Fame is the brightest candle, but in this brilliant collection of interviews, Nick Duerden answers the question:. He has written widely on the arts, family and health, and is the author of two novels, a memoir on fatherhood, and other non-fiction works. 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. 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. 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.

You have to talk about the new album and also you have to talk about success: Isn’t everything great, isn’t being a rock star great?The other thing that helped was looking up a quick video or two once I knew who the chapter was about. This book explores something I’ve always pondered about popular musicians: what happens to them when they’re not “hot” anymore? For a journalist, this book provided the rare opportunity to dig into the lives of musicians beyond the album release or tour that they’re promoting at the moment. Seaton luckily escaped unscathed and what he did next is just one of many fascinating stories told herein. Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars,” out now, is Duerden’s exploration of what happens to pop stars after fame fades.

We especially recommend "Exit Stage Left" to anyone pursuing a career in music and anyone who made it out alive. These include Wendy James, Robbie Williams, Bob Geldof, Shaun Ryder, Robbie Williams, Roisin Murphy, Stewart Copeland, Billy Bragg, Alex Kapranos, Joan Armatrading, Leo Sayer, Gary Lightbody, Lisa Maffia, Tim Booth, Bill Drummond, Rufus Wainwright, David Gray, Lloyd Cole and Justin Hawkins. A trove of brief stories from those half forgotten and fully remembered from the music scene in the last 50 years.

This is a candid, laugh-out-loud and occasionally shocking look at what happens when the brightest stars fall back down to earth.

Without exception, they are at their most interesting when they’ve peaked, and when they are on their way down.

What of those pop artists who reached their successes within parameters chosen for them by the Simon Cowells of this world?

What does come across is that with rare exceptions most of them are want one more chance in the spotlight. Dennis Seaton, chair of the Ladder Association’s Training Committee, has prevented many accidents and fatalities by running training programmes for construction professionals who work at height. S. publications, sometimes catching up with the same artists multiple times over the course of their careers.

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. 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? Do you keep slogging away, or quietly fade away (and hope those royalties keep your head above water)? 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. Exit Stage Left’ is a sobering read and will ring true to anyone who’s ever been stung by the business, or had their dream job whipped from beneath them.