Back in 1981 the NME – when it was still a music publication of some importance – put together the compilation cassette C81, a diverse set of tracks running the gamut from punk and post-punk (Pere Ubu, Virgin Prunes) to … read more
When I was fourteen, I first heard Autobahn on a pilfered parental record. Twenty-two minutes of repetitive synths later, and I was hooked. Still, it was nearly twenty years before I could see them live, but it was well worth … read more
If you’re considering buying a few concert tickets, and wondering whether to add a pair of fine ’80s ska bands to your shortlist, allow me to convince you that The Beat and The Selecter should be your top choice this … read more
We all know the story of Haircut 100, don’t we? A frothy, insubstantial pop group who scored a quartet of top ten hits and an almost number one album Pelican West in 1982; a stepping stone on lead singer Nick … read more
Here in the second decade of the 21st century, it’s getting harder and harder to find once-successful artists whose work has never been released on CD. Here’s one though: apart from a self-released live CD in 2004 and a budget … read more
I would have to admit that going into this that I wasn’t exactly a superfan of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic. Sure, I knew and enjoyed their hits – and not just because Flashlight was on the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 … read more
Okay, cards on the table, I’ve been an Adam Ant fan for something like thirty-six years now, but I’ve never seen him live before. I was a bit too young when he was in his pomp, and in recent years … read more
What can be said about Divine that hasn’t already been covered? Mainly remembered for her partnership with director John Waters and that scene in Pink Flamingos (disclaimer: this will put you off your dinner), Divine was a force of nature … read more
New York producer Bobby “O” Orlando’s influence on the direction of dance music in the first half of the ’80s is immeasurable. Reanimating the corpse of disco with newfangled electronica, he was instrumental in the development of what became known … read more
Until very recently, T’Pau’s back catalogue was in a pretty sorry state. Their three principal albums lay neglected, unremastered and unadorned with bonus tracks, while a couple of uninspired best-of albums jostled for position on Spotify with a dozen live … read more
With a name that will always be synonymous with a certain style of haircut, it’s often easy to forget that A Flock of Seagulls were fairly major players in the early ’80s electronic scene and gave us some memorable hits … read more
It’s hard to think of another act that has remained successful for so long while simultaneously polarising opinion as Depeche Mode. Since they veered off the commercial synthpop route sometime in the mid ’80s, they’ve spent over thirty years commanding … read more
