Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars by Nick Duerden (2023)

Very enjoyable read about what’s-his/her-name

Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars by Nick Duerden

Exit Stage Left answered most of my ‘Where are they now?’ and ‘Whatever happened to _____?’ from the music world. The music industry is notorious for throwing gobs of money at up-and-coming bands before cutting them overnight for the next star in waiting.

In this Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars we get to read about sudden successes and just as sudden car-crash endings. How stars hit the big time with one song didn’t achieve the same level of stardom, but are still earning royalties from their one hit wonder.

Several musicians developed drink and drunk habits, headed into the doldrums, got clean and had second careers. Some left the industry altogether and became something else entirely.

Honest accounts given by people who I followed when younger and through the ages. There were a couple of oddities. Why was Robbie Williams included, for example? This is a guy who was in a boy band, became a solo extraordinaire, returned to Take That and went solo again.

Bob Geldof, Stewart Copeland, Billy Bragg, Alex Kapranos, Joan Armatrading, Leo Sayer, Gary Lightbody, Tim Booth, Bill Drummond, Justin Hawkins and many more get a mention in Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars.

Some stuff written wasn’t that new to me and has been extensively covered elsewhere.

In the main, an enjoyable read with some very harsh realities of music fame, what happened and the mental impact it had / has.

4/5

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