What do Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Elvis Costello, Rush and Chumbawamba have in common? Kim Hawes, pioneering female tour manager.

Kim Hawes spent years sleeping underneath Lemmy from Motorhead… on a tour bus. She feuded with the members of Black Sabbath, tripped mushrooms on stage with Hawkwind, faced down the Hells Angels and escalated band prank wars. She threw Madonna off her stage, turned down an invite from Nelson Mandela, and dealt with the aftermath of Chumbawamba drenching John Prescott.

Through hard work, hard drinking and hard times, Kim refused to conform to others’ expectations. She hurled a TV through the glass ceiling of the male-dominated music industry, blazing a trail for young women today. She carved out a place for women in a largely man’s world, taking no crap and no prisoners while getting results other tour managers only dreamed of.

This memoir of the nitty gritty of life on the road – the fights, the dares, the smashed hotel rooms and even an encounter with a Soviet submarine – is full of fresh stories about the famous names you think you know.

Lipstick and Leather: On the road with the world’s most notorious rock stars is a must read for anyone who wants a fresh insight into life on the road.