Rock in a Hard Place - by Orlando Crowcroft (Paperback)

About the Book

"A warm night in Abu Dhabi, back in 2011. Under the stadium lights a 30,000-strong crowd wait for Metallica's first ever show in the Middle East. Many have faced untold violence, but for tonight, nothing else matters. This is the story of that crowd. Of the people and the music they make in the backrooms of shabby houses in Beirut and Qatif, Damascus and Cairo. Of illegal shows in Tehran and Riyadh. Of songs that ousted a dictator in Egypt. Of exiles that have ended in glory and in blood. Journalist and heavy metal fan Orlando Crowcroft spent six years in the midst of the rock, hip hop and metal scenes of the Middle East. Rock in a Hard Place is a different voice, one that is at odds with the Middle East of extremism, war and ISIS. It is a voice recognisable to anyone who has ever turned up an amp to drown out the din of the everyday, a voice that may help unite us when we need it most."

Book Synopsis

A muggy night in Abu Dhabi, 2011. Under the stadium lights a 30,000-strong sea of Libyans, Palestinians, Syrians and Egyptians wait in anticipation. Alongside them are Saudis, Iranians and Israelis. Defiance and excitement course through the crowd like electricity. Standing together, they are waiting for Metallica's first ever show in the Middle East. Many have faced untold violence, but for tonight, nothing else matters...

This is the untold story of that crowd. Of the young men and women and the music they make in the backrooms of shabby houses in al-Zarqa and al-Qatif, Nazareth and Cairo. Of illegal shows in Tehran and Riyadh. Of songs that ousted a dictator in Cairo. Of exiles that have ended in glory, in isolation, and in blood.

Journalist and lifelong heavy metal fan, Orlando Crowcroft, spent six years penetrating the rock and metal scene in the Middle East. Rock in a Hard Place is a different voice, one that is at odds with the Middle East of violence, extremism, war and ISIS: a voice recognizable to anyone who has ever turned up a speaker or an amp to drown out the din of the everyday, and a voice that may help unite us when we need it most.

Review Quotes

a sober chronicling of music in some of the most conservative countries on the planet ... Among such somber subject matter, there are also moments of triumph.
Popmatters

An engaging new book on the heavy metal music scene in the Middle East ... Crowcroft's book crackles with significance.
The National

Crowcroft's book is a detailed narrative of how the metal scene evolved in the 1990s. With extensive interviews Crowcroft narrates the difficult birth pangs of the metal scene in the Middle East.
Socialist Worker

About the Author

Orlando Crowcroft is a journalist and life-long heavy metal fan and has interviewed bands throughout the Middle East for Rolling Stone, Atlantic and Esquire. He is the co-author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Israel and the Palestinian Territories (2015) and has reported from a dozen countries including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In 2014, he reported from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza for The Guardian and The National.
Orlando Crowcroft is a journalist and life-long heavy metal fan and has interviewed bands throughout the Middle East for Rolling Stone, Atlantic and Esquire. He is the co-author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Israel and the Palestinian Territories (2015) and has reported from a dozen countries including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In 2014, he reported from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza for The Guardian and The National.