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.
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 fulfill 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.
