This book of stories written by Black Veil Brides front man Andy Biersack, and pal Ryan J. Downey, really had a lot to delve into for someone who really hasn’t spent all that long on this planet. While he claims the passages written were not meant to be a memoir but more like a recounting of his sheer determination of will, it still read like a memoir to me. Either way, this book is a deep dive into the life of Andy Biersack.
Personally, I am not a huge fan of Black Veil Brides or the Andy Black solo projects Biersack has been a part of, but as a person near my age from the same state, I definitely paid attention to his career. And boy has he made the most of it! In just over 30 years on this earth, the man has put out six full length records with his band, Black Veil Brides, two full-length solo efforts, published a graphic novel, this book, hosts a web talk show, has been a lead actor in a film and television show, and is just generally loved by fans all across the world! While he is still relatively unknown in many circles, that’s still a lot to have accomplished. And for as long as I’ve been paying attention, he’s been nothing but kind and eternally grateful for the opportunities he’s been able to capitalize on.
Although according to Biersack, he wasn’t always as nice. There was a time early in his career where he felt he had to adopt to the stereotypical persona of a rock star and claims he was frequently rude to people. Luckily, it didn’t seem to be anything bad enough to deter people from him. It seems his determination to succeed really got people to believe in him and give him some more chances in this life. What also seemed to help propel him into accomplishing his dreams was the unwavering support of his parents. They never questioned what he was passionate in, whether that was hockey as a young kid, acting as a teen, and definitely his dream to pursue a career in music.
That’s not to say he didn’t struggle in his quest to get there. Parents can only help so much. That means he spent a good deal of time in a packed and very small apartment, which would seem like a step up from sleeping in his barely functioning car. Aside from housing struggles, he also dealt with a dependence on alcohol. While he claims he has never been an addict, it sure sounds like his time getting blackout drunk nightly was the behavior of an addict. Either way, he’s been sober for quite some time now, which really helped him get some perspective on his life and decide to marry the girl of his dreams. His commitment to things would definitely be enviable to some. This man just does not give up!
Overall, this book was an entertaining read a first, but as the chapters wore on, details started becoming very tedious and seemingly unnecessary. Also, I understand that KISS really shaped a lot of who Andy is as a musician and a performer, but so many pages were dedicated to this band that a part of me thought it should just be a KISS tribute book. Regardless of my hang-ups with the book, it was cool to hear about his life growing up and getting his perspective on major events as his career took off. Andy’s accomplished so much thus far in his life, and I can’t even imagine what he’ll tackle in the future.