Items related to Fiddling With Disaster: Clearing the Past
Synopsis
With dark humour and sometimes brutal honesty, Celtic musician Ashley MacIsaac tells of his rise from fiddle-playing prodigy in the village of Creignish, Cape Breton, to worldwide success with his unique mixture of traditional and contemporary sounds.
By his late teens, MacIsaac was on tour and making big money. He describes the highs (of various kinds) of playing to thousands of fans; of performing with renowned artists like Paul Simon, Philip Glass, and the Chieftains; and of hearing his Gaelic-language hit "Sleepy Maggie" blast from a radio in Los Angeles.
But he doesn't shy away from the downside of fame, such as money problems, unwanted media scrutiny and an addiction to crack cocaine.
The unusual twist in these familiar challenges of early stardom is MacIsaac's struggle with his sexuality and with public attitudes towards a gay performer.
The strongest undercurrent, however, is MacIsaac's abiding connection to his Celtic culture. His descriptions of his musical training and development reveal his commitment to his art and the depth of tradition in Cape Breton on which it is based.
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Search results for Fiddling With Disaster: Clearing the Past
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Fiddling with Disaster Clearin
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00086270755
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Fiddling With Disaster: Clearing the Past
Seller: Zoom Books East, Glendale Heights, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include "From the library of" labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys, dvds, etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Seller Inventory # ZEV.1894622332.G
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Fiddling with Disaster
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. My goal in life has been the same from the beginning: to become a Cape Breton fiddle player. And if you were to ask someone on the street who Ashley MacIsaac is, I think probably quite a few would describe me as just that -- although some would probably insist on tacking on a few extra things, like crazy Cape Breton fiddle player, or gay Cape Breton fiddle player, or stoned Cape Breton fiddle player -- or crazy-gay-stoned Cape Breton fiddle player. I can't complain though, as long as they add the fiddle player part. So begins this often hilarious, often brutally honest autobiography. Celtic-punk musician Ashley MacIsaac hails from the tiny village of Creignish on rural Cape Breton Island, the Eastern-most region of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia -- one of the most remote and impoverished regions on the continent. This being said, Cape Breton is also the home of a vibrant Scottish and Celtic music scene known to fans of this style of music the world over. Famous as a child, MacIsaac was, by 17, living in New York City, working with composer Phillip Glass, and earning $1,000 a week -- a long way from Creignish. By his mid-20s, MacIsaac had appeared on The Conan O'Brien Show (famously scissor-kicking in a kilt during his performance to reveal exactly what a Scotsman does wear underneath), had toured North America with the Chieftains to standing ovations and rave reviews, and had several major label releases with sales in the hundreds of thousands. His image of a combat-booted, kilt wearing Celtic punk -- as comfortable with a Ramones song as with a traditional reel -- was widely recognizable. From this point things begin to unravel. An unfortunate sequence of interviews andappearances had thrust his unconventional sexuality into the public eye and also -- highlighted by bizarre and unpredictable public behavior -- his addiction to crack cocaine and his penchant for marijuana. He bounces through various record labels -- each one less prominent than the last -- flirts with bankruptcy, insults audiences, loses his house to fire, and is arrested for marijuana possession. By the summer of 2000 he hits bottom. Broke, suffering from severe substance abuse, and unmanageable -- he has literally been spit out of the industry that used him up by the age of 26. This book spells out MacIsaac's tale with bleak humor and equally bleak honesty. The result is a riveting read. Today Ashley MacIsaac is on the mend. A new record deal and an upcoming new release, an autobiography set to be published, and tour plans for North America for spring '03 all signal a return to the vibrant creativity of his past. Seller Inventory # CIN1894622332G
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Fiddling with Disaster Clearing the Past
Published by
Warwick Publishing, Canada, 2003
ISBN 10: 1894622332
ISBN 13: 9781894622332
Used
Paperback
Seller: Daedalus Books, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A nice, bright copy. ; B&W Plates; 8.9 X 5.8 X 0.9 inches; 224 pages. Seller Inventory # 290118
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Fiddling With Disaster: Clearing the Past
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # 58K95_44_1894622332
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Fiddling With Disaster: Clearing the Past
Seller: The Book Spot, Sioux Falls, MN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks464098