Exit Stage Left: The curious afterlife of pop stars

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The obsession with the new obviously leaves so many on dust heaps of various shapes and sizes, and this is their story. There are many cautionary tales here, from survivors of the pop machine to bands that were put together by a group of mates who wanted to escape from school, and the narrow confines from what was expected of them in adult life. I also was intrigued by Police drummer Stewart Copeland who notoriously had both verbal and physical conflicts with lead singer Sting. In music journalist Nick Duerden explores the post fame careers of a variety of mostly United Kingdom based artists. I remember opening for the Who towards the end of my time in the Ordinary Boys, the band with whom I enjoyed brief fame in the 00s.

Fame is the brightest candle, but in this brilliant collection of interviews, Nick Duerden answers the question: what does a candle do after it’s burned out? The story goes that The Human League’s Phil Oakey smashed the phone to pieces immediately after hearing from his manager that ‘Don’t You Want Me’ had gone to number one in America. Most of these musicians seem to be British centric and from genres I'm not interested in like punk/alternative. One fact emerges clearly from every story in Exit Stage Left: there is an unshakable identity that crystallises in anyone who has had any pop success. Still, considered as a collection of anecdotes rather than any kind of study, and despite everything, this was still an entertaining read.Warning: Attempt to read property "post_title" on int in /home/bkjxxpmy/public_html/wp-content/plugins/events-calendar-pro/src/views/v2/widgets/widget-events-list/event/venue. Allan “Boff” Whalley from Chumbawamba, who retired from the band aged 51, puts it like this: “The bands I loved, when they split up, I always thought it was a beautiful thing. Exit Stage Left features tales of drug addiction, bankruptcy, depression and divorce, but also of optimism, a genuine love of the craft, humility and hope.

Without exception, they are at their most interesting when they’ve peaked, and when they are on their way down. Fame is the brightest candle, but in this brilliant collection of interviews, Nick Duerden answers the question:. However, I warmed to the book as I got further into it: I suppose music journalism just tends to be bombastic and over-enthusiastic as a genre, possibly as way to convey the energy and hedonism of music and the music world. The music industry is very similar in many ways to the world that was presented in the science fiction novel Logan's Run, which was about a future society where people lived in an eden until the age of 30, before having to die. If you come see us live – try to let go of hearing you particular favourite or disappointment will follow.He tracks down former chart-topping and famous musicians, and interviews them about what life is like after you stop being a music celebrity. I'd recommend not skipping the sections about musicians you aren't familiar with - these are all unique stories of how the human psyche copes with loss. What of those pop artists who reached their successes within parameters chosen for them by the Simon Cowells of this world? The quibble I had with “Exit Stage Left” was that while it would have made a superb long-form article in a monthly music magazine (if such formats still existed in today’s publishing world), when the concept is stretched out to book length it can be repetitive and tautological. Recommended for music fans and for all artists who don't want to think about life on the other side of fame, but being prepared for might not hurt.

The pop star's bittersweet lot—the mass adoration that comes with pop stardom, followed by the bathetic comedown of what inevitably follows—is represented with flair and empathy.

Nick Duerden has opened the mine to a very rich seam and, as much as I loved this book, I also wanted more.