Book
Exit stage left : the curious afterlife of pop stars
Publication Information
London : Headline, 2022.
Physical Description
374 pages ; 24 cm
Summary
"A quirky, thought-provoking look at the curious afterlife of pop stars. 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 fulfil 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"--Publisher's description.
Notes
Includes index.
Contents
- Intro
- Marmalade skies and kaleidoscope eyes
- The difficult umpteenth album
- Scenesters
- Top of the pops
- Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me
- The pyramid stage
- The troubadours
- One-hit wonders
- The legends' slot
- The mavericks
- Fade out.