co-edited three crime fiction anthologies and co-founded the Ned Kelly Awards. In 2005 he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Ned Kelly Award for his contribution to the crime fiction genre.