Exit Stage Left: The curious afterlife of pop stars

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The message is timely: we should stand up for what we believe in, and fight against fear-mongering even if it costs us dearly. We cannot become fear itself - neither in politics, nor in private life. The book also plays with the idea of masks - masks actors wear in theaters to become characters, and masks people wear in public to become who they are expected to be. Exit Stage Left is a funny and poignant book, drawing on Duerden’s considerable experience as a journalist and interviewer . . . he understands what motivates this strange bunch of people.’– Andy Miller, Spectator 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. 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.

What is rarely written about (and it is something that applies to all careers) is what happens to the pop star when their moment in the spotlight is over? 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.

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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 happens when fame abruptly passes, and shifts, as it does, onto someone else? We all know the story of pop-stars. The hard work that goes into developing a sound, a style, the years spent trying to sell a song, or an image to record companies that put the bottom line above musical and artistic concerns. We know the stories of appearing on Top of the Pops, or the thousands of hours (and even more money) that goes into making an album. Snagglepuss is a character I loved as a child. He had that strong accent and I never thought of it till now, but he was very refined, prissy and pink. I still go around the house and murmur 'heavens to Megatroid'. It's one of the reasons I chose this story to start with. It seemed like a great character. Books telling us to give up drinking are 10 a penny, but how about something for those of us who like a social drink but are occasionally worried that two turn into four rather too easily? That’s where Adrian Chiles’s likable and highly readable memoir of his relationship with booze comes in. He writes that “the vast majority of drinkers like me believe they are not problem drinkers”. He details his experiences in cutting down, to comic and insightful effect, and skilfully but never preachingly, offers suggestions for others, too. The Little Blue Flames The storyline in this was basically Casey moaning because she hadn’t gotten the lead in the play she was taking part in, and generally trying to find some other way to be in the spotlight, because if she wasn’t the lead in the play, then obviously she needed to find something that she was better at!

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.There are two things in life you can never know for sure - the truth in flattery and the sex of a snake." Snagglepuss The starts interviewed for the book range from Robbie Williams, who has a career that is still thriving, but as a member of Take That is more than qualified to talk about life in the pop bubble. There are influential musicians featured, from The Police, Happy Mondays, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, to bands that burnt brightly for a while before the glare of fame faded. So we see what happened to members of So Solid Crew, Blue and perhaps most telling S Club 7, where one of the group’s member Paul Cattermole talks about his time in a pop juggernaut as a dark time (although the lucrative sold-out that the ensemble will undertake later in 2023 probably goes some way to alleviate his pain). This is the point at which pop stars are at their most heroic, because they don't give up. They keep on striving, keep making music, and refuse simply to ebb away. Some sustain themselves on the nostalgia circuit, others continue to beaver away in the studio, no longer Abbey Road, perhaps, so much as the garden shed. But all of them, in their own individual ways, still dare to dream. 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 finds fascinating layers of humanity, pathos, humour and wisdom in equal measure. A brilliant book, for artists and fans alike.’– Frank Turner 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. 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.’ Each chapter covers one or more artist from their origin, details their time in the fame bubble, the come-down, and the whatever was next. Or in rare cases the in-between times. In the whatever came next the reader learns of a wide spectrum of experience, such as: descents into addiction, new found sobriety, changing sounds or trends or alternative careers. 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 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. This is the point at which pop stars are at their most heroic, because they don’t give up. They keep on striving, keep making music, and refuse simply to ebb away. Some sustain themselves on the nostalgia circuit, others continue to beaver away in the studio, no longer Abbey Road, perhaps, so much as the garden shed. But all of them, in their own individual ways, still dare to dream. There were times that it was all a little much. The combo of being a closeted gay (cat)man, probably a necessity in the '50's, and being accused of being a communist for creating subversive art, perhaps things were a bit diluted. Either one of these storylines would probably serve without the other. But it's enjoyable, the art is really good, and like I said, WAY better than it has any business being.