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Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars
For fans of music books from David Hepworth, Pete Paphides, Bob Stanley and Craig Brown, as well as thought-provoking human interest stories like Moondust by Andrew Smith, and books by Jon Ronson, Louis Theroux and Stuart Maconie.
Nick Duerden has spent many years interviewing the most famous musicians on the planet. Without exception, they are at their most interesting when they've peaked, and when they are on their way down. In many ways, this is when these former idols are at their most heroic, too, because they reveal themselves not only to be humane and sensitive, but also still driven to create, to fulfill their lingering dreams, to refuse to live quietly.
Some sustain themselves on the nostalgia circuit. Others continue to beaver away in the studio, no longer Abbey Road so much as the garden shed. The desire for adulation is a light that never goes out. We live in a culture obsessed by the notion of fame - the heedless pursuit of it, the almost obligatory subsequent fallout. But what's it like to actually achieve it, and what's it like when fame abruptly passes, and shifts, as it does, onto someone else?
These are tales of heroin addiction, bankruptcy, depression, divorce - but also of optimism, a genuine love of the craft, humility and hope. All of which makes EXIT STAGE LEFT a fascinating, laugh-out-loud funny and often shocking look at what happens when the brightest of stars fall down to earth.
Featuring brand new interviews with the likes of: Bob Geldof, Shaun Ryder, Robbie Williams, Roisin Murphy, Stewart Copeland, Billy Bragg, Wendy James, Alex Kapranos, Joan Armatrading, Leo Sayer, Gary Lightbody, Lisa Maffia, Tim Booth, Bill Drummond, Rufus Wainwright, David Gray, and Justin Hawkins.
Nick Duerden has spent many years interviewing the most famous musicians on the planet. Without exception, they are at their most interesting when they've peaked, and when they are on their way down. In many ways, this is when these former idols are at their most heroic, too, because they reveal themselves not only to be humane and sensitive, but also still driven to create, to fulfill their lingering dreams, to refuse to live quietly.
Some sustain themselves on the nostalgia circuit. Others continue to beaver away in the studio, no longer Abbey Road so much as the garden shed. The desire for adulation is a light that never goes out. We live in a culture obsessed by the notion of fame - the heedless pursuit of it, the almost obligatory subsequent fallout. But what's it like to actually achieve it, and what's it like when fame abruptly passes, and shifts, as it does, onto someone else?
These are tales of heroin addiction, bankruptcy, depression, divorce - but also of optimism, a genuine love of the craft, humility and hope. All of which makes EXIT STAGE LEFT a fascinating, laugh-out-loud funny and often shocking look at what happens when the brightest of stars fall down to earth.
Featuring brand new interviews with the likes of: Bob Geldof, Shaun Ryder, Robbie Williams, Roisin Murphy, Stewart Copeland, Billy Bragg, Wendy James, Alex Kapranos, Joan Armatrading, Leo Sayer, Gary Lightbody, Lisa Maffia, Tim Booth, Bill Drummond, Rufus Wainwright, David Gray, and Justin Hawkins.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published June 28, 2022
134 people are currently reading
937 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
June 2, 2022
3.5 Stars
This was a book that addressed what famous musicians experience when that initial burst of fame peters out. How do they go on with their lives when they no longer can fill arena stadiums or sell a million albums? A chapter is devoted to each musical artist and contains their personal commentary, which makes it more interesting. A small sampling of the many musicians covered were Stewart Copeland (drummer for the Police), Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs), Dexys Midnight Runners (think "Come on Eileen"), Suzanne Vega, Adam Ant, Snow Patrol, Leo Sayer, Joan Armatrading and Terence Trent D'Arby. There were quite a lot more musical artists chronicled in this book which I had never heard of. Most of these musicians seem to be British centric and from genres I'm not interested in like punk/alternative. At first I read about them regardless just to see if the writing style was pleasant and if that could draw me in despite my ignorance. The writing and information was good, but after the 50% mark in the book I skimmed if I didn't know the artist.
I was mostly touched by the Natalie Merchant chapter. After she had a child she prioritized being a Mom and has since donated her personal time and money in school programs to promote art and music. She even sews costumes for shows! She has a certain standard in recording and prefers to rent out a proper studio with an engineer, producer, etc. rather than record at home like many musicians now do. I also was intrigued by Police drummer Stewart Copeland who notoriously had both verbal and physical conflicts with lead singer Sting. He says Sting already had everything worked out musically in his mind and didn't welcome input from his fellow band members. Copeland has since found great satisfaction composing music for films.
There was quite a lot to read in this book, and I think it was OK to skip over an artist you aren't particularly interested in. The author conducted many interviews with these artists. By covering their successful histories and the artist filling in how their lives have gone since, it certainly made a worthwhile read.
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Book Group for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
This was a book that addressed what famous musicians experience when that initial burst of fame peters out. How do they go on with their lives when they no longer can fill arena stadiums or sell a million albums? A chapter is devoted to each musical artist and contains their personal commentary, which makes it more interesting. A small sampling of the many musicians covered were Stewart Copeland (drummer for the Police), Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs), Dexys Midnight Runners (think "Come on Eileen"), Suzanne Vega, Adam Ant, Snow Patrol, Leo Sayer, Joan Armatrading and Terence Trent D'Arby. There were quite a lot more musical artists chronicled in this book which I had never heard of. Most of these musicians seem to be British centric and from genres I'm not interested in like punk/alternative. At first I read about them regardless just to see if the writing style was pleasant and if that could draw me in despite my ignorance. The writing and information was good, but after the 50% mark in the book I skimmed if I didn't know the artist.
I was mostly touched by the Natalie Merchant chapter. After she had a child she prioritized being a Mom and has since donated her personal time and money in school programs to promote art and music. She even sews costumes for shows! She has a certain standard in recording and prefers to rent out a proper studio with an engineer, producer, etc. rather than record at home like many musicians now do. I also was intrigued by Police drummer Stewart Copeland who notoriously had both verbal and physical conflicts with lead singer Sting. He says Sting already had everything worked out musically in his mind and didn't welcome input from his fellow band members. Copeland has since found great satisfaction composing music for films.
There was quite a lot to read in this book, and I think it was OK to skip over an artist you aren't particularly interested in. The author conducted many interviews with these artists. By covering their successful histories and the artist filling in how their lives have gone since, it certainly made a worthwhile read.
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Book Group for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
August 1, 2022
“Exit Stage Left” is an occasionally fascinating exploration of how musicians navigate their lives after their fame is over and their dreams of everlasting stardom have died. In a music industry obsessed with novelty and youthfulness – and that has a brutal attitude to artists who have the temerity to grow middle-aged – how can musicians reinvent themselves after their moment in the spotlight has passed, when they’re no longer being recognised in public or fawned over in fancy restaurants.
Many of the interviews Nick Duerden has carried out with faded stars are absorbing and, at times, even heart-breaking. 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. If you’re a musician whose career is on the slide, the advice “Exit Stage Left” provides on how to survive such a downward trajectory could probably be summarised as: keep away from heroin, employ an accountant who isn’t going to screw you over and run off with your career earnings, and have the foresight to have got on the property ladder in the South-East of England by the mid-1990s.
Many of the interviews Nick Duerden has carried out with faded stars are absorbing and, at times, even heart-breaking. 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. If you’re a musician whose career is on the slide, the advice “Exit Stage Left” provides on how to survive such a downward trajectory could probably be summarised as: keep away from heroin, employ an accountant who isn’t going to screw you over and run off with your career earnings, and have the foresight to have got on the property ladder in the South-East of England by the mid-1990s.
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April 29, 2022Simultaneously disappointing (sometimes there's too much interviewer and not enough interviewee) and immensely rewarding. I want to flip it over and start again – and might do just that. Should have been longer and I should have been consulted about the list of artists interviewed ;)
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November 16, 2023The dilemma with non-fiction, of course, is that you can easily get something where the author can't write for toffee, but the content draws you through the wasteland of their prose all the same. I got two novels out on the same library trip as this, both of which I abandoned before they even merited a place on my Abandoned shelf, because we so clearly weren't gelling. Here, though, I continued despite the way that at best, Duerden trades in clichés. His version of the Happy Mondays story is one you could easily write yourself; he takes a full page, even having admitted we all know the concept, to plod through the idea of the difficult second album, presumably for the benefit of any readers freshly arrived from Mars. And at least that's not outright inaccurate in the same way as, say, the caricature of glossy, issue-averse eighties pop he feels obliged to trace out one more time, just so as to better contrast Billy Bragg. Elsewhere, we're told of Echobelly that "Back in the mid-nineties, they were writing big, ebullient pieces like 'I Can't Imagine the World Without Me' and 'Great Things'; nowadays they sing songs called 'Dying' and 'I Don't Belong Here'." Which would be really incisive if only I Don't Belong Here hadn't been on the same 1994 debut album as I Can't Imagine The World Without Me. Cornershop are one of many bands incorrectly included under the heading 'one-hit wonders', but Duerden flubs more spectacularly still when he segues back to them as a band "whose members have probably never used a boxing metaphor in their lives", clearly ignorant of their having released a single called Lessons Learned From Rocky I To Rocky III. Nor has the English been checked any more thoroughly than the facts; among others I noted a complement/compliment mix-up, and a pallet for palette (which I supposed was at least more novel than the usual palette/palate, but no, that was waiting for me further in). There's also the idiotic hyperbole; yes, Frankie Goes To Hollywood had an amazing 1984, but it undercuts more than emphasises that to conclude your round-up of their achievements with "If there were other songs recorded that year, nobody can remember them", especially when on the second page of the same bloody book you were talking about the equally immense Wild Boys, and even following that with a neat "(1984)".
But for all that I could easily have worn out a red pen on this crap, the one thing you can say for Duerden's style is that it's clear and quick to read, and the key question here is interesting: what do pop stars do once fame moves on? And some of the people Duerden gets to tell him about it are more interesting still. Not all of them, by any means; I may have made a grudging peace with David Gray's Babylon, but I still couldn't give less of a toss about his continued attempts to follow it up. Mostly, though... obviously starting with Bill Drummond was always going to set the bar high, and some of the subsequent case studies follow fairly well-worn trajectories, even if Peter Perrett does provide a particularly spectacular iteration of the textbook 'spent it all on drugs'. But elsewhere there are more unexpected epilogues. Sice from the Boo Radleys retrained as a psychologist, meaning he can talk about the situation theoretically as well as from personal experience - though the book predates the band's recent sort-of-reformation, so there's no word on how he balances the two*. Whereas we do hear how Dennis Seaton from Musical Youth still performs live sometimes (and, perhaps having learned from that Big Train sketch, is happy to repeatedly play the hit) alongside a day job as Chair of the Ladder Association Training Committee ("When it's right to use a ladder, use the ladder, and get trained to use it safely."). Possibly my favourite of the lot, though, was Brian Nash from Frankie, who after a brief attempt at a new band, and twenty years as an electrician, became a funeral celebrant: "I tell you, doing funerals is better than doing an acoustic gig any day, because at least every cunt shuts up while you're talking, and there's no one standing at the bar with beer bottles chatting shit cos they're full of coke." The closest the book comes to any kind of conclusion is that nobody ever entirely leaves music behind, not forever, which I'm not so sure about; Mark Hollis, say, gave the impression that even if he hadn't died far too young, he was finished, and I suspect there's a selection bias in who was up for chatting to someone writing a music book. Still, considered as a collection of anecdotes rather than any kind of study, and despite everything, this was still an entertaining read.
*Not the only time the interviews have been overtaken by subsequent events; Paul Cattermole is the saddest example, but the most disastrous is surely Roisin Murphy, where even if she'd been a confirmed social media dodger, the gleeful accounts here of doing private gigs for Russian oligarchs would now read considerably less fun than she presumably intended at the time.
But for all that I could easily have worn out a red pen on this crap, the one thing you can say for Duerden's style is that it's clear and quick to read, and the key question here is interesting: what do pop stars do once fame moves on? And some of the people Duerden gets to tell him about it are more interesting still. Not all of them, by any means; I may have made a grudging peace with David Gray's Babylon, but I still couldn't give less of a toss about his continued attempts to follow it up. Mostly, though... obviously starting with Bill Drummond was always going to set the bar high, and some of the subsequent case studies follow fairly well-worn trajectories, even if Peter Perrett does provide a particularly spectacular iteration of the textbook 'spent it all on drugs'. But elsewhere there are more unexpected epilogues. Sice from the Boo Radleys retrained as a psychologist, meaning he can talk about the situation theoretically as well as from personal experience - though the book predates the band's recent sort-of-reformation, so there's no word on how he balances the two*. Whereas we do hear how Dennis Seaton from Musical Youth still performs live sometimes (and, perhaps having learned from that Big Train sketch, is happy to repeatedly play the hit) alongside a day job as Chair of the Ladder Association Training Committee ("When it's right to use a ladder, use the ladder, and get trained to use it safely."). Possibly my favourite of the lot, though, was Brian Nash from Frankie, who after a brief attempt at a new band, and twenty years as an electrician, became a funeral celebrant: "I tell you, doing funerals is better than doing an acoustic gig any day, because at least every cunt shuts up while you're talking, and there's no one standing at the bar with beer bottles chatting shit cos they're full of coke." The closest the book comes to any kind of conclusion is that nobody ever entirely leaves music behind, not forever, which I'm not so sure about; Mark Hollis, say, gave the impression that even if he hadn't died far too young, he was finished, and I suspect there's a selection bias in who was up for chatting to someone writing a music book. Still, considered as a collection of anecdotes rather than any kind of study, and despite everything, this was still an entertaining read.
*Not the only time the interviews have been overtaken by subsequent events; Paul Cattermole is the saddest example, but the most disastrous is surely Roisin Murphy, where even if she'd been a confirmed social media dodger, the gleeful accounts here of doing private gigs for Russian oligarchs would now read considerably less fun than she presumably intended at the time.
May 19, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Mobius Books, Hachette Book Groups for an advanced copy of this musical study on fame and its after effects.
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. In the music industry a band or a musician seems to have a set time for fame, fortune and everything that goes with it, then beep a signal goes out, taste police show up and a person goes from the main stage at Glastonbury, to support set, to oldies tours or even reality television. There have been many specials, Behind the Musics, documentaries, and again reality shows full of flameouts and band implosions, with death and recriminations left and right. However what happens to bands and musicians who suddenly find their afternoons not recovering from shows and interviews or signings, but just instead measured out in coffee spoons and getting the kids homwork done, and dinner on the table. Writer and journalist Nick Duerden looks at the life of those whose time in the limelight has just faded and find out what life is like off the lighted in stage in the book Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars.
The book ranges across most British acts from punk to rock to pop and even a novelty act or two, most known, and few unknown, or unknown to American ears. A few artists covered include Billy Bragg, David Grey, Suzanne Vega, Adam Ant, Bob Geldof, Joan Armatrading and many many others. The reasons for there inclusion differ, some were one-hit wonders, some music changed, or the audience changed, either age or novelty making them not as relevant. Even tha path to success is different, some were marketed, some paid dues for awhile, some left, some the band left behind. What does come across is that with rare exceptions most of them are want one more chance in the spotlight. Even acts you would not expect. Some are very content with their lives, even if the financial situations are not the same. Most are very candid about their careers and fame, what went right, what went tragically wrong. And regrets, there are quite a few.
The book is told through reportage and interviews, and both are very well done and well written. As I said the candor is really revealing and quite a lot of new things, and new depths behind musicians that I had not given a thought to in quite a while was educational. I'm not sure if was the excitement in reliving the old days, or just the idea that someone cared to talked to them again, but the level of truth was something that is not in most music biographies or stories. Mr. Duerden deserves a lot of praise for tracking down a diverse group or artists, and getting them to talk. And which shows in a few interviews dealing with artist types.
Addiction plays a major role in this book, and I think the biggest addiction is to acceptance from well everyone. Many talk about their life touring and singing, but it is the love and the thrill these artists got from the crowds that really drove them, something they might never have and in a few might never get again. A book that makes a person think about fame, how to handle it and what to do with it. 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 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. In the music industry a band or a musician seems to have a set time for fame, fortune and everything that goes with it, then beep a signal goes out, taste police show up and a person goes from the main stage at Glastonbury, to support set, to oldies tours or even reality television. There have been many specials, Behind the Musics, documentaries, and again reality shows full of flameouts and band implosions, with death and recriminations left and right. However what happens to bands and musicians who suddenly find their afternoons not recovering from shows and interviews or signings, but just instead measured out in coffee spoons and getting the kids homwork done, and dinner on the table. Writer and journalist Nick Duerden looks at the life of those whose time in the limelight has just faded and find out what life is like off the lighted in stage in the book Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars.
The book ranges across most British acts from punk to rock to pop and even a novelty act or two, most known, and few unknown, or unknown to American ears. A few artists covered include Billy Bragg, David Grey, Suzanne Vega, Adam Ant, Bob Geldof, Joan Armatrading and many many others. The reasons for there inclusion differ, some were one-hit wonders, some music changed, or the audience changed, either age or novelty making them not as relevant. Even tha path to success is different, some were marketed, some paid dues for awhile, some left, some the band left behind. What does come across is that with rare exceptions most of them are want one more chance in the spotlight. Even acts you would not expect. Some are very content with their lives, even if the financial situations are not the same. Most are very candid about their careers and fame, what went right, what went tragically wrong. And regrets, there are quite a few.
The book is told through reportage and interviews, and both are very well done and well written. As I said the candor is really revealing and quite a lot of new things, and new depths behind musicians that I had not given a thought to in quite a while was educational. I'm not sure if was the excitement in reliving the old days, or just the idea that someone cared to talked to them again, but the level of truth was something that is not in most music biographies or stories. Mr. Duerden deserves a lot of praise for tracking down a diverse group or artists, and getting them to talk. And which shows in a few interviews dealing with artist types.
Addiction plays a major role in this book, and I think the biggest addiction is to acceptance from well everyone. Many talk about their life touring and singing, but it is the love and the thrill these artists got from the crowds that really drove them, something they might never have and in a few might never get again. A book that makes a person think about fame, how to handle it and what to do with it. 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.
October 2, 2022
It's not often that I buy a book and read it in the same week, but there was something about the blurb that sang to me, and I wanted in. There were stories in here I needed to hear as I wrestle with the want/need to become a commercial writer balancing that with creating things for myself, which maybe don't appeal on the scale they once did, i.e. poems.
Duerden runs over the symbiotic and vile relationship that seems to exist between the music business, the press and more latterly reality TV producers as he speaks to musicians, singers and former pop stars up and down the spectrum. From Paul from S Club 7 and Robbie Williams to Shaun Ryder and Tim Burgess and everyone in between, Duerden leaves no stone unturned in unearthing what happens when the lights go down on a career in pop music.
Many still feel the need to create and do so for themselves, while many have found themselves burnt out by their experiences and seek enlightenment elsewhere while others still find themselves back to the 9-to-grind life and find their purpose in other avenues.
What was illuminating was how a lot of them ended up under the unrelenting gaze of reality TV as for some, like Shaun Ryder, it was the need to pay off debts and create a revenue stream beyond that. Others, such as Leo Sayer didn't fully realise what they'd gotten into and like Donny Tourette it was the record label's last swing at keeping a band alive. I fucking despised Towers of London at the time, but what started as fun at playing out rock n roll fantasies appears to have turned into a nightmare.
For many, the answer appears to be a reliance on illegal substances and for the most part everyone who has ever chased the dream of being a popular musician has found themselves ravaged by emotional scars and serious questions about their self worth. It was this type of thing that really spoke to me and helped me identify how we relate the capitalist side of the business with our own worth.
This book strips back the idea of glamour in the music industry as any band or artist who attains a bit of attention is put to work like a mule for the time that it lasts, be that months, years or decades. At times, the book does feel repetitive, but this only adds to the fact that for all the riches some have attained they have been put through punishing schedules and mental fatigue to earn it.
The music industry is not what it once was and neither am I with regards my relationship to music as I have lost touch with who might be the up and comers these days. It could be argued this is a good thing as I think we're unlikely to get so many one hit wonders and curios as we had before.
Going into this one I had a perception about certain subjects in the book as people who simply wanted to keep the flame of fame going, but in a lot of cases it was about keeping the actual lights on. I'm of an age where a lot of the people spoken to and about are still famous figures in my head, but their time was long ago and they have had to diversify and grow in order to continue working as artists. This book is unflinching in how the record industry moves on with what was then little to no emotional or substance abuse support or even less in the way of media training.
Highly recommend this if you've ever been obsessed with being on the other side of the counter or stood adoringly waiting for your favourite band to hit the stage at the height of their fame.
Duerden runs over the symbiotic and vile relationship that seems to exist between the music business, the press and more latterly reality TV producers as he speaks to musicians, singers and former pop stars up and down the spectrum. From Paul from S Club 7 and Robbie Williams to Shaun Ryder and Tim Burgess and everyone in between, Duerden leaves no stone unturned in unearthing what happens when the lights go down on a career in pop music.
Many still feel the need to create and do so for themselves, while many have found themselves burnt out by their experiences and seek enlightenment elsewhere while others still find themselves back to the 9-to-grind life and find their purpose in other avenues.
What was illuminating was how a lot of them ended up under the unrelenting gaze of reality TV as for some, like Shaun Ryder, it was the need to pay off debts and create a revenue stream beyond that. Others, such as Leo Sayer didn't fully realise what they'd gotten into and like Donny Tourette it was the record label's last swing at keeping a band alive. I fucking despised Towers of London at the time, but what started as fun at playing out rock n roll fantasies appears to have turned into a nightmare.
For many, the answer appears to be a reliance on illegal substances and for the most part everyone who has ever chased the dream of being a popular musician has found themselves ravaged by emotional scars and serious questions about their self worth. It was this type of thing that really spoke to me and helped me identify how we relate the capitalist side of the business with our own worth.
This book strips back the idea of glamour in the music industry as any band or artist who attains a bit of attention is put to work like a mule for the time that it lasts, be that months, years or decades. At times, the book does feel repetitive, but this only adds to the fact that for all the riches some have attained they have been put through punishing schedules and mental fatigue to earn it.
The music industry is not what it once was and neither am I with regards my relationship to music as I have lost touch with who might be the up and comers these days. It could be argued this is a good thing as I think we're unlikely to get so many one hit wonders and curios as we had before.
Going into this one I had a perception about certain subjects in the book as people who simply wanted to keep the flame of fame going, but in a lot of cases it was about keeping the actual lights on. I'm of an age where a lot of the people spoken to and about are still famous figures in my head, but their time was long ago and they have had to diversify and grow in order to continue working as artists. This book is unflinching in how the record industry moves on with what was then little to no emotional or substance abuse support or even less in the way of media training.
Highly recommend this if you've ever been obsessed with being on the other side of the counter or stood adoringly waiting for your favourite band to hit the stage at the height of their fame.
June 4, 2022
Exit Stage Left by Nick Duerden is an intriguing look at what happens after that peak of popularity for most pop stars. This is more than the vacuous "where are they now" shows and books, as interesting as many of them are. This looks from the artist's perspective at what happened and why, with some commentary from Duerden to contextualize and, sometimes, clarify.
While this is not just quote after quote from his interviews, each chapter does use a mixture of quotes and paraphrasing to convey the story. I am more than happy with this style since just putting the interviews down as they were would have been far less organized. In other words, I appreciate Duerden helping each artist form a more cohesive whole to their narrative.
While there were only a couple of artists I didn't recognize (by that I mean some combination of either the individual and/or the group) there were a lot I had forgotten about, even if their big hit still periodically played in my mind (think "Pass the Dutchie"). There were some for whom their movement through that peak of stardom seemed from the outside to be an intentional journey.
I found a way to get into each chapter, no matter how well I was familiar with the artist. Part of that is my natural tendency toward wanting to understand what others have experienced, and not only if I remember or was a fan of theirs. The other thing that helped was looking up a quick video or two once I knew who the chapter was about. That was both nostalgic for me and helped me visualize them at the time they were popular. The usual warnings apply, watch out for rabbit holes, I went on several trips that were fun but had nothing to do with the book.
I would recommend this to readers who like to read about the artists that didn't have the lifelong pop careers that so few do but that didn't all crash and burn (though there are plenty of crashes). If you have always listened to a bit of everything and thus have forgotten a bit of everything, this will be a great opportunity to also take a nostalgia trip. Additionally, for those in the book who have continued in music but not necessarily for fame, you can find some examples of what they have been up to. Quite a bit of what I found was actually pretty good.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
While this is not just quote after quote from his interviews, each chapter does use a mixture of quotes and paraphrasing to convey the story. I am more than happy with this style since just putting the interviews down as they were would have been far less organized. In other words, I appreciate Duerden helping each artist form a more cohesive whole to their narrative.
While there were only a couple of artists I didn't recognize (by that I mean some combination of either the individual and/or the group) there were a lot I had forgotten about, even if their big hit still periodically played in my mind (think "Pass the Dutchie"). There were some for whom their movement through that peak of stardom seemed from the outside to be an intentional journey.
I found a way to get into each chapter, no matter how well I was familiar with the artist. Part of that is my natural tendency toward wanting to understand what others have experienced, and not only if I remember or was a fan of theirs. The other thing that helped was looking up a quick video or two once I knew who the chapter was about. That was both nostalgic for me and helped me visualize them at the time they were popular. The usual warnings apply, watch out for rabbit holes, I went on several trips that were fun but had nothing to do with the book.
I would recommend this to readers who like to read about the artists that didn't have the lifelong pop careers that so few do but that didn't all crash and burn (though there are plenty of crashes). If you have always listened to a bit of everything and thus have forgotten a bit of everything, this will be a great opportunity to also take a nostalgia trip. Additionally, for those in the book who have continued in music but not necessarily for fame, you can find some examples of what they have been up to. Quite a bit of what I found was actually pretty good.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
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September 3, 2023A few short passages from Exit Stage Left:
*
In 1993, Billy Joel released his last album, River of Dreams, and aside from one further album of classical piano pieces, had felt no compulsion to write anything else. He still enjoys playing the hits catalogue live, he’s sold hundreds of millions of records, and he’s proved his worth. What else is there to say?
‘I know some artists struggle with the idea of being relevant, [but] I stopped buying that a long time ago,’ Joel told Billboard magazine in 2019.
*
A pinned tweet on Tim Booth’s Twitter account reads: ‘Most bands do a theatre set of the same songs each night in the same order. James change it up each night from an arsenal of 100 songs. That’s how we generate our passion. If you come see us live – try to let go of hearing you particular favourite or disappointment will follow.’
*
Tim Booth ultimately believes that each of us is here to deal with our trauma, and to process it. ‘We’re very good at self-deception bullshit, and we all have our blind spots, but the trick is not to walk away from, but rather to walk towards our weaknesses. And the trick is to keep walking into them, because often there’s amazing riches there.’
*
‘Every artist finds they are no longer fashionable at some point. There are no exceptions, none. And so all you do is you keep going, and you try to keep writing, a better song than the last one. It’s what I’ve always done. In 1976, I was trying to write a better song than I’d written in 1975. I’m still doing that today.’
– Joan Armatrading
*
Stewart Copeland has a joke. All drummers have jokes. His goes like this.
‘What was the drummer’s last words before he got fired from the band? Hey guys, I’ve got a song.’
*
*
In 1993, Billy Joel released his last album, River of Dreams, and aside from one further album of classical piano pieces, had felt no compulsion to write anything else. He still enjoys playing the hits catalogue live, he’s sold hundreds of millions of records, and he’s proved his worth. What else is there to say?
‘I know some artists struggle with the idea of being relevant, [but] I stopped buying that a long time ago,’ Joel told Billboard magazine in 2019.
*
A pinned tweet on Tim Booth’s Twitter account reads: ‘Most bands do a theatre set of the same songs each night in the same order. James change it up each night from an arsenal of 100 songs. That’s how we generate our passion. If you come see us live – try to let go of hearing you particular favourite or disappointment will follow.’
*
Tim Booth ultimately believes that each of us is here to deal with our trauma, and to process it. ‘We’re very good at self-deception bullshit, and we all have our blind spots, but the trick is not to walk away from, but rather to walk towards our weaknesses. And the trick is to keep walking into them, because often there’s amazing riches there.’
*
‘Every artist finds they are no longer fashionable at some point. There are no exceptions, none. And so all you do is you keep going, and you try to keep writing, a better song than the last one. It’s what I’ve always done. In 1976, I was trying to write a better song than I’d written in 1975. I’m still doing that today.’
– Joan Armatrading
*
Stewart Copeland has a joke. All drummers have jokes. His goes like this.
‘What was the drummer’s last words before he got fired from the band? Hey guys, I’ve got a song.’
*
November 11, 2022
A great walk down memory lane for music fans. Enjoyed this a lot. Highly recommend.
He tracks down former chart-topping and famous musicians, and interviews them about what life is like after you stop being a music celebrity.
There’s a real mix of different stories. Many have gone back to “normal” jobs. But many are still in the music business in some form or other, just not doing what they were doing before.
It covers musicians from the 70s (e.g. Don McLean and Leo Sayer) up to the 2010s, with the bulk coming from 80s pop, and 90s indie bands. It’s mainly UK and US-based musicians. Hard to pick a stand-out, almost all of the stories are interesting.
Each chapter is grouped around a different theme like mavericks or one-hit wonders. You get short interviews with each ex-star, and the author’s general reflections on their music, their impact and how they’ve got on with their lives.
There’s a real mix of emotions reading the stories. Not everyone’s life has turned out well. But in general, they all seem to be getting on with their life. There’s lots of funny anecdotes about life in the music business. Lots of well-researched details. Some ex-stars still seem pretentious and over-the-top, but there’s a genuine warmth running through the stories.
Plus, there’s plenty of memories of bands and singers you’ve probably forgotten, who may well be getting a boost on Spotify as you remember them and their songs.
Occasionally, the author gets a bit carried away, and waxes a little too lyrically (music pun intended!) about the art of music. But it never really gets in the way of some great stories. Overall this was a really interesting, enjoyable and fun read.
He tracks down former chart-topping and famous musicians, and interviews them about what life is like after you stop being a music celebrity.
There’s a real mix of different stories. Many have gone back to “normal” jobs. But many are still in the music business in some form or other, just not doing what they were doing before.
It covers musicians from the 70s (e.g. Don McLean and Leo Sayer) up to the 2010s, with the bulk coming from 80s pop, and 90s indie bands. It’s mainly UK and US-based musicians. Hard to pick a stand-out, almost all of the stories are interesting.
Each chapter is grouped around a different theme like mavericks or one-hit wonders. You get short interviews with each ex-star, and the author’s general reflections on their music, their impact and how they’ve got on with their lives.
There’s a real mix of emotions reading the stories. Not everyone’s life has turned out well. But in general, they all seem to be getting on with their life. There’s lots of funny anecdotes about life in the music business. Lots of well-researched details. Some ex-stars still seem pretentious and over-the-top, but there’s a genuine warmth running through the stories.
Plus, there’s plenty of memories of bands and singers you’ve probably forgotten, who may well be getting a boost on Spotify as you remember them and their songs.
Occasionally, the author gets a bit carried away, and waxes a little too lyrically (music pun intended!) about the art of music. But it never really gets in the way of some great stories. Overall this was a really interesting, enjoyable and fun read.
July 13, 2025
This is a very interesting book about what happens to pop stars after they've had their fifteen minutes of fame. As it turns out, some leave it all behind and get a proper job, some descend into madness or addiction, and some keep chasing fame long after their fans have taken down their posters from their walls. If they were smart, they invested wisely when the money was rolling in and can afford to make bedroom albums that hardly anyone buys.
I really liked this book. Some of the bands/ artists I knew, some I didn't, some I liked, some I didn't, but the author has a way of making you care about them all and, though he deals with everyone with a touch of humour, he never sticks the boot in, even if some of them do deserve it.
If you're at all interested in the music biz, you'll probably enjoy this, though I warn you, you will download a lot of albums during the course of reading it.
I really liked this book. Some of the bands/ artists I knew, some I didn't, some I liked, some I didn't, but the author has a way of making you care about them all and, though he deals with everyone with a touch of humour, he never sticks the boot in, even if some of them do deserve it.
If you're at all interested in the music biz, you'll probably enjoy this, though I warn you, you will download a lot of albums during the course of reading it.
June 22, 2022
Initially, I found the prose style of this book quite toe-curling. There were a lot of cliches, mixed metaphors and overly complicated descriptions, e.g.; 'narcotic proclivities' for 'drug use'. 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. Kerrang!
I also marvelled at how Nick Duerden had managed to persuade so many musicians to talk to him: "hello, I'm writing a book about 'has-beens' and you came to mind". At the same time, more could of been made of this source material by not only describing the fates of various musicians, but also with some deeper thematic analysis and reflection. Overall, a likeable text.
I also marvelled at how Nick Duerden had managed to persuade so many musicians to talk to him: "hello, I'm writing a book about 'has-beens' and you came to mind". At the same time, more could of been made of this source material by not only describing the fates of various musicians, but also with some deeper thematic analysis and reflection. Overall, a likeable text.
July 15, 2022
An interesting read that could've been better. There are some glaring mistakes that a music writer should have known.
The Sex Pistols interview by Bill Grundy was on an ITV regional programme called Today. The book refers to it being on the BBC several times and that the programme was called Nationwide.
In the Kevin Rowland chapter, the author concludes with the fact that Dexys have "reworked" their Too-Rye-Ay album for its 40th Anniversary. He then adds that "They even toured"
Slight problem is that he uses the past tense for the tour. The tour was scheduled for the autumn of 2022. Unfortunately Kevin Rowland suffered a traffic accident and the tour has been cancelled.
Silly mistakes that shouldn't have got past proof reading.
The Sex Pistols interview by Bill Grundy was on an ITV regional programme called Today. The book refers to it being on the BBC several times and that the programme was called Nationwide.
In the Kevin Rowland chapter, the author concludes with the fact that Dexys have "reworked" their Too-Rye-Ay album for its 40th Anniversary. He then adds that "They even toured"
Slight problem is that he uses the past tense for the tour. The tour was scheduled for the autumn of 2022. Unfortunately Kevin Rowland suffered a traffic accident and the tour has been cancelled.
Silly mistakes that shouldn't have got past proof reading.
January 13, 2023
Some really interesting stories about life after "pop" and there are probably enough artists covered so that everyone gets to read about someone they are interested in, but they are all so similar and it becomes very repetitive (they break up, they drink/take drugs, they get back together and play the old hits to make an income etc). Its about 200 pages too long.
I also think that by narrowing the focus of "Pop", the author builds a narrative that im not sure is true in that things discussed in interviews need to tie directly back into what it means to be a "pop star" or part of the "pop" scene.
One thing for sure is that if youre not on top, the record companies and management will be brutal. Im glad I was never a "pop star".
I also think that by narrowing the focus of "Pop", the author builds a narrative that im not sure is true in that things discussed in interviews need to tie directly back into what it means to be a "pop star" or part of the "pop" scene.
One thing for sure is that if youre not on top, the record companies and management will be brutal. Im glad I was never a "pop star".
May 11, 2023
This book explores something I’ve always pondered about popular musicians: what happens to them when they’re not “hot” anymore? I came away from this book with even more admiration for the sheer bravery it takes to establish and maintain a musical career, because other than the .1 percent of Dylans and McCartneys, nearly all of them will confront fallow periods. Or even fallow rest-of-lives, in some sad cases.
One of the wisest quotes in the book comes from Sting: “music is its own reward.” It seems that the musicians in this book who realize that are the ones who come out ahead of the game, if not financially then at least psychologically.
One of the wisest quotes in the book comes from Sting: “music is its own reward.” It seems that the musicians in this book who realize that are the ones who come out ahead of the game, if not financially then at least psychologically.
November 22, 2023
I found this quite repetitive and dull which was a shame as I thought the subject matter was very interesting.
My lack of enjoyment had a lot to do with the writing style, it irked me and reminded me of those long form profiles on celebrities where some creepy man hangs out with Margot Robbie and writes all this weird shit about how she walks and what she orders for breakfast.
It was very heavily geared toward older Gen-x English men, there were hardly any female pop stars profiled and it took something which could have been interesting and flattened it out.
The writer and his opinions were too dominant for me.
My lack of enjoyment had a lot to do with the writing style, it irked me and reminded me of those long form profiles on celebrities where some creepy man hangs out with Margot Robbie and writes all this weird shit about how she walks and what she orders for breakfast.
It was very heavily geared toward older Gen-x English men, there were hardly any female pop stars profiled and it took something which could have been interesting and flattened it out.
The writer and his opinions were too dominant for me.
October 6, 2024
Duerdon looks at the life of the musician and explores what happens to them after they have experienced their five minutes of fame. The manufactured pop band members left washed up and spat out by marketers and Svengali managers, the addicts who swapped fame for drugs or booze, the musicians whose outside life didn't sit with their inside life, it's all here. Duerdon's interview with Paul Cattermole from S Club 7 is particularly poignant given what happened to him not long after. It's interesting what the author considers as an afterlife, given that some musicians simply carried on being musicians but on a smaller scale. It is, nevertheless an interesting read.
November 5, 2022
Interesting read, and pleasantly reminded of some older bands\singer\songwriters I haven't thought about in years. In the end, these are all just people making their ways through their careers, and in some cases, the end of their careers, picking up the pieces and carrying on. With varying levels of success.
Certainly no shockers here but it scratched an itch I didn't know I had; wondering about the whereabouts of some of the artists that filled my youth.
Certainly no shockers here but it scratched an itch I didn't know I had; wondering about the whereabouts of some of the artists that filled my youth.
January 21, 2024
A trove of brief stories from those half forgotten and fully remembered from the music scene in the last 50 years. Some moving on to other careers and others that can’t get away from it. Recommended for any serious music fan.
October 5, 2022
3.5, rounded up.
I enjoyed it - the sort of book you can dip in and out of with ease. I liked the diverse range of artists featured; I don’t think there are many books that collectively feature Don Mclean, Chumbawumba and Paul from S Club 7!
Exit Stage Left goes into the lives of those who’ve hit the top, in particular how they fare after that peak has inevitably been reached. What happens when the number ones become double - even triple - digits, when the screaming fans become a muted memory? Do you keep slogging away, or quietly fade away (and hope those royalties keep your head above water)?
Duerden does well to get so many interviews, let alone ones where the subjects speak so openly about their careers (or eventual lack of, in many cases). Some artists I was less enthralled by than others, and some stories felt a little repetitive as their careers seemed to follow the same inevitable path (struggle, fame, not-so-famous, obscurity) without offering anything particularly new or insightful. But, for the most part, I enjoyed reading these untold stories, titbits, occasional rants (LOL Bob Geldof), wisdom and general bizarre-ness (props to the author for patiently transcribing Sananda Maitreya’s aka Terence Trent D’arby’s absolute pseudo-waffle). I enjoyed Duerden’s writing style - it’s witty and astute, and subtle enough to know when he’s (deservedly) gently ribbing a particular quote from his interviewees, without being sneery.
Highlights for me: The Only Ones and their Butlin’s comeback that nearly wasn’t, owing to a crack-addled lead singer; Roisin Murphy’s hatred of her own DJ career (yet one that made her ‘really fucking rich’) and Robbie Williams who - love or hate him - is always good value in any interview.
If you love reading about interesting people and music, and have eclectic music tastes, you’ll really enjoy this too. My pal who exclusively reads rock biographies was eyeing this up on my coffee table and making positive noises, so I shall be passing it along to him :)
I enjoyed it - the sort of book you can dip in and out of with ease. I liked the diverse range of artists featured; I don’t think there are many books that collectively feature Don Mclean, Chumbawumba and Paul from S Club 7!
Exit Stage Left goes into the lives of those who’ve hit the top, in particular how they fare after that peak has inevitably been reached. What happens when the number ones become double - even triple - digits, when the screaming fans become a muted memory? Do you keep slogging away, or quietly fade away (and hope those royalties keep your head above water)?
Duerden does well to get so many interviews, let alone ones where the subjects speak so openly about their careers (or eventual lack of, in many cases). Some artists I was less enthralled by than others, and some stories felt a little repetitive as their careers seemed to follow the same inevitable path (struggle, fame, not-so-famous, obscurity) without offering anything particularly new or insightful. But, for the most part, I enjoyed reading these untold stories, titbits, occasional rants (LOL Bob Geldof), wisdom and general bizarre-ness (props to the author for patiently transcribing Sananda Maitreya’s aka Terence Trent D’arby’s absolute pseudo-waffle). I enjoyed Duerden’s writing style - it’s witty and astute, and subtle enough to know when he’s (deservedly) gently ribbing a particular quote from his interviewees, without being sneery.
Highlights for me: The Only Ones and their Butlin’s comeback that nearly wasn’t, owing to a crack-addled lead singer; Roisin Murphy’s hatred of her own DJ career (yet one that made her ‘really fucking rich’) and Robbie Williams who - love or hate him - is always good value in any interview.
If you love reading about interesting people and music, and have eclectic music tastes, you’ll really enjoy this too. My pal who exclusively reads rock biographies was eyeing this up on my coffee table and making positive noises, so I shall be passing it along to him :)
May 30, 2022
Exit Stage Left is doing what a lot of music autobiographies do not do - which is tell the story of musicians after the spotlight has passed and fallen onto someone else and the brief illumination of fame is no more.
There is a sort of morbid curiosity turning the stone over and seeing where the likes of Hothouse Flowers, Terrance Trent D’arby and Moloko have crawled to. What you end up with, though, is a succession of similar stories: after the flush of fame they either try and keep the creativity up and hit the studio to make albums that few people listen to but keep the juices flowing…or they re-form the band and milk that cow til it bleeds so they can pay the mortgage…go in a totally different direction and start basket weaving or what-have-you.
A lot of the time they are bands or individuals who penned one, big hit or had a sustained period of success and this seemingly funds their post fame years. The world’s smallest violin is playing somewhere as they mooch around recording studios, take up painting or become personal tribute bands - it must be great to have the luxury of a fat bank balance and regular royalties to navel gaze, gaff about in a studio and reminisce about the good old days. My heart bleeds.
Overall, it’s a good book and really interesting. It is sad the the music industry is such a churn, but they knew what they signed up for, and if they are surprised at what happened then they are naive or idiots. The writer tries to make it funny (not really) and understands the repetetive nature of the task and does his best to keep in interesting but the really interesting stories are Robbie Williams, Stuart Copeland and bizarrely Chumbawumba. I could have read a book about just them three.
There is a sort of morbid curiosity turning the stone over and seeing where the likes of Hothouse Flowers, Terrance Trent D’arby and Moloko have crawled to. What you end up with, though, is a succession of similar stories: after the flush of fame they either try and keep the creativity up and hit the studio to make albums that few people listen to but keep the juices flowing…or they re-form the band and milk that cow til it bleeds so they can pay the mortgage…go in a totally different direction and start basket weaving or what-have-you.
A lot of the time they are bands or individuals who penned one, big hit or had a sustained period of success and this seemingly funds their post fame years. The world’s smallest violin is playing somewhere as they mooch around recording studios, take up painting or become personal tribute bands - it must be great to have the luxury of a fat bank balance and regular royalties to navel gaze, gaff about in a studio and reminisce about the good old days. My heart bleeds.
Overall, it’s a good book and really interesting. It is sad the the music industry is such a churn, but they knew what they signed up for, and if they are surprised at what happened then they are naive or idiots. The writer tries to make it funny (not really) and understands the repetetive nature of the task and does his best to keep in interesting but the really interesting stories are Robbie Williams, Stuart Copeland and bizarrely Chumbawumba. I could have read a book about just them three.
March 30, 2024
Quick and enjoyable but it rarely really goes for it's central and fascinating concept. The moments of pop-stars really back working in bars or the need to go out and tour, even a 'nostalgia' tour to pay debts. Geldof never really faded away, nor Robbie Williams. Some of the choices are a bit strange. I'd have liked more depth, more focus but still overall enjoyable.
Though, I'm not sure I buy into the nostalgia piece. Is it just nostalgia to say that one record is better than the rest of a band's releases? If it were then surely the other releases would be the ones being discovered by the younger generations? I've been to any number of 20+ year anniversary gigs, are all the young people at them, some of whom may not even have been born when the album came out riding a nostalgia train? I think not - just like sitting down to watch a classic movie isn't driven by nostalgia, do we watch Marlon Brando for nostalgia?
Though, I'm not sure I buy into the nostalgia piece. Is it just nostalgia to say that one record is better than the rest of a band's releases? If it were then surely the other releases would be the ones being discovered by the younger generations? I've been to any number of 20+ year anniversary gigs, are all the young people at them, some of whom may not even have been born when the album came out riding a nostalgia train? I think not - just like sitting down to watch a classic movie isn't driven by nostalgia, do we watch Marlon Brando for nostalgia?
December 17, 2022
The existential highs and lows of a career in music
The ephemeral nature of fame is deftly addressed in this collection of profiles of musicians.
I found it insightful, nuanced, and full of pathos; and Duerden writes with a witty turn of phrase.
Anybody who has followed a pop musician's career will appreciate the alarm and horror of the protagonists as the adulation fades - but most of the musicians are wiser for it.
It's a great read for anybody middle-aged, frankly: anyone who has had a crack at something; succeeded; then lost; then found another way to succeed.
The profiles are thematically grouped, and my only criticism is that a few of the profiles dragged because I wasn't particularly interested in them - or their music. However, I skipped them without any adverse consequences.
The ephemeral nature of fame is deftly addressed in this collection of profiles of musicians.
I found it insightful, nuanced, and full of pathos; and Duerden writes with a witty turn of phrase.
Anybody who has followed a pop musician's career will appreciate the alarm and horror of the protagonists as the adulation fades - but most of the musicians are wiser for it.
It's a great read for anybody middle-aged, frankly: anyone who has had a crack at something; succeeded; then lost; then found another way to succeed.
The profiles are thematically grouped, and my only criticism is that a few of the profiles dragged because I wasn't particularly interested in them - or their music. However, I skipped them without any adverse consequences.
March 11, 2023
3.5 stars. Some chapters were really great and well-written but some of them he just seemed to be phoning in. The book felt padded out for that reason, and he wanted to include as many names as possible. But some interviews were just not that interesting and his writing didn't seem to rise to the same level as when the interviews were better.
March 31, 2023
I work in the music industry and found this a fascinating read, making me look at new music through a different lens. The obsession with the new obviously leaves so many on dust heaps of various shapes and sizes, and this is their story. But it’s also just a look behind the scenes of so many people who made music that’s defined my life since I was a teenager. Great stuff.
June 4, 2022
Fascinating insight into the world of pop
Nick Duerden has written a fascinating exploration of what happens to most pop stars when the hits dry up. There are stories of disappointment, of reinvention, of success and of missed opportunities. A great read.
Nick Duerden has written a fascinating exploration of what happens to most pop stars when the hits dry up. There are stories of disappointment, of reinvention, of success and of missed opportunities. A great read.
April 24, 2024
A great idea, was hoping for some new stories here, but already knew the majority of them. This will be a great read for those starting out on their rock n roll journey!
May 8, 2023
Although very enjoyable and for sure I had Spotify playing in the background while reading the near 100 interviews, I couldn't escape disappointment that the author had almost exclusively interviewed men.
July 31, 2023
An excellent read. Strongly recommended
August 6, 2023
Really fun, unexpected book. This is a book for lovers of music, for children of the 80's and 90s, and for readers who are fascinated by bright stars that fade. I found that I knew or at least had heard of 80% of the musicians in the book, and the book introduced me to a few new acts (hello Tenpole Tudor!)
I'm fascinated with the lifecycle of popular musicians - because after that first amazing album, what comes next? Can you top it? What if you want to express something different? Will your fans stick with you? (turns out likely not) And if you continue churning out the same stuff album after album, you risk boring your fans to death, and they'll still leave you. And if you're over 30, forget it. Youth doesn't want their life sung to them by "old" people. Commercial success in music seems to have an expiration date, no matter how incredible the act.
Beyond the curiosity of "Whatever happened to", it's a poignant look at how a cookie can crumble. What happens when the fans grow up, what happens when the hot genre changes, what happens when you can't write a new hit, what happens when you hate the hit that made you successful, what happens when you decide to try something new? It is utterly relatable on a personal level - who hasn't been set aside in favor of something or someone more exciting? And these aren't accounts from afar, but include interviews with the artists, so you're hearing the struggle/pain/elation/frustration/addiction from the mouths of the people who experienced it.
The musicians covered vary widely across genre, success story, and decade: Dexy's Midnight Runners, Musical Youth, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Natalie Merchant, Robbie Williams, Joan Armatrading, Terence Trent D'arby, Tenpole Tudor, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the Sugarcubes, Tears for Fears, Adam Ant, John McLean, Mission UK. It tends to focus on British acts, but there are American acts in there as well.
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.
I'm fascinated with the lifecycle of popular musicians - because after that first amazing album, what comes next? Can you top it? What if you want to express something different? Will your fans stick with you? (turns out likely not) And if you continue churning out the same stuff album after album, you risk boring your fans to death, and they'll still leave you. And if you're over 30, forget it. Youth doesn't want their life sung to them by "old" people. Commercial success in music seems to have an expiration date, no matter how incredible the act.
Beyond the curiosity of "Whatever happened to", it's a poignant look at how a cookie can crumble. What happens when the fans grow up, what happens when the hot genre changes, what happens when you can't write a new hit, what happens when you hate the hit that made you successful, what happens when you decide to try something new? It is utterly relatable on a personal level - who hasn't been set aside in favor of something or someone more exciting? And these aren't accounts from afar, but include interviews with the artists, so you're hearing the struggle/pain/elation/frustration/addiction from the mouths of the people who experienced it.
The musicians covered vary widely across genre, success story, and decade: Dexy's Midnight Runners, Musical Youth, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Natalie Merchant, Robbie Williams, Joan Armatrading, Terence Trent D'arby, Tenpole Tudor, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the Sugarcubes, Tears for Fears, Adam Ant, John McLean, Mission UK. It tends to focus on British acts, but there are American acts in there as well.
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.
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June 7, 2023What happens when pop and rock stars fall out of fashion and people stop buying their records? This is a light, enjoyable read which gets a little samey as the author carefully avoids anything too dark or tragic. He's definitely more likely to interview Ian Watkins of Steps than Ian Watkins of lostprophets. So you have several chapters of the druggies, the people who got a proper job, and the people still making music despite no one really listening to it. It's breezily written and sometimes very funny (I particularly enjoyed the wry recounting of Leo Sayer's words of wisdom).
The moral, if there is one, is that the best thing to do as a UK musician is buy a London townhouse house cheaply in the 1970s or 80s and then sell it a decade or two later for a million pounds, or failing that, move to Australia or the US and tell everyone you're big in the UK, whilst never going back and finding out that you're not.
(I was completely charmed by lovely Natalie Merchant, who, unlike almost every other musician featured, realised she'd made a life changing amount of money, and quietly set about changing the lives of others, working unpaid with disadvantaged children. )
The moral, if there is one, is that the best thing to do as a UK musician is buy a London townhouse house cheaply in the 1970s or 80s and then sell it a decade or two later for a million pounds, or failing that, move to Australia or the US and tell everyone you're big in the UK, whilst never going back and finding out that you're not.
(I was completely charmed by lovely Natalie Merchant, who, unlike almost every other musician featured, realised she'd made a life changing amount of money, and quietly set about changing the lives of others, working unpaid with disadvantaged children. )
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