![]() I’d make my parents turn on the camcorder and read interview questions I’d prepared for myself. There’s a certain measure of being insufferable that’s necessary for a story like mine. He’s refreshingly self-aware, and takes the edge off any potentially cocky or arrogant moments with well-placed self-deprecation… He writes with obvious fondness and love for his parents, who seem to have been incredibly supportive of his dreams, sacrificing quite a lot in order to give him the chance to pursue his artistic goals. Biersack tells us of his love for performing from a very young age, as well as his “relentless drive and intense self-belief”. Overall, it’s a pretty well-written memoir. ![]() Over the course of They Don’t Need to Understand, the author covers the full history of the band and his own musical career to date. (I have very strong opinions about music.) There was, however, something about them that caught my attention, and they ultimately blossomed into a far more interesting band with a sound and style of their own. This year, the band released Re-Stitch These Wounds, a full re-recording of their debut, more in keeping with their current sound and vastly superior to the original. They sounded very much of the time: a screamo-type band that had a lot of way still to go. ![]() I’ll be honest: when I first heard “Knives and Pens”, I wasn’t particularly impressed. When the day arrived, nobody in the band came with me. I cofounded Black Veil Brides in my hometown and told everyone I would move to California when I turned eighteen. It was interesting to read about the power of social media in helping raise awareness for young musicians - first via MySpace, then YouTube. He takes us through the band’s formation and early iteration(s), their first single “Knives and Pens”, and how the success of its video on YouTube helped launch the band’s career. The story of his early years and artistic endeavours (he tried his hand at acting as a teenager), the book was most interesting for me was when he turned his attention to Black Veil Brides and music. He dismisses early on the notion that this is a memoir - “I’m too young for that” - although, given the contents, it’s hard to think of it as anything else. I enjoyed it.īiersack’s book covers a lot of typical ground for music memoirs: childhood, formative bands, early musical experiences and interest in performing, a sense of isolation or distance from his peers. They Don’t Need to Understand is an engaging memoir. As a result, I didn’t know much about the band, and when I learned that Biersack had written a memoir, I was keen to read it and find out more about his and the band’s history. This was during a time when I wasn’t reading as much music journalism as used to. I’ve been a fan of Black Veil Brides since their second album, Set the World on Fire. It’s the origin story of one of modern rock’s most exciting young superheroes, from building miniature concerts with KISS action figures in his bedroom to making the RIAA gold-certified single “In the End” and connecting with passionate fans worldwide. The discovery of the artistic passions that would shape his life, and his decision to move to Hollywood after his 18th birthday to make his dreams come true, even when it meant living in his car to make it all a reality. With his trademark charm, clever wit, and insightful analysis, Biersack tells the story of his childhood and adolescence. An interesting, engaging memoir of a highly-driven young rock starīefore he was the charismatic singer of Black Veil Brides and an accomplished solo artist under the Andy Black moniker, he was Andrew Dennis Biersack, an imaginative and creative kid in Cincinnati, Ohio, struggling with anxiety, fear, loneliness, and the impossible task of fitting in.
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