A GENUINE Stourbridge guitar hero has swapped plectrum for pen to tell his amazing story in a new autobiography.

Brian Tatler has been the driving force behind heavy metal band Diamond Head since 1976 and his book, entitled Am I Evil, gives an incredible insight into the life of a rock group over more than three decades.

During has career Brian has been voted among the top 100 rock guitarists of all time, inspired some of the biggest bands in the world and tasted the highs and lows of the music business.

The book tells Brian’s story of chasing the dream of rock stardom, getting there and then seeing it all unravel as the band became the victims of bad management, record label problems and rock-star sized egos.

Brian said: “I wanted to get it all down before I forget it, it was difficult to revisit a lot of the bad memories, digging back through those was painful.

“Most books are about big bands but this could be an education to younger bands, a taste of reality about what it is like to be a musician making a living and not the luxury lifestyle.”

Diamond Head was formed by school friends Brian and drummer Duncan Scott who earned cash to buy his first drum kit while working at Dudley Zoo.

In the book, Brian pulls no punches in describing the difficulties which litter Diamond Head’s history, including how Duncan left the band during recording sessions for the 1983 album Canterbury.

Brian said: “Duncan sent a cassette of him playing the unfinished songs. They weren’t good. They had lots of fills, sounded awful and completely depressed us, and so we took the terrible, but in our minds at the time necessary, decision to sack him.”

Am I Evil is packed with stories about life on the road, including how Duncan was given a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey by legendary AC/DC singer Bon Scott at an early gig.

Duncan took the bottle home, intending to save the remaining booze and keep the bottle as a potentially valuable souvenir.

Brian said: “He put it in the drinks cabinet, but some weeks later when he went to take it out to show it off he found his dad had drunk the remaining whiskey and slung the bottle out.”

Am I Evil is available from www.diamond-head.net