A group of friends start a rock band, but as they start their rise in the music world, they get mixed up with drugs.
The arrid expanse of downtown Tucson, Arizona, containsa strip of buildings known as Thunder Alley. Within this gaudycollection of record shops and rock clubs there is a nightclub.Playing in its gilded halls gives the promising musician anopportunity to be heard by various recording interests. It issaid locally that to play The Palace means Los Angeles and thepromise of a record contract.This is the dream that lives within Richie, a talented20 year-old living on his parents farm. After his chores arecomplete, Richie practices daily in the barn, but his audienceof cows and chickens, though appreciative, does not have theability to give Richie what he wants. Richie knows this, asdoes his best friend Donnie, the keyboardist in a rock group,called Magic.When an incident deprives the band of their lead guitar,Donnie brings in Richie. His inclusion in the band gives thegroup a sensational new energy that gets them noticed by theFat Man, Tuscons music kingpin. His interest in the groupbrings him to foot the bill to send them out on the road fora trial run. If the boys are good enough he will book themat The Palace - and then, who knows?Richies new girlfriend is sorry to see him leave sosoon after they have met. And with harvest time coming, Richiesfather also puts up a stiff argument for the boy to stay. ButRichies excitement wins them all over.His experiences on the road couldnt go better. Magicsspecial electricity radiates from the stage and into the audience,"sending their growing fans wild with frenzy. Soon, their reputationpreceeds them from town to town.But other things start happening too. Caught up on theirown ego trips, some of the boys start exploring recreational drugsand indulging in free sex. Although Richie stays clear of allthis, he watches as Donnie begins a path of self-destruction.A success, their tour is cut short by the Fat Man, andthe boys are brought back to play The Palace. But Donnies deathby drug overdose sends Richie into a rampage. The band playsdespite his death, and Richies angry rage makes him give aperformance that brings him all he has wanted. He has becomea star.
