“I don’t think there’s ever been such a rush towards insignificance in the name of the historical future as we’ve seen in the last 15 years.” — Robert Hughes concluding his TV series The Shock of the New in 1980
➢ War: the 20th-century way to build a new world — Robert Hughes laments the effects of war in The Shock of The New
◆ 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
✱ Prima occasione di vedere Ross Wild on-stage in Europa! – First chance to see Ross Wild in Europe! Spandau Ballet introduce their new singer in three Italian shows 23–25 Oct in Milan, Rome and Padova. . . also two in the Netherlands, 27 Oct Utrecht, 28 Oct Tilburg. . . In London a one-off concert is booking now for Apollo Hammersmith on 29 Oct, via Spandau Ballet tickets
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✱ For Dazed’s summer issue, its cover brings together “the characters making Britain truly great in 2018” over the heading Youth Is Revolting. So what’s the white-haired little old lady doing down front in the blue shirt that’s too big for her?
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✱ Duraniversary! Careless Memories of Duran Duran, the debut album by the English new wave/synthpop band was released worldwide on EMI Records on 15 June 1981
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✱ Johnny Marr gets magical with his new album. Recorded with his band in Manchester at his Crazy Face studios, Call The Comet introduces 12 tracks and is out now. The third solo record from the ex-Smiths guitarist follows 2013’s critically acclaimed The Messenger and 2014’s Playland, both of which made the UK top 10. Marr says: “Call The Comet is set in the not-too-distant future and is mostly concerned with the idea of an alternative society. It’s my own magic realism.” Update: 11 new live shows added
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✱ On sale now, ex-Spandau singer Tony Hadley’s Talking To The Moon UK tour, seven venues 8–17 October 2018 including The London Palladium. . . View Tone’s first YouTube music video – for his new single Tonight Belongs To Us, from new album Talking To The Moon, named album of the week 17 June on BBC Radio2 … Hadley’s events list gives his live dates through 6 July Chilfest at Tring, Herts, for An Evening with Hadley and his Orchestra, to 80s/90s Forever in Southend on 26 August, and many more to Stepback! 80s Christmas Concert 22 Dec in Coventry
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✱ 35 Years of No Parlez – Paul Young’s 16-date autumn tour from 29 Sept, Hastings to London Palladium 24 Oct
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✱ Jeff Young on Jazz FM recently made the new 18-track Siren his album of the week. Superbly crafted by Londoner Robb Scott, with strong supporting lineup, for the Expansion label. Soul Brother Records says: “A collection of classy soul/jazz grooves on that has jazz at its heart but with some superb soulful brushstrokes applied.” Purchase directly from the artist’s store
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✱ The 2018 Love Supreme Jazz Festival features George Clinton, Parliament and Funkadelic, not to mention 30 other acts. Nr Lewes, Sussex, 29 June–1 July
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✱ The Cure’s Robert Smith has hand-picked 30 all-time favourite artists for the refurbished South Bank Centre’s 25th Meltdown Festival, 15-24 June 2018. Acts include Death Cab For Cutie, Maybeshewill, Suzanne Vega, Frightened Rabbit, Sigur Ros singer Jónsi, The Joy Formidable and more
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✱ Heaven 17 promise a spectacular celebration tour of The Luxury Gap for 10 dates 9 Nov–8 Dec from Northampton, via London 30 Nov to Sheffield. They say their 1983 album is “a sly, post-modern, critique of modern society and has never been so necessary”
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✱ Steve Norman and his live band visit The Acapela Studios Cardiff 27 July, with new material… Also hometown gig live at The Old Market in Hove 8 Sept
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✱ Spandau’s Martin Kemp is performing his deejay set, spinning classics from the 80s, at all three Rewind Festivals: Perth 20–22 July; Cheshire 3–5 Aug; Henley-on-Thames 17–19 Aug
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✱ One Nation Under the Groove – Wag club legend Chris Sullivan now resident on Fridays at Mau Mau, 265 Portobello Road “which looks like a New York rhythm ’n’ blues soul bar.” Playing rare funk and disco from the likes of Mantus, Father Time,The Kinsman Band plus Parliament, Bohannon and Larry Young – sample him at Mixcloud. . . Sullivan’s book Rebel Rebel, “a riotous history of people and things that broke the mould”, is due from Unbound in September
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✱ Haircut’s singer Nick Heyward is touring the UK through June for 13 dates until Tring Chilfest in July, then on to Japan
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✱ If you thought there was no more to know about the birth of Blitz culture in 1980 then get your hands on a sensational new 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 80s
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✱ “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
