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A Different Stage
Sometimes you are forced to take stock and wonder what your life's all been about, and where it is going. Ever since I was a boy I've thought that music makes things better. A Different Stage is my love letter to music, a celebration of the songs and sounds that have inspired me and meant something in my life.'
In this warm, intimate and humorous book, rich with nostalgia and unexpected intimate detail, Gary Barlow unpacks the people, music, places, things and cultural phenomena that have made him the man that he is. From the working men's club where it all began through to the sold out stadium tours, this is the story of Gary's life told through music.
Filled with a mixture of brand new photography from Gary's current one-man show and incredibly personal unseen personal photos and notebooks, A Different Stage is a beautiful and sumptuous book.
In this warm, intimate and humorous book, rich with nostalgia and unexpected intimate detail, Gary Barlow unpacks the people, music, places, things and cultural phenomena that have made him the man that he is. From the working men's club where it all began through to the sold out stadium tours, this is the story of Gary's life told through music.
Filled with a mixture of brand new photography from Gary's current one-man show and incredibly personal unseen personal photos and notebooks, A Different Stage is a beautiful and sumptuous book.
- GenresBiography
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2022
12 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Gary Barlow
52 books31 followersGary Barlow (born January 20, 1971) is an English singer, pianist, songwriter, bandleader and producer.
He is a member of the pop group Take That, and was one of the most successful songwriters of the 1990s, penning no fewer than 16 hit singles during the decade. Barlow had 2 #1's and 5 further Top 40 UK Singles as a solo singer in the final half of the 1990s alone. He is also a 4 time recipient of the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards.
He is a member of the pop group Take That, and was one of the most successful songwriters of the 1990s, penning no fewer than 16 hit singles during the decade. Barlow had 2 #1's and 5 further Top 40 UK Singles as a solo singer in the final half of the 1990s alone. He is also a 4 time recipient of the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 2, 2025
I listened to this as a short filler while waiting for another book I had reserved. As a lifelong ⫩ fan I do have knowledge of the boys but this filled some gaps.
Written in conjunction with his play of the same name, it's Gary's life story told through music and nostalgia, I found it really entertaining (and reminiscent of early and mid ⫩ days!). Some parts were a bit unordered which was a little confusing at points but it wasn't off-putting.
I haven't read Gary's other book but it is on my to-read/listen list at the library!
4.5⭐️ using CAWPILE
Written in conjunction with his play of the same name, it's Gary's life story told through music and nostalgia, I found it really entertaining (and reminiscent of early and mid ⫩ days!). Some parts were a bit unordered which was a little confusing at points but it wasn't off-putting.
I haven't read Gary's other book but it is on my to-read/listen list at the library!
4.5⭐️ using CAWPILE
October 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. As a Gary Barlow fan, it was great to read this side of his story, filled with perhaps lesser-known anecdotes from his life. I'm really looking forward to seeing the stage version of this next month!
February 8, 2023
Inciteful
October 27, 2022
A fabulous insight into the life of Gary Barlow, with lots of new material and photos, so different to his two biographies. Well worth a look and a fabulous Christmas present for a Gary fan!
April 3, 2024
4 stars for this genius of a musician
What a pleasure to just sit and listen to Gary’s voice, definitely a book that needs to be listened to and not read.
I found this very honest and enjoyed each and every story, most I had never heard before which I loved. A must for any take that / Gary Barlow fan
What a pleasure to just sit and listen to Gary’s voice, definitely a book that needs to be listened to and not read.
I found this very honest and enjoyed each and every story, most I had never heard before which I loved. A must for any take that / Gary Barlow fan
September 17, 2022
I thought this would be a rehash of Gary's previous two autobiographies, but this was surprisingly filled with lots of things I didn't already know about him.
November 20, 2022
I actually listened to this on Audible the week before we went to see Gary's show at the Duke of York theatre in London. I wanted to understand the story behind the show and it turned out to be really good preparation because there's more in the book than Gary has time to talk about on the stage.
At first, I have to admit that although I like the author narrating their own story on Audible, Gary's accent did grate on me a little. I had to work hard in those opening chapters to listen beyond the voice and tune into the great story he was telling about his life and work thus far.
I was particularly interested in his Take That rise to fame, his spats with Robbie and what he calls the "cardy years" where he struggled with bulimia. When I was living through the break up of Take That and then actively listening to how well Robbie was doing as a solo artist and how Gary was bombing - music history was being made right there. I was always more of an East 17 fan but the whole boyband rivallry in the 90s and later the explosion of Brit pop and Girl Power - well, it was a phenomanol time to be alive if you love music as much as I do and I love taking these trips down memory lane through the eyes of some of the most iconic popstars at that time. It was a fantastic time for music culture!
At first, I have to admit that although I like the author narrating their own story on Audible, Gary's accent did grate on me a little. I had to work hard in those opening chapters to listen beyond the voice and tune into the great story he was telling about his life and work thus far.
I was particularly interested in his Take That rise to fame, his spats with Robbie and what he calls the "cardy years" where he struggled with bulimia. When I was living through the break up of Take That and then actively listening to how well Robbie was doing as a solo artist and how Gary was bombing - music history was being made right there. I was always more of an East 17 fan but the whole boyband rivallry in the 90s and later the explosion of Brit pop and Girl Power - well, it was a phenomanol time to be alive if you love music as much as I do and I love taking these trips down memory lane through the eyes of some of the most iconic popstars at that time. It was a fantastic time for music culture!
April 14, 2025
I had my doubts about recycling life stories and releasing a third autobiography before reading the book—but I was wrong. It’s engaging and easy to read, especially for someone like me who gets distracted easily. Gary breaks down different stages of his life into short essays, and some of the music-related topics—like Top of the Pops, heavy metal bands, and synth music—are genuinely fun to read.
Robbie Williams is still mentioned several times, and Gary even wore that iconic Adidas tracksuit! Aside from being the nemesis who nearly drowned Gary in the sea of jealousy (I really love Gary’s Greek mythology reference—Robbie’s personality really does feel like a vengeful god), there’s a new heartwarming story about him that ties cleverly to another chapter. It’s a nice touch.
I’m a bit puzzled by the Millennium chapter, though. In a BBC interview years ago, Gary said Millennium was one of his favorite Robbie songs—but in the book, he describes it as painful and torturous. How can you say you like a song that caused you so much pain?
That said, this book feels more diplomatic and carefully curated than the previous two. I’m devastated I missed the live stage version—and that there’s no stream or DVD/Blu-ray release.
Robbie Williams is still mentioned several times, and Gary even wore that iconic Adidas tracksuit! Aside from being the nemesis who nearly drowned Gary in the sea of jealousy (I really love Gary’s Greek mythology reference—Robbie’s personality really does feel like a vengeful god), there’s a new heartwarming story about him that ties cleverly to another chapter. It’s a nice touch.
I’m a bit puzzled by the Millennium chapter, though. In a BBC interview years ago, Gary said Millennium was one of his favorite Robbie songs—but in the book, he describes it as painful and torturous. How can you say you like a song that caused you so much pain?
That said, this book feels more diplomatic and carefully curated than the previous two. I’m devastated I missed the live stage version—and that there’s no stream or DVD/Blu-ray release.
November 2, 2022
Having been a Gary Barlow fan for longer than I care to remember I have read all of the books about him and by him - so I was wondering if this would offer me anything new? Would there be something in here that I didn't already know?
In short, yes. This is an interesting book that sits side by side with the stage show of the same name. Anecdotes are new and interesting, some things are skipped over (I guess he doesn't want to spoil the show too much) with other bits being more in depth. I enjoyed hearing from the other people involved in the production as well in the sections that they write at the beginning and end of the book.
Crammed with pictures from his extensive career and private pictures I've never seen before, this is more of a coffee table book than a book to be sat down and read cover to cover. All the anecdotes are short and sharp so the book can be dipped in and out of really quickly.
An interesting, and different, look into the life of Gary Barlow.
In short, yes. This is an interesting book that sits side by side with the stage show of the same name. Anecdotes are new and interesting, some things are skipped over (I guess he doesn't want to spoil the show too much) with other bits being more in depth. I enjoyed hearing from the other people involved in the production as well in the sections that they write at the beginning and end of the book.
Crammed with pictures from his extensive career and private pictures I've never seen before, this is more of a coffee table book than a book to be sat down and read cover to cover. All the anecdotes are short and sharp so the book can be dipped in and out of really quickly.
An interesting, and different, look into the life of Gary Barlow.
August 13, 2025
The Good
Take That, Robbie Williams and Gary Barlows solo stuff has a special place in my heart so this book packed the nostalgia for me
I liked the inclusion of the production team I won’t spoil further
I liked the mix of pictures and memoir narrative it felt different from his first book A Better Me
The Bad
It’s an impractical read due to book size so would need to read at home only
The text was quite small given the type of book and the layout
The Ugly
This book was titled A Different Stage but there wasn’t a great detail of pages about the A Different Stage theatre production which was slightly missed. I think the lead up was needed but it overtook from the main event or at least the event I was expecting.
Take That, Robbie Williams and Gary Barlows solo stuff has a special place in my heart so this book packed the nostalgia for me
I liked the inclusion of the production team I won’t spoil further
I liked the mix of pictures and memoir narrative it felt different from his first book A Better Me
The Bad
It’s an impractical read due to book size so would need to read at home only
The text was quite small given the type of book and the layout
The Ugly
This book was titled A Different Stage but there wasn’t a great detail of pages about the A Different Stage theatre production which was slightly missed. I think the lead up was needed but it overtook from the main event or at least the event I was expecting.
June 20, 2024
After having read his two biographies, I thought I already knew everything. But Gary managed to show another side of his life: the good and bad moments of being a pop star. I found it really interesting how he describes how to write music. You can tell he really lives for it.
Unfortunately I didn't see the stage show, but I'm sure it was fantastic.
Unfortunately I didn't see the stage show, but I'm sure it was fantastic.
November 21, 2022
After watching and loving the different stage at the theatre, I wanted to read the book well I opted for the audiobook version as Gary performs it. I loved the book so glad I waited until after the show to read it.
March 19, 2025
In my eyes, anything Gary does is the best! 😆
August 6, 2025
I saw the stage show and this brought back really nice memories and served as a great companion piece :)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews