❚ HERE’S A NEW SLIDESHOW compiled by Ian Whittington, the original deejay at the Dirtbox — London’s itinerant underground warehouse party run by Phil X and Rob Y, which started life in March 1982 over an Earl’s Court chemists shop. By 1983 it was one of the four key club-nights that defined The New London Weekend in The Face magazine. In among the soulboys, soulgirls and rockabillies, look out for a young Sade, her musicians Stuart and Paul (then in the band Pride), Boy George and George Michael … Ian says the Nina S soundtrack was played at the Dirtboxes in London Bridge, King’s Cross, Stockwell Green, Titanic, Wandsworth and Bournemouth.
INDEX OF ALL 800+ POSTS
➢ 2009 till now : Click to list everything at Shapers of the 80s.
Now in our fifteenth year.
Thanks for 2.2 million hits.
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➢ Choose “View full site” – then in the blue bar atop your mobile page, click the three horizontal lines linking to many blue themed pages with background articles.MORE INTERESTING THAN MOST PEOPLE’S FANTASIES — THE SWINGING EIGHTIES 1978-1984
They didn’t call themselves New Romantics, or the Blitz Kids – but other people did.
“I’d find people at the Blitz who were possible only in my imagination. But they were real” — Stephen Jones, hatmaker, 1983. (Illustration courtesy Iain R Webb, 1983)
“The truth about those Blitz club people was more interesting than most people’s fantasies” — Steve Dagger, pop group manager, 1983PRAISE INDEED!
“See David Johnson’s fabulously detailed website Shapers of the 80s to which I am hugely indebted” – Political historian Dominic Sandbrook, in his book Who Dares Wins, 2019
“The (velvet) goldmine that is Shapers of the 80s” – Verdict of Chris O’Leary, respected author and blogger who analyses Bowie song by song at Pushing Ahead of the Dame
“The rather brilliant Shapers of the 80s website” – Dylan Jones in his Sweet Dreams paperback, 2021
A UNIQUE HISTORY
➢ WELCOME to the Swinging 80s
➢ THE BLOG POSTS on this front page report topical updates
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❏ Header artwork by Kat Starchild shows Blitz Kids Darla Jane Gilroy, Elise Brazier, Judi Frankland and Steve Strange, with David Bowie at centre in his 1980 video for Ashes to AshesVINCENT ON AIR 2022
✱ Deejay legend Robbie Vincent has returned to JazzFM on Sundays 1-3pm… Catch Robbie’s JazzFM August Bank Holiday 2020 session thanks to AhhhhhSoul with four hours of “nothing but essential rhythms of soul, jazz and funk”.TOLD FOR THE FIRST TIME
◆ Who was who in Spandau’s break-out year of 1980? The Invisible Hand of Shapersofthe80s draws a selective timeline for The unprecedented rise and rise of Spandau Ballet –– Turn to our inside page
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RECENT ADDITIONS
- 2024 ➤ Ahaaaah! 25-year-old stage musical Mamma Mia! confirms ABBA’s genius
- 2024 ➤ London’s Evening Standard publishes my obituary of Linard the wild child of UK fashion
- 2024 ➤ Farewell to Linard, the craziest man I’ve known
- 2024 ➤ Pilger’s fearlessness is what journalism still needs today
- 1992 ➤ Who’s the keenest fan of Marcel Proust?
- 2023 ➤ Johnny Marr climaxes his solo career with stunning book and unique live concert
- 1963 ➤ Where were The Beatles the day Kennedy was shot?
- 2023 ➤ Young sculptor brings bronze into the age of 3D printing
- 2023 ➤ Witnessing the performance of Gambon’s life as his tribute to Pinter
- 2023 ➤ One savvy fan rates Kid Creole’s London extravaganza
- 2023 ➤ Kid Creole returns to Britain with that vintage Darnell bazzazz
- 2023 ➤ Linard snapped in the footsteps of Duchamp
SEARCH our 800 posts or ZOOM DOWN TO THE ARCHIVE INDEX
UNTOLD BLITZ STORIES
✱ If you thought there was no more to know about the birth of Blitz culture in 1980 then get your hands on a sensational book by an obsessive music fan called David Barrat. It is gripping, original and epic – a spooky tale of coincidence and parallel lives as mind-tingling as a Sherlock Holmes yarn. Titled both New Romantics Who Never Were and The Untold Story of Spandau Ballet! Sample this initial taster here at Shapers of the 80sCHEWING THE FAT
LANDMARK FAREWELLS. . . HIT THE INDEX TAB UP TOP FOR EVERYTHING ELSE
➢ Search for all on Bowie here
at Shapers of the 80s✱ “I’m not a rock star” Bowie often said – No, David, you were a messiah – Obituaries and key videos on the godlike one
✱ Prince Rogers Nelson RIP: ‘A funny cat’ and ‘sole authentic genius’ of the 1980s
✱ 2015 – Original Blitz Kids say farewell to Steve Strange – read exclusive tributes to the King of the PosersArchive — Many publication dates are arbitrary, so click and take pot luck!
RANDOM!
Happy days🕺🍺 spice of life 👍🏿
Absolutely loved the Dirtbox. Word of mouth where it was held. Everyone from Mud club, Wag club, Camden Palace was at Dirtbox. Meet at Chelsea Potter 💙