Book Review: A Look Inside The Last Seat in the House — The Story of Hanley Sound

In this article, Richard Honeycutt reviews John Kane’s book, which examines how sound engineering pioneer Bill Hanley’s contributions in outdoor live sound helped create the entire music production industry. Through an extensive nine-year interview and archival process, Kane uncovered how Hanley and his company, Hanley Sound, impacted a developing festival and concert marketplace. This article was originally published in audioXpress, July 2020.

University Press of Mississippi recently released a book which all audioXpress and Voice Coil readers will want to know about and own. The Last Seat in the House: The Story of Hanley Sound is a history of Bill Hanley, Woodstock, the live event industry and the first sound engineer to jam sprawling festivals and rock whole stadiums. The book not only pays tribute to Hanley's work but also reveals many irresistible backstage stories about the Newport Festivals, The Beatles’ final tour and much more.