The Edge: The 80s (March '23)

Editor’s Note

Welcome to The Edge’s second mag of 22/23! In this issue, we’re celebrating a decade that has experienced a resurgence in pop culture, so get ready for lots of Kate Bush, E.T., and Princess Diana! The interesting thing about exploring the 80s is that our writers never experienced it, so with the benefit of hindsight, we’ve been able to reflect on the cultural importance of a decade that introduced amazing directors like Tim Burton (p.32), and exciting subcultures at raves (p.46), and is perhaps most famous for the phenomenon that was Live Aid (p.44).

In my mind, the 80s symbolised fun, creativity, and vibrance, so with the help of our incredible designer Jiahao, we hope you get to experience a slice of the exciting time!

In other news, our committee has had a slight shake-up! First of all, our previous Editor, Sam, has stepped down and taken up Deputy Editor responsibilities! Sam has achieved so much in their year and a half tenure as King of The Edge and it would not run as well as it does without him! We are pleased to congratulate Sam on receiving the title of Outstanding Commitment from the Student Publication Association which is so well deserved!

We also have some new committee members. Joining Susanna as Culture Editor is Emily!

The two have created a fantastic selection of 80s culture articles, including a look at their favourite photographs from the 80s (p.34) Another new member I’d like to welcome is Rosie, who has shown an amazing work ethic in her role as News Editor. For 80s news, we look at the icons that made history (p.12) and the biggest nostalgic releases (p.8). We also have a new Records Editor joining Callum! In this issue, Mollie and Callum show off their musical expertise, with Callum discussing whether Top of The Pops would still work today (p.20) and Mollie reflecting on the New Romantics genre (p.16). Another Records pick comes from our new FEP Officer Charlie, who discusses the age-old question of art over artist; is it still okay to consume entertainment when you know the creator is controversial? (p.25) Finally, we have our Live Editor Rhianna finishing off the magazine with a look into how ticket sales have changed since the 80s (p.42). You can’t say The Edge isn’t educational!!

On a personal note, I am incredibly pleased and proud of my first magazine as Editor, and I am so thankful to Sam for doing so much behind-the-scenes work with me and the rest of the committee who powered on through the assignment season to produce this mag! Enjoy your short transportation back to the eighties and give me an ego boost on campus if you see me!

Lots of Love, Amy x

Editor Amy Scott-Munden editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

Deputy Editor Sam Pegg deputyeditor@theedgesusu.co.uk

Records Editor Callum Joynes records@theedgesusu.co.uk

Records Editor Mollie Potter records@theedgesusu.co.uk

Classic Culture Editor Susanna Robertson-Sheath culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

Culture Editor Emily Poole culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

Film Editor Ashish Dwivedi film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Film Editor Laura Carpenter film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Live Editor Rhianna Saglani live@theedgesusu.co.uk

16 The Clash of the New Romantics: Duran Duran vs Spandau Ballet

18 Our Favourite Eighties Songs

20 ‘Top of the Pops’: Is there any point in still requesting its return?

22 80s Artists Today!

25 The Smiths: Art Over Artist?

26 Our Favourite Films from the 80’s

29 Disney’s obsession with the Dark in the 80’s

32 Burton’s 80s: How A Decade Established The Auteur

34 Iconic 80’s Captured

36 The Comedic Legacy Left By The ‘80s Alternative Comedy Scene

39 That’s So Retro: Video Games in the 80s and its Influences Now

40 Our Favourite 80s TV Shows

42 ‘So you couldn’t buy gig tickets from the comfort of your own home?’ The Origins of Ticket Sales

News Editor: Rosie Spurrier

Head of Multimedia Outreach: Amrit Manku

Fundraising, Events and Publicity Officer Ellie Griffiths publicity@theedgesusu.co.uk

44 Everything you need to know about Live Aid

46 80’s, The Decade of The Rave? The Origins of The Rave Scene and It’s Legacy

48 The Prince’s Trust Rock Gala 1987

50 Social Media

News in Brief:

Harry Styles wins album of the year at the 65th annual Grammy awards for his third studio album Harry’s House.

Lewis Capaldi announces a UK tour with special guests McFly and Sigrid.

HBO’s House of the Dragons wins best drama TV series at the 80th annual Golden Globe awards.

Flowers by Miley Cyrus becomes the fastest single to surpass 100 million streams in the history of Spotify.

Marvel’s highly anticipated latest movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to be released to cinemas on the 17th of February.

Carrie Hope Fletcher heads out on her debut tour: An Open Book

Actress, singer, author and vlogger Carrie Hope Fletcher is set to make her debut tour around UK theatres, starting from May until June. Carrie Hope Fletcher: an open book, will showcase her incredible multi-award-winning vocals as she sings some of theatre’s most loved songs. Although no set list has been released, Carrie’s impressive repertoire may suggest possible musical choices. Having played Eponine and (years later) Fantine in West End’s Les Miserables, Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Veronica Sawyer in Heathers, Beth in War of the Worlds and Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, there’s no doubt that the audience can expect to hear a song they know and love - plus add a few more to the list along the way! As well as this, Carrie is of course also an author and vlogger with seven books to her name and one pending. We’re set to have chatty interludes where she shares stories from her incredible career! Who knows, there may even be a special guest or two. Carrie’s last solo concert (back in 2018) featured special guests such as her brother Tom fletcher (of McFly), and West Ends’ renowned singer and actor Rob Houchan. With an expansive career and brilliant voice such as hers, the audience is in for a great evening. This concert is predicted to be a hit for theatre and book lovers alike. And of course, if you’re a fan of Carrie’s, she’ll be visiting Southampton’s very own Mayflower theatre on Sunday the 21st of May so be sure to grab your tickets soon!

DEPUTY EDITOR Have a Nice Death - 22/03/23 Sophomore developers, Magic Design Studios, are back after following the release of their critically acclaimed Unruly Heroes. This time the developers bring you Have A Nice Death, which moves out of early access on March 23rd to Switch and PC. Following in famous roguelike footsteps, Have a Nice Death, has certainly drawn parallels with Metroidvania, Hollow Knight, in all the right ways. With its monochrome pallet, stellar visuals, and entertaining combat system, Have a Nice Death, looks perfectly suited to be 2023’s indie-darling, and fills that void for those waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong.

RECORDS

EDITOR The Lathums - ‘From Nothing To A Little Bit More’

- 03/03/23

Following on from their 2021 #1 debut album, the Wigan four-piece are back with their sophomore effort. Always striving to develop, the albums’ singles have displayed a more introspective approach to frontman Alex Moore’s writing. With the band also embarking on their biggest tour to date this year, including a massive date at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl, the album is certainly one for any indie rock fan to look forward to!

FILM EDITOR Luther: The Fallen Sun The film I’m most looking forward to coming out soon is Luther: The Fallen Sun. It’s a sequel to the BBC drama Luther and is meant to pick up a few years after the incredible cliffhanger. The film is set to star returning cast members such as the iconic Idris Elba who plays detective John Luther, and newcomers to the series such as Andy Serkis as the latest villain; a serial killer terrorising London.

CULTURE EDITOR The Last of Us TV Series (HBO) Stemming from the hit game produced by Naughty Dog nearly 10 years ago, ‘The Last of Us’ on TV is something I’ve certainly been anticipating. My early teen self absolutely loved playing games, especially ones routed in storytelling and choice-making; so it only made sense I was enamoured with The Last of Us as a game. Going into HBO’s TV Series; I had my concerns. Would it be as good as the game that touched my heart and soul? Having watched the first half of the season; I am MORE than impressed! Pedro Pascal brings Joel to life beautifully and Bella Ramsey brings a refreshing take on Ellie. Slight changes were made to the infamous cordyceps infection to ensure suitable for a TV setting- but it works beautifully. I only get more fixated as the series goes on. As such, I can certainly say that I am absolutely buzzing (and afraid for our beloved characters!) for the second half of the season incoming! I cannot wait to see how HBO will handle the tragedy, love, and horror that follows Joel and Ellie on their journey. This is a franchise that means a lot to me- and I cannot wait to see the final outcome!

LIVE EDITOR DYLAN - ‘Greatest Thing I’ll Learn Tour’ Following a summer supporting everyone’s favourite ginger legend Ed Sheeran, as well as support slots with Bastille, Thomas Headon and Tate McRae, DYLAN is currently on the “Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn” Tour. She’s sold out two consecutive nights at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London, and I see her on one of them! I cannot wait to see how the rest of the tour pans out as it’s been greatly successful so far. In fact, there was a funny incident of a man buying her tickets by accident thinking they’re Bob Dylan tickets but loving the music so much they booked to go again!

Nostalgic news: Our favourite releases from the ‘80s

Rio - Duran Duran: From its iconic Patrick Nagel album artwork to its inclusion of two of the band’s biggest singles ever, ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and ‘Rio’, to its colourful and adventurous music videos that were staples of MTV, Duran Duran’s Rio is undoubtedly one of the enduring symbols of the eighties. Mostly departing from the brooding, curious atmosphere of their first self-titled album, Rio encompassed all that was exotic and daring, especially to teenage girls in the eighties. From Simon Le Bon’s (literal) hunt for the woman of his dreams in ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ to the beach party vibes of ‘Rio’ (which can’t help but make you feel as if you’re halfway across the world, laid in the sun with a cocktail in hand), and the haunting, captivating mystique of enduring fan favourite, ‘The Chauffeur’, Rio is an album that tells many different stories, for many different listeners. It is Duran Duran’s most famous, and perhaps most acclaimed album, and with such a vibrant, exciting variety of tracks and music videos to offer, it is not hard to see why.

Prince Charming - Adam & The Ants:

Prince Charming, indeed! Adam & The Ants’ third and final album before both their split and Adam Ant’s successful solo career, is exactly that; A charming, charismatic and confident collection of tracks. Adam Ant is ever the captivating frontman as he sings us through tales of criminals, royalty, and women who are not to be messed with. A full listen-through of the album almost feels like a collection of non-related stories, introducing us to different worlds and characters alongside crashing drums and guitars that experiment with both an electric and acoustic sound. The album’s cover art is nothing short of legendary, capturing Adam Ant as the epitome of the New Romantic sub-genre of music and fashion that inspired bands such as

Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. Although the New Romantic fashion would fade to obscurity soon after, the album itself captures a moment in time when such experimental, dramatic and story-based music was adored and idolised. Adam & The Ants certainly ended up ‘standing and delivering’ a classic early eighties album that helped to shape and define the sound and fashion of the decade. Mollie Potter

Dirty Dancing - Emile Ardolino: Whilst staycation-ing with her family, Baby (Jennifer Grey) builds an infatuation with the resort’s dance instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze). She fills in for Johnny’s dance partner when things go awry. So goes his mission to teach Baby how to dance for a looming competition, all the while the pair start to fall for each other. That is, however, to the dismay of Baby’s father whom they must keep their relationship a secret from.

It was 1987 when Jennifer Grey first danced onto the big screen with a watermelon in hand. Now 35 years later, Dirty Dancing remains to be an iconic movie that’s enjoyed by each generation. The ingredient that makes Dirty Dancing re-watchable after all these years is the cheesiness of it all. It’s undeniably a not-so-guilty pleasure to imagine yourself dancing with Patrick Swayze. To be whisked away from an otherwise boring holiday with the family and be introduced to a world you’d never dare to dream of. Also, what’s wild is that this story took place at a holiday camp. Imagine this happening at Butlins! I don’t think the couple would have quite the same reaction after dancing to Lizzo’s It’s about damn time.

Now, an honest question, have you ever tried to do the dirty dancing lift? Did it go well? Nah me neither.

Adventures in Babysitting - Chris Columbus: The average 21st-century babysitter can

expect to experience little to hardly any of the trials and tribulations in Adventures in Babysitting. Which is one of the many reasons why the movie is so wonderfully chaotic! From the signature ‘80s-movie teen-dancing-in-her-bedroom’ intro sequence to the iconic soundtrack, this movie is fun and adventure-packed.

The challenges that arise multiply in intensity and danger as we move through the movie. They go from being accidentally rescued by a car hijacker when their initial hero takes a detour to shoot his wife’s lover, to singing on stage at a Rhythm & Blues club. Whilst on the run from a mob, they are caught in the middle of a subway gang fight, later on abseiling from the top floor of a New York City skyscraper.

All the while Chris’ friend-in-need is sitting panicked at a Bus station with a man with a gun, an angry homeless man and a generally untrustworthy group of people. The clan can’t get there any sooner.

Not only does Chris manage to keep all kids in her care safe (if slightly maimed) but she manages to return them all home in one piece. Of course, this movie offers the iconic line ‘Don’t f*ck with the babysitter’. As role models go, Chris is high in the pecking order. Rosie Spurrier

Stand by Me - Rob Reiner: As a twelve year old, no film gripped me quite like Rob Reiner’s 1986 coming of age drama Stand

By Me. Based on the novella

The Body by Stephen King, - which, of course,

Pic:

Cesar

Delgado TMDB

I also read the film focuses on four twelve year old boys: Gordie Lachance, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp, and Vern Tessio, all living in a small town in 1950s Oregon. The boys, overhearing from Vern’s older brother about a missing child’s dead body laying in the wilderness, set out on a trek to find the body, hoping to be rewarded as heroes for finding it.

The film, though following four twelve year old boys, is definitely not a children’s film. Their frequent swearing, smoking, and discussions of sex make this known almost immediately. Although as a twelve year old, hearing fellow twelve year olds swear felt cool and rebellious, it was the emotional weight of the film that truly struck me.

The film’s subject matter is heavy, with the boys’ reactions to finding the body changing their entire outlook on the fun journey they have had, solemnly deciding to anonymously report the body’s location instead of seeking glory. Amongst the jokes, laughter and swear words lays a lot of trauma, with two of the boys having abusive parents, and Gordie grieving the death of his older brother.

It is a young River Phoenix’s performance as Chris that provides the film’s most outstanding scene. Lamenting peoples’ assumptions that he will turn out to be a criminal like the rest of his family, Chris cries to Gordie that he wishes he could run away to a place where nobody

knows him. Many feel that River Phoenix should have been nominated for an Oscar for this scene alone, and I am inclined to agree. The scene is made only more poignant when it is revealed that Chris proved those who judged him wrong by studying to become a lawyer, only to be killed whilst breaking up a fight in a restaurant.

A perfect balance of pre-teen laughs, friendship and heart-wrenching scenes, Stand By Me endures as the film that captured my teenage heart, and remains one of my favourite offerings not only of the eighties, but of all time.

Mollie Potter

E.T. - Steven Spielberg: When a troubled child discovers an (admittedly, adorable) extra-terrestrial being on earth, it is only natural an entirely unique friendship would form. The alien, of course, as we know, dubs himself as ‘E.T.’. The memorable and heart-warming film that is E.T is one that stuck with me in childhood, unsurprising, perhaps as E.T himself was in fact based on Spielberg’s own imaginary friends and made consistent references to his own childhood, most of these being universally experienced; feigning sick to stay home from school and play, childhood crushes, and an incredibly active imagination (although, luckily for Elliot, E.T is real, unlike all of our imaginary friends.)

This film of friendship, isolation and of the entirely relatable journey of finding ‘home,’ is one that enamoured my childhood brain

Machine revitalised Bowie’s love for music after the rocky decade, and he also grew a beard! The ’80s signified a turning point for Bowie as he struggled to come to terms with his mainstream popularity, but he still managed to release big hits such as ‘Under Pressure’ with Queen and ‘Dancing in the Street’ with Mick Jagger. Although Bowie struggled internally, his image never faltered, and in the next three decades, Bowie released 17 more albums.

David Bowie died on the 10th of January 2016, leaving behind an inspirational legacy of expressionism, creativity, and the lesson to always be yourself! Amy Scott-Munden

Diana: From the charities she worked with to the statement fashion choices to the taboo subjects she brought into the spotlight, Princess Diana’s legacy continues to live on 25 years after her death. With Netflix shows such as The Crown, this generation is well aware of the dramas surrounding her life and the infamous ways in which she held her head up high afterwards. *The black silk body-con dress has entered the chat*. However, what may be little well known to the next generation is the wonderful impact Diana had to so many people’s lives. Her ‘scandalous behaviours’ may have rocked the royal boat but in Diana’s time as a member of the royal family (and after) she had managed to break the stigma surrounding AIDS by shaking the hands of patients suffering from the illness. Furthermore, doing this without wearing gloves at a time when AIDS sufferers were ostracised, with society believing that you could catch the illness through touch. As well as this, through tours around the world, she brought attention to global issues. Knowing that something as simple as her presence would capture significant attention, Diana ventured to Angola in 1997 where active landmines lay underground.

She walked across this site with the aim to bring attention to the issue and ban mines. As much as this work, and many more global challenges she worked to change, had a hugely positive impact, it was internal struggles that Diana had yet to shine a light on. It was after her passing that sons Prince Harry and William and daughter-in-law Kate set up a mental health initiative in her honour, named Heads Together. What was once a taboo subject and something Diana suffered from is now globally recognised with initiatives like these changing the conversation surrounding mental health. Let’s hope that Diana’s legacy lives on and encourages people to break through barriers. Rosie Spurrier

Winona Ryder: You may know Winona Ryder as one of TV’s favourite dysfunctional mums in a little TV show called Stranger Things. Ironically, while Stranger Things tries to hark back to a nostalgic depiction of the 80s, Winona Ryder’s presence in the series feels a little ironic, especially when she was an 80s icon in her own right. After almost 40 years in the business, Winona Ryder started her career in the 1986 film, Lucas. However, it wouldn’t be until the 1988 Tim Burton classic, Beetlejuice, that Winona Ryder would shoot to fame. Playing everyone’s second favourite goth (falling just short of number one to none other than Wednesday Addams),

Winona Ryder brought a delicious slice of morbid curiosity to Beetlejuice as Lydia, even given Michael Keaton’s titular character, Beetlejuice, a running for his money. A match made in heaven. It doesn’t stop there though.

Flash forward only a short while later in 1988 and suddenly Winona Ryder is gracing 80s film screens all over again, this time ditching the dark blacks of gothic drab, for... well... another dark comedy with a splash more colour - Heathers. Two classics in the same

year... no wonder Winona Ryder is remembered so fondly as a huge part of the 80s. Now include the filmography that goes on to include classics like Edward Scissorhands, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Girl Interrupted, etc. (the list really goes on), and it’s not hard to see why Winona Ryder’s career has been one of Hollywood’s most memorable and enduring. Sam Pegg

Freddie Mercury: Freddie Mercury: a name that carries an incredible legacy in the history of pop culture. With his unwavering talent and undeniable charisma, the late legend dominated decades of popular culture, however, he did so especially during the 1980s, a time when his band Queen were at the peak of their careers and stardom. Throughout this decade we have an abundance of flamboyant fashion moments to fawn over, so why not look at the fashion legacy of arguably the most flamboyant star there has ever been!

Freddie Mercury’s style seems to have been in a permanent state of fluctuation and reinvention, and it’s because of this that I find him so admirable. His style was able to encompass both womenswear and menswear allowing it to have even more longevity than the styles we’ve seen produced over the 4 decades. Whether his outfit would be seen as more for men or for women would not change the fact that his outfits were almost always tight. We often see Freddie in an outfit synonymous with his legendary image, a very low-cut, white spandex unitard. We can see clear reiterations of this iconic look in more modern designs, for example, the Vivienne Westwood unitard from Spring/Summer 2019.

One of his most iconic looks was the variety of military jackets he’d wear. We have seen this paid homage to many times in more comical ways through a variety of Halloween costumes. However, the style has also been reinterpreted for high fashion, although I’d argue in a much less flamboyant way. The most famous military jacket he wore was a yellow leather jacket worn in a performance at Wembley in 1986. I feel the jackets don’t invoke a feeling of the military when worn by Freddie. Instead, he feels and looks much more like a superhero; our Supersonic Man. Megan Eynon - Daly

Kate Bush: The 80’s musical icon that has been renewed and retold due to the popularity that shrouds the ever-growing TV show, Stranger Things, the first-ever female artist to produce a UK Number One with a self-written song, and whose experimental nature leaves a lasting impact on listeners and music as we know it today, is of course, Kate Bush. Kate Bush is not only an 80s icon in her own right, but her musical legacy is certainly one of relevancy today. Being the first British female solo artist to top the UK album charts, as well as being the first female to enter at number one, her success is more than evident, setting a new precedent for feminine roles in the mainstream music sphere. This, combined with her eclectic aesthetics and style makes for incredibly memorable hits such as ‘Babooshka’ and ‘The Man with the Child in his Eyes,’ (written at just 13 years old!). Both ‘Babooshka,’ and ‘Running Up That Hill,’ have faced a huge re-emergence in popular culture today. Of course, Stranger Things shot ‘Running Up That Hill,’

straight back into the charts, introducing the new generation to the marvel that is Bush, while also stirring up some reminiscence for those who experienced the 8os in real-time.

‘Babooshka,’, as avid TikTok users would know, found new-age popularity on the app and has taken the social media platform by storm.

Bush’s genius lyrical power, then, is iconic in and of itself; a new age of lyrical art, one that remains relevant even in today’s over-saturated pop culture. With Kate Bush’s musical diversity and unconventionality, it is no surprise she won ‘Best British Female Artist’, in 1987. Truly, Kate Bush made music that fit into many genres, played around with gothic and glam-rock aesthetics, and was nothing short of art. Rightfully so, Kate Bush has been hailed as ‘the queen of art-pop,’ whose legacy as an iconic 80’s female artist continues on feverishly, inspiring pop-culture and then some tirelessly.

Cyndi Lauper: well known for iconic hits such as ‘Time After Time,’ and ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,’ is certainly an 80’s artist that cannot be forgotten. Lauper did not only revolutionise

writers Hall of Fame, it was not just Lauper’s artistic ability that fulfils her role as an icon and keeps her legacy ongoing. Lauper was an activist in her own right, aside from her iconic and distinctive image, Lauper actively advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, in a time of prejudice and uncertainty- citing her openly gay sister, Ellen as her role model. Beautifully, Lauper used her musical influence to further support this; ‘True Colours’ is known as a gay anthem, and ‘Above The Clouds,’ is a memoir for Matthew Shepard.

In fact, Lauper was recognised for her humanitarian efforts, being specially invited to Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. As an artist and an activist, Cyndi Lauper is most definitely a beloved 80s icon to be celebrated, her music certainly remaining popular today and her legacy being filled with acceptance, equality and genuine goodness. With her eccentric style, and playful loving attitude it is no surprise she becomes a beloved musical icon, but also fulfils an incredibly important, and still relevant legacy, even today. Emily

Poole

Left: Muirguen TMDB Right: Atellyer TMDB

The Clash of the New Romantics: Duran Duran vs Spandau Ballet

Mollie Potter

On 28th December 1984, teenage girls all over the United Kingdom sat in front of their television sets, turned over to BBC1 and withheld the remotes from their families. Three days after Christmas, bored of playing Monopoly and Scrabble with their extended families, they instead tuned in to watch famous musicians take on a quiz, battling one another for glory. They watched wide-eyed as Mike Read introduced the competitors for the clash of the New Romantics, the war of the New Wave. Who would win the battle of Duran Duran vs Spandau Ballet? Who would claim the hearts of young girls all over the nation for years to come?

Okay, it obviously was not that dramatic. What it did do, though, was solidify the friendly rivalry between Duran Duran and Spandau ballet, both in music and image. It could almost be thought of as the ‘battle of Britpop’ of the 1980s, but with more mullets and two bands who could bear to be in the same room as one another. Although Duran Duran won the quiz with fifty-two points to Spandau Ballet’s forty, does this mean that they won the battle of the New Romantics? It is interesting to look back on the origins and successes of the two bands, particularly their similarities and differences. Although the two were separate bands with different identities, their New Romantic origins gave rise to comparison from the very beginning.

Formed around the same time, Duran Duran in 1978 in Birmingham, and Spandau Ballet in 1979 in Islington, London, both bands began to rise to prominence as part of the early eighties ‘New Wave’ music scene. Both bands had five members, with Spandau Ballet containing the

now well-known Kemp brothers, Gary and Martin. Although Duran Duran’s members had no family ties, coincidentally, they did have three members who shared the surname Taylor: Andy, John, and Roger, who were often assumed to be related. Both bands became regular performers at nightclubs, with Spandau Ballet frequenting Blitz in Covent Garden, and Duran Duran The Rum Runner in Birmingham. Despite operating, initially, from different cities, comparisons were drawn immediately between the two, not only due to the above similarities but due to their participation in the New Romantic scene. Early photos of both bands show them decked out in frilly, puffy shirts, ruffled collars, scarves and, of course, makeup. Where both groups performed in nightclubs heavily associated with this subculture, it was inevitable that, as they steadily rose to fame, the two would be pitted against one another.

Both bands released their debut albums in 1981, only furthering comparisons between the two as they explored the New Wave, synthesizer-based sounds they had been associated with. Although Spandau Ballet’s Journeys to Glory reached a very commendable number five on the UK Albums Chart, it was Duran Duran’s self-titled debut that won this particular battle, peaking at number three. However, Spandau Ballet’s debut single, To Cut a Long Story Short reached number five on the singles chart, whereas Duran Duran’s debut single, Planet Earth reached only number twelve. With both bands having similar chart success, and neither performing drastically better than the other, a musical rivalry was established.

Both bands captured the attention of press and public alike, with their members’

photographs adorning teenage girls’ walls throughout the decade. Though the two bands eventually shed their New Romantic origins, comparisons endured. By 1983, Spandau Ballet’s True had gone to number one in the album charts, as had Duran Duran’s Seven and the Ragged Tiger. US chart success also followed for both, with Spandau’s ‘True’ reaching number four, and Duran’s The Reflex topping the charts. Both bands participated in Bob Geldof’s Christmas charity single, Do They Know It’s Christmas? as part of Band Aid, and performed at 1985’s Live Aid (we do not talk about Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon’s infamous bum note). While Duran Duran performed the theme song for the 1985 fourteenth James Bond film A View to a Kill, once again topping the US charts, Spandau Ballet’s Gold has an enduring legacy as a classic, motivational tune that is easy for anybody to sing along to, no matter how young or old they are. It would be easy to continue on for thousands more words about the rivalry and history

of these two bands, but by tracing them just from their New Romantic origins to the height of their success in the mid-eighties, it is easy to see that both had a significant impact on the music industry, in their own different ways. As a diehard Duran Duran fan, it would also be easy for me to declare Duran Duran the winners of ‘The Clash of the New Romantics’. However, my verdict is that both bands had similar chart successes, levels of fame, and participated in many of the same iconic eighties collaborations. Although Spandau Ballet have disbanded and Duran Duran are still going strong, this does not mean to say that Duran Duran were the stronger group. While Duran Duran may have won the Pop Quiz special, you would be hard-pressed to find somebody who would not sing along to Spandau Ballet’s Gold if it came on on the radio. Both bands have an enduring eighties legacy, which can be looked back on fondly as a friendly rivalry between two groups unafraid to express themselves in fashion and through music.

Our Favourite Eighties Songs

The 80s saw the rise of many genres (New wave, Punk, Electronic etc...) which is what made the decade so unique. Here are the records that stand out to us as the best representations of 80s music:

Adam and The Ants - ‘Stand and Deliver’

(1981 - From the album Prince Charming)

Not only is ‘Stand and Deliver’, from Adam and The Ants’ iconic 1981 album Prince Charming my most played eighties song on Spotify, it is also my second most played song of all time. Beginning with a fanfare and the sound of a horse neighing, the unusual introduction pulls you in to crashing drums and punchy guitars.

Adam Ant’s charismatic vocals then kick in to tell the story of a ‘dandy highwayman’ who mocks his victims’ unfashionable dress sense to try and get them to give away their belongings.

A large part of what makes me love the song so much is its music video. Featuring the band dressed in the typical new romantic fashion of the early eighties, Adam Ant is magnetic as he plays the charming and cocky criminal, taunting his victims for their unstyilish dress with a hand mirror. He parades around the forest, interrupts a fancy dinner by swinging through

the window and stomping on the tables, and escapes the death sentence for his crimes, all the while pouting his glossy lips, flaunting his extravagant white waistcoat, and waving a fake gun around. Famously known for being the inspiration behind Matthew Baynton’s Dick Turpin portayal in Horrible Histories, the video helped to secure the song’s status as an iconic eighties tune, skyrocketing Adam Ant himself to the status of an eighties fashion and music icon.

The song went to number one on the UK charts, and it is not hard to see why. It is one of the few songs that I can replay ten times in a row without ever becoming bored. Each listen feels fresh and new, and the sound of that opening fanfare and Adam Ant screaming ‘STAND AND DELIVER’, before the guitars kick in instantly grabs my attention, whether it be on the radio in the car, playing in a shop, or on shuffle on Spotify. A certified eighties cultural classic, ‘Stand and Deliver’ endures as my favourite eighties song ever.

Mollie Potter

Prefab Sprout - ‘The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll’

(1988 - From the album From Langley Park to Memphis) While it is unlikely to be featured in an ‘iconic 80s’ playlist anytime soon, the slightly-forgotten 1988 hit The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll

by County Durham’s Prefab Sprout deserves a place amongst the best songs of the era.

Focusing on a washed-up 1950s singer whose glory days are behind them, remembered only for a strange novelty hit, the song is perhaps most memorable for its nonsensical chorus of “Hot dog, jumping frog, Alberquerque”. While at first they may just seem like three unrelated nouns, which they are, somehow songwriter and frontman Paddy McAloon combines them to create a mysteriously catchy chorus that will certainly be stuck in your head for months to come.

The whimsical lyrics are backed by a gloriously funky new-wave groove, featuring both the synthy goodness that you’d expect from the era and sounds far from dated to the modern ear, with its influences clear in modern releases by the likes of The 1975 (namely Love Me) and Smallpools. McAloon’s vocal style for this song, immitating the 50s rock stars that the song is concerned with, also gives it an interesting edge compared to its contemporaries.

Sadly McAloon is not quite as fond as myself, stating in 2000 that being remembered for the song feels like The Beatles if they were best knows for their children’s song Yellow Submarine, as opposed to Hey Jude, which is a shame. While The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll is a lot more ‘mainstream’ sounding than much of their previous work, creating a pop song this fun yet still sophisticated in its subject matter is an art form in itself. Although, perhaps he’ll get some solace from the fact that, despite it being by far their highest charting single, is currently only their fourth most popular on Spotify - behind Bonny, When Love Breaks Down (both from their earlier, ‘sophistipop’ albums), and Cars and Girls. However, The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll is for me both their best song and my contender for the best song of the decade, so cheer up Paddy! Callum Joynes

Cyndi Lauper - ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ (1983 - From the album She’s So Unusual) Unarguably, the 80s were a decade of constant hits, so trying to whittle down to a favourite song of the 80s is particularly difficult. It could have been Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, perhaps Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’, or even Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’. However, when I think of the 80s, my mind always rolls back to a particular gem by Cyndi Lauper that is none other than ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’, and man is it a

phenomenal song at that. Taking everything synonymous with words like upbeat, Lauper creates a solo track that is equal parts gay awakening as it is pure 80s freedom. A rip-roaring track all about pure unadulterated joy, Lauper tracks the highs of being bound by nothing else than your own desire to have fun. It’s a lively track, steeped in elements of disco while staying true to its pop core, and a demonstration of Lauper taking the premise of her free-flying life and interning it into one of the most iconic and quintessential songs of the 80s.

Sam Pegg

Kate Bush - ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ (1985 - From the album Hounds of Love) Having first discovered ‘Running Up That Hill’ covered by Placebo when I was about 13 years old on The Vampire Diaries (embarrassing, I know); I was enamoured by the melancholic lyrics combined with the unique 80’s riffs. Quickly locating the original by Kate Bush, it immediately became a favourite in my haze of early teen gothic angst. A tune I could enjoy, but also a piece of art that made me feel something. Not only this, but the interpretative dance and the eery lilac aesthetics of the music video only added to my love of the song and its meaning. As always with Kate Bush, it was different, unique, and encapsulated a sadness I could relate too.

On that note, then, it was the profound lyrics that spoke to me, moving me deeply to this very day. To me, the lyrics fall into the realms of grief and yearning. Having grown up with my beloved elder brother being severely disabled, passing away just a year after I discovered the song, I so desperately wished I could ‘make a deal with God’ and ‘get him to swap our places,’ as the chorus laments. At 14, these feelings are traumatic and complex to deal with- hearing them so beautifully laid out in music just brought that little bit of comfort. The recent resurgence of ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ in Netflix’s Stranger Things, then, is wonderful to me. The song is directly linked to the character Max, having also experienced familial loss in earlier seasons. It felt beautiful, validating, and overall, peaceful to see this piece of music, that means so much to me, be appreciated so widely again. For these reasons alone, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) is my favourite 80’s song of all time. Emily

Poole

Pic: Florian Unsplash

As one of the most iconic British TV shows of all time, arguably at its peak in the 1980s, a return for the music chart-focused performance program Top of the Pops has been much discussed since the regular show ended in 2006.

Simon Cowell reportedly wanted to revive the show in 2008, and Nick Grimshaw announced that he was working on a ‘Top of the Pops-style show’ in 2016, yet neither of these came to fruition. While there have been Christmas and New Years Eve specials each year since then, they have finally been axed this year for an abridged Review of 2022 show that will largely feature pre-filmed performances from other BBC shows this year, and has been shunted from a BBC One afternoon Christmas Day slot to a late night Christmas Eve time on BBC Two, so a return for the muchloved British institution perhaps looks even less likely than ever. But why exactly has this much-discussed return never occurred?

Well, in a sense it already has. In 2017, the BBC launched Sounds Like Friday Night. Presented by Radio 1’s Greg James and 1Xtra’s A.Dot, it was a weekly 30-minute music show filled with not only performances, but also sketches and interviews. Instead of focusing on the chart, SLFN featured a mix of both big name artists alongside rising stars. However, despite featuring frankly massive names such as The Killers, Kasabian and a post-New Rules Dua Lipa, it failed to take off and was hardly able to reach 2 million viewers by the end of its second series in the Spring of 2018. In a nutshell, the music landscape of 2022 just does not suit itself to a weekly live music TV show. For a start, there are so many other avenues in which music fans can access their favourite artists without constricting themselves to whatever the BBC deems to be the best in mainstream music that week. Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have been crucial in breaking some of the world’s biggest current artists, and since the COVID pandemic have shown themselves to be more than able to host short acoustic performances of songs, to full live spectacles, such as The Weeknd’s ‘TikTok Experience’ in 2021. The modern UK charts also do not lend themselves to the Top of the Pops format in the slightest. Gone are the fast-moving charts of the 80s in which songs were only likely to be purchased

by an individual once and subsequently only contribute to a song’s chart life for one week, and instead streaming platforms allow users to contribute to a song’s chart life for weeks on end. The Official Charts Company have tried to tackle this by introducing certain rules, such as the controversial “ACR rule” in which a song’s streams are halved for the chart after 9 weeks in the chart and 3 weeks of sales decline - confusing, I know! However, there are still far fewer Top 40 hits than there were in the 80s, and as a consequence, a hypothetical Top of the Pops would have far less choice if it still wanted to focus on the very *Top* of the Pops.

Since the 1980’s, the live broadcast capabilities have also allowed the BBC to expand their music programming in the modern era. While the ‘alternative’ music show Later... with Jools Holland has run continually since 1992, more mainstream music is still given pride of place in the BBC schedules through their expansive yearly coverage of festivals including Glastonbury, Reading & TRNSMT, providing more minutes of music broadcasting than was ever achieved in the past through Top of the Pops.

‘Top of the Pops’: Is there any point in still requesting its return?

Callum Joynes

80s Artists Today!

Good news! Our favourite artists who shaped the decade didn’t stop in the 80s! We take a look back in the past five years to see which musicians are still killing the game.

Sting - What Could Have Been - (2021 - from Arcane: League of Legends (Soundtrack from the Animated Series) Think of the 80s and there are plenty of bands that come to your mind. One may be The Police. Now, before you say anything, I know that The Police’s arguably biggest hit Roxanne isn’t actually an 80s song, released in 1978. However, you can’t argue against its power to lay the foreground for The Police to maintain an inarguable dominance that persisted for much of the 80s and saw releases like Every Breath You Take (which has a whopping 1.3 billion streams on Spotify) and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. Yet despite The Police no longer releasing new music, that doesn’t stop its frontman, Sting, from being pretty prevalent in the music world (and weirdly in film & TV - Only Murders in the Building, anyone?). While Sting never quite reached anywhere near the heights of The Police, that doesn’t mean he didn’t collaborate to release one of 2021’s best songs (and you can fight me on that). With the release of Netflix’s phenomenal League of Legends animated series Arcane, what came with it was a host of original music, including Sting’s collaboration with Ray Chen to create the heartbreaking (and my top song of 2022’s Spotify wrapped), What Could Have Been. Scoring one of Arcane’s final and most riveting moments, the depths of Sting’s voice backed by orchestral strings were the perfect accompaniment for a perfectly animated scene. Bone-chilling and simply phenomenal. Sam Pegg

Duran Duran - Invisible (2021 - from FUTURE PAST) Despite being primarily associated with the eighties, Duran Duran have released three albums throughout the 2010s and 2020s: 2011’s All You Need is Now, 2015’s Paper Gods, and 2021’s FUTURE PAST. Having formed in 1978, this means that the band have been solidly making music, with various line-up changes and reunions, for over forty years. An impressive feat in itself, Duran Duran continue to not only release new music, but are also still touring (I have tickets for their May 2023 show at the O2 and I couldn’t be more emotional about it if I tried), and have recently been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With an enduring legacy and a fanbase made up both of people who grew up in the eighties, and their children, it is no surprise that FUTURE PAST made it to number three on the UK Albums Chart.

The album’s first single, ‘Invisible’, not only sounds fresh and current, but pays tribute to many elements of iconic eighties Duran Duran songs. The classic John Taylor funky bassline, and Nick Rhodes’ genius synth stand out as the best of these, while Simon

Le Bon’s vocals and harmonies remain as good as they were in the eighties. Although the track lyrically explores loneliness and feeling invisible, John Taylor’s bassline renders it danceable and a certified head-bopper. Overall, it is a great track from a band that transcends the decades.

Mollie Potter

Mötley Crüe - The Dirt (Est. 1981) (feat. Machine Gun Kelly), Ride with the Devil, Crash and Burn, Like a Virgin (2019 - from The Dirt Soundtrack) The Dirt is a soundtrack album from the March 2019 Mötley Crüe biopic of the same name. It was

the first Crüe release in over a decade and featured 4 brand-new tracks. A welcome surprise after three years of everyone in the band insisting that their collective career was over.

Apart from their heavy cover of Madonna’s Like a Virgin (ironic coming from the world’s most notoriously sexual band), which features riffs paying homage to Metallica and breaks down into a glorious half-time at the chorus, the other 3 songs were contenders for the title track. They all tried to summarise the band’s entire vibe, sound and history in just under 4 minutes each.

In February 2019, The Dirt (Est. 1981) was released as the single for the soundtrack and peaked at No.8 on Billboard. In

Top-Right: Halitll, Eva Rinaldi, Zadzior, flickr

the verses, Vince Neil’s audibly worn vocal sings very broadly and vaguely about the “hardships” of being in a band in the 80s, including the classics: “drugs”, “lies”, “hate” and not much more really. The pre and actual choruses are all about perseverance and reveling in the lifestyle.

The sentiment is heavily contrasted by the unexpected rap feature from soon-to-be rockstar Machine Gun Kelly, who plays drummer Tommy Lee in the film. His verse asks for “more sex, more tats, more blood, more pain” and goes on to list a bunch of other stereotypical rockstar stuff that supposedly inspired MGK as he pretended to be in Mötley Crüe for the duration of filming. It’s almost poetic how their 30-years-younger feature takes the “embracing the rockstar life” narrative and turns it into a narrative of thriving in it, but I doubt it’s any more meaningful than a coincidence. Either way, the conclusion on both fronts is a typical too-cool-to-care rockstar move, and it works. The Dirt is a reminder of Mötley Crüe’s glory(?) days that successfully makes you want to relive them via their debaucherous film.

Miko Lisiak

Culture Club - ‘Let Somebody Love You’ (2018 - from Life)

Taken from 2018’s Life, the then four-piece’s first studio album in almost 20 years, Culture Club’s Let Somebody Love You is a sun-drenched song that is sure to lift the spirits of anybody that decides to give it a listen. Although the band have not yet released anything since then, it is clear proof that the Karma Chameleon hitmakers still have the formula for the perfectly punchy pop song contained within them. Now with a far rougher tone than his 1980’s heyday, frontman and songwriter Boy George’s vocals offer a sense of wiseness and lived experience to his lyrics that detail his idea that “you’ve got to take the risk to allow yourself to be loved”. Ultimately, Let Somebody Love You is a hopeful song about love and is perfectly combined with a reggae-infused instrumental that makes a perfect jam to just sit back and relax to on the warm summer afternoons.

Unlike some of their contemporaries, it is refreshing to not see Culture Club try to recapture past youthful glories, and instead morph into an ideal display of ‘mature’ pop at its very best: reflective, wise, but ultimately still as catchy as anything they produced in the past. With George achieving a fairly successful appearance on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity... this year, now is the perfect time for the band to enter their seventh album cycle - so let’s hope 2023 is the year for it.

Callum Joynes

The Smiths: Art Over Artist?

Charlie Burgess

With ‘cancel culture’ being so prevalent online in recent years, it still surprises me every time I come across a TikTok on my for you page using a song by iconic 1980’s indie pop/rock band The Smiths. My dad, who is significantly more cluedin on music than me, was the one who informed me about Morrissey: “We don’t play The Smiths anymore, Charlie,” he told me authoritatively when I played Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now in the car as a teenager. Learning about Morrissey’s anti-immigration and far-right activism, I promptly stopped listening to his music. So why are tracks such as This Charming Man, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, and Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now so popular on the internet at the moment?

Morrissey has an increasingly large backlog of controversial public opinions. Specifically, he has made plenty of racist comments, such as stating reggae music promotes ‘black supremacy’, “black people and white people will [n]ever get on”, said he felt Chinese people are a ‘subspecies’, and defended anti-Islam UKIP candidate Anne Marie Waters. He has also stated controversial extremist views on the consumption of meat, stating that it is on the same ‘moral level’ as child abuse and paedophilia. Morrissey has worn a badge from the far-right movement For Britain on stage, a party that even Nigel Farage describes as being filled with ‘Nazis’. So, from racism to misogyny to whatever the hell he’s getting at with the whole meat thing, there is no doubt of the dissonance between Morrissey’s opinions and those of the general public. It is also undeniable, however, that The Smiths made good music. Their lyrical genius effortlessly captures the unforgiving melancholy of early adulthood.

In the wake of the recent situation with Rex

Orange County, albeit ‘cancelled’ for counts of sexual assault rather than political opinion, made me wonder what saves Morrissey from the same fate of being removed from playlists and public favour (although Rex’s charges have since been dropped, and has returned to popular public favour). Is it because The Smiths are an 80s band, so don’t get media attention in the same way as active artists? Asking around, I quickly learnt that it was mostly the case that people simply are not aware. I wonder, then, if they did know, whether they would stop listening; is The Smiths a faceless band for our generation, removed from its components to a younger audience who weren’t around for its heyday?

Johnny Marr, lead guitarist of The Smiths, has separated himself from Morrissey, stating that they are “so different”. Morrissey has written an open letter about Marr, asking him to stop mentioning him in interviews.

So, is it right to separate art from the artist? In the case of The Smiths, the situation is a little morally ambiguous, considering the band doesn’t only consist of Morrissey. That doesn’t mean, however, that he isn’t still making money from his music, and if even other members of the band have separated themselves from the artist, maybe we should too. Personally, I can’t help but feel like the music of The Smiths has been tainted. When art is representative of something so personal to the artist, how can we separate them? I find it difficult not to hear the festering spite within the lyrics of their early music that manifests itself in recent years in Morrissey’s extreme comments. It is therefore perhaps to my own detriment that I find it so difficult to enjoy their music at face value, considering The Smiths soundtracked my formative years, but ultimately in this case I cannot bring myself to listen to music that so eloquently illustrates the inner psyche of a fascist.

Pic: Eric Nopanen & Markus Winkler

Our Favourite Films from the 80’s

Our writers look back on the cinematic decade that was famous for excellent storytelling, exciting FX, and the Hollywood blockbuster!

A Grand Day Out (1989): While I may be slightly cheating as it’s not a full-length theatrical film per say, director and co-writer Nick Park’s landmark short film, A Grand Day Out, deserves to be considered as one of the greats of the era. A Grand Day Out follows the inventor, Wallace, alongside his dog, Gromit, as they plan, and eventually travel, to the moon as they believe the myth that the Moon is made of cheese. Peter Sallis’ iconic everyday Englishman performance as the titular Wallace, bringing a relatable warmth to proceedings, sets the tone of the content that would launch one of the biggest independent animation studios of all time, Aardman Animations. All in all, this debut, Wallace & Gromit, features near-silent cinema at its best. At a mere runtime of 23 minutes, it’s the ideal comic pick-me-up for those days where you just want something easy to laugh at. Therefore, it is no wonder that it is a staple of the BBC’s Christmas schedules to date. Along the way, they battle with a nameless robot who destines to travel back with them to Earth, resulting in a perfect balance of slapstick humour lovingly crafted through the simple yet emotion-provoking Plasticine builds. A Grand Day Out launched a love for stop-motion within me that continues, and its wry British humour has remained prevalent within the studio’s output to this day.

Overboard (1987):

around carpenter sees his chance to get back at the stuck-up rich woman who refused to pay him, he seeks advantage of her memory loss by pretending she’s his housewife and mother to his four children. Having no recollection of her life, before falling overboard from her yacht, Joanna (played by Goldie Hawn) enters a world entirely different to her true lavish

lifestyle. Without realising, she’s replaced a beautifully kitted-out walk-in wardrobe with pre-owned thrift store clothes that are 5 sizes too big. Caviar is now a distant memory... and the yacht? That disappeared along with the husband that ditched her when he could. All she’s left with is an unfamiliar ‘well lived-in’ home, 4 chaotic and demanding “children”, and a “husband” (Dean, played by Kurt Russell) who gives her a list of chores as long as her arm. She’s gone from being a lady of leisure to a glorified maid who’s constantly rushed off her feet, all in the name of karma. You may have read the previous paragraph and thought, well, this sounds like red flag after red flag; where’s the comedy? It’s actually a very funny movie with a lot of light-hearted moments. What adds to the charm is that Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were an actual couple. In fact, at the time of filming, they had already been a real-life couple for 4 years and used to bring their baby on sets with them. He even makes a very brief cameo in the golf course scene as ‘the baby’ that Joanna meets.

Where, at first, the movie feels like it’s about revenge and comeuppance, the focus soon shifts to Joanna’s improving character and the fondness that develops between her and Dean (played by Kurt Russell). They initially have opposite attitudes and moral values, but this gradually changes as Annie (Joanna) adopts a motherly role. She grows to care for the children and shows this by sticking up for them to their dismissive teacher and caring for them when they’re poorly. Her maternal side is at the forefront, which pushes back her selfish attributes. With the previous lack of a maternal figure, the children and Dean eventually relish and thrive from what they’ve been missing. Even Annie misses parts of her pretentious life when she eventually remembers and returns to the life of luxury.

So, although this movie is labelled as a romantic comedy,

Pic:WeishengTMDB

Pic:DionTMDB

there’s a lot to be said about Annie’s character development: going from a stubborn, self-obsessed rich lady to a humbled, maternal and kind woman; highlighting that since 1987, life is not about the materialistic things you possess, but about the people you spend your life and time with.

Rosie Spurrier

Evil Dead (1981): The Evil Dead (1981) is Sam Raimi’s feature directorial debut, and it was a magnificent way to kick off a rather successful career. It features demonic zombies, a shady cabin in the woods, and a supernatural curse. The movie was so good that even though newcomers, like Raimi, to the horror industry were involved in the low-budget production, making it a risky move, Stephen King gave it his blessing, which boosted distribution. So, what makes it so good?

Firstly, there is the star of the entire film. Despite the small cast of only 8 people, Bruce Campbell steals the show as Ashley Joanna “Ash” Williams in this slightly campy supernatural horror as - spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched it - the film’s final girl/guy. However, Campbell isn’t only the pretty face before the camera - he and Sam Raimi both worked behind the scenes on this film as they were childhood friends.In fact, the production company was comprised mainly of Campbell, Raimi, and their friends and family. With that much love at the backdrop, it’s no wonder there was so much detail in both the writing (as Raimi himself wrote the film), practical effects, and set design that made this film such a massive success.

The Evil Dead is one of the most iconic horror films.

Whilst its sequel, The Evil Dead II (1987), is typically the more beloved Evil Dead from the 80s because of the blend of comedy and horror that allowed Ash Williams to become the pop culture icon he is today, you can never beat the original.

Laura M. Carpenter

Disney’s obsession with the Dark in the 80’s Amy

Scott-Munden

Movie making is a tough business! You’ve got to keep up with the latest trends, and constantly have your eye pointed firmly towards the future, even if you’re one of the biggest production companies in the world!

By the time Disney reached the 80s, the studio had already been in the movie business for six decades, reaching its pinnacle ‘Golden Age’ with movies like Pinnochio (1940), Snow White (1937), and Bambi (1937). Then, came the ‘Silver Age’ after the wartime period, and people were looking to spend their disposable incomes when, consequently, Disneyland opened in 1955. Tragedy soon struck as founder Walt Disney passed away in 1966. The 70s produced a new form of animation called xerography which was used in Robin Hood (1973) and The Aristocats (1970), which audiences described as ‘scratchy’ and ‘muted’. So, without their mogul, Disney productions had become lost, and struggled to figure out what their audiences wanted.

On the more successful side of Hollywood, Steven Spielberg was riding the success of the Jaws franchise (1975, 1978), whilst George Lucas was debuting the phenomenon of Star Wars in 1977, which Disney turned down!

Both series grossed over $400 million on their initial releases!

The 80’s was a decade where Disney was looking for fresh new things. Star Wars and Jaws were attracting older audiences, so Disney tried the same formula. The studio delved into the horror genre, releasing The Watcher in the Woods in 1980. This was an anti-fairy ghost tale, specifically marketed as “not for kids”! The movie had many horror genre ties, such as starring creepy actress, Bette Davis, and using the house from The Haunting (1963). The film received bad reviews and grossed only $5 million. It was clear that the ‘older-audience-targeted horror genre’ wasn’t working. The film was initially pulled from screenings, and is now kept firmly in the vault with the film inaccessible on streaming services, so it’s difficult to say what was so wrong with it, because it sounds like a great film.

Perhaps, people just weren’t used to the spooky new Disney.

In 1981, Disney released The Fox and the Hound, a wellloved film nowadays, but a box-office bomb at the time. Viewers called the film ‘boring’ and too ‘whimsical’. The Fox and the Hound, arguably, signifies the last of the ‘classic’ Disney films. In 1983, Disney went back down the creepy route, adapting Ray

Pic:GusTMDB

Pic:Fox Entertainment

Bradbury’s novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Visually, this film is brilliant, and is one of my favourite adaptation films ever! Jonathan Pryce plays a sinister carnival owner, and brilliantly captures the tone of the film, but, again, audiences just didn’t like it! Now the mid-80s were approaching, and Disney had created the first half of a forgettable era. The Black Cauldron had been in production for over a decade, so hopes were quite high, or perhaps panicked! The film had the biggest budget of any Disney film of the time, costing a huge $44 million. The Black Cauldron was another dark fantasy, and the first Disney animation to receive a PG rating. The movie received average reviews, leaving nobody as being particularly impressed. The plot, following a pig farmer and his gang who seek to destroy the cauldron, was deemed too long and messy. Although the film can be appreciated for the risks it took in animation, most people aren’t animation experts, and the film grossed only $21 million.

Still not getting the message, Disney produced one of the scariest films I’ve ever seen in 1985. Return to Oz is the follow-up to the widely successful, The Wizard of Oz. The film starts in an incredibly sinister way, as Aunt Em takes Dorothy to a sanatorium for electrotherapy due to her obsessions with Oz. Dorothy then returns to Oz after floating down a river, and encounters a headless princess who wears other people’s heads, and now seeks Dorothy’s for her collection. It is now a cult classic, but at that time, it only grossed $11 million.

It’s hard to say what was so wrong with the early 80’s Disney films when they were making such huge leaps with their animation techniques and writing. Not only were these films visually stunning, but they were also very distinct. The 1980s Disney president, Roy Miller, had said “The last thing I want to do is go back to the formula Disney Picture. I want them to say, ‘Hey, look, Disney isn’t that predictable…’”, which is exactly what he had achieved, but I guess the audience just didn’t appreciate the change.

The late 80’s was a resurrection for Disney with animated musical, Oliver and Company (1988) and live-action family film, Honey I Shrunk The Kids (1989). This gave Disney a clear idea of what people wanted: just simple, family-friendly fun! The biggest hit came in 1989 with The Little Mermaid. The film grossed $84 million and even won two Oscars. It’s often marked as the beginning of Disney’s renaissance period in the 90s, and the production company really milked the formula of animated musicals (Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc.), but it really worked for the studio, and brought Disney back to life!

Burton’s 80s: How A Decade Established The Auteur

Sam Pegg

Tim Burton, visionary director, king of modern Gothic cinema, and an icon in his own right, is certainly a household name. While maybe not quite comparable to the heights of Carpenter, Speilberg, or Cameron, there’s certainly a height to the name that places him among one of the greats, even if his output in the past 10 years has been a little more on the questionable side. That said, the 80s was the decade where Burton found his stride, which continued mostly unabated until the early 00s when the director peaked. So what made the 80s so magmatic for Burton?

Three films from Burton’s early filmography are instrumental in the director’s rise to notoriety: Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Batman (1989). These three Hollywood blockbusters helped put the director on the map and would also go on to help formulate the style that would crop up in his later filmography.

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) Burton first started his career in various art departments for films like The Fox and the Hound, and The Black Cauldron. As such, the influences of working with family-friendly films meant that finding films that appeal to a universal array of ages was what netted Burton’s first BIG directing debut. As a mad-cap, over-the-top adaptation of The Pee-wee Herman Show, the family-friendly comedy is unlike anything in Burton’s filmography, a demonstration of a director finding his feet and establishing his love for family-friendly movies that would warp in Burton classics that dominated the 2000s and 2010s like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Alice in Wonderland (2010).

Beetlejuice (1988) Burton, like many directors, often returns to actors with whom he has a special working relationship. Where Spielberg has Hanks, and Nolan has Tom Hardy or Cillian Murphy, Burton started with none other

than Michael Keaton, the infamous man who would star as one of Burton’s most iconic characters (second only to Johnny Depp’s Edward Scissorhands), Beetlegeuce. Drawing on the darker elements of Burton’s style and humour, Beetlejuice is the first recognisable Burton-esque film that becomes quintessential of the director’s style. Filled with dark comedy, quirky performances, and a marrying of the macabre, Beetlejuice’s influences would continue a presence that is still felt throughout Burton’s career today.

Batman (1989) As Burton’s final big blockbuster of the 80s, Batman sits in a liminal position in Burton’s filmography. Marrying the darker and grittier of Burton’s style with a previously campy character, Burton’s Batman gave new meaning to the superhero genre. Bringing a decidedly more sombre and serious tone, Burton catapulted Batman into a new era, helping lay the foundation for the Superhero genre as we know it today. While Batman’s influences are felt less remarkably in his later works, Batman helped establish a long tradition of revising beloved characters and giving them new iterations, something that Burton has done countless times.

Special Mention: Vincent (1982) Much of Burton’s filmography is dominated by animation and collaborations with Henry Selick. While Nightmare Before Christmas is often wrongly attributed as the sole creation of Burton, the character design and imagery that reappears in films like Corpse Bride hark back to Burton’s short film, Vincent. Highlighting Burton’s obsession with black-and-white German expressionism, Vincent typifies styles that would become recurring imagery in Burton films, like disproportionate bodies, large eyes, and a fascination with the macabre. Vincent is the unsung hero of Burton’s earliest works, and only makes me wish he would return once again to animation and stop-motion to give us more Burton classics.

Pic: Mattew TMDB

Iconic 80’s Captured

The 1980s served us some truly iconic moments, artistic movements and world-shaking events. Amazingly, we are lucky enough to be able to observe some of these moments captured, frozen in time, forever more. It is only right then, we discuss some of our favourite captured moments from the 80s, a deep dive into some truly iconic photography from a memorable decade.

John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club is my favourite film of all time, so it is only natural that I would consider its famous poster to be a truly iconic eighties photograph. As simple as the photograph is, it highlights immediately the film’s core plot, the differences between the five main characters.

The photograph features the five actors in the outfits that their characters wear in the film, with this hinting towards the stereotypical cliques that they belong to at school. Andrew, a jock, is wearing a letterman jacket, for example. Aside from capturing their differences through their clothing, the poses of the actors reflect this, also. Claire, a popular, wealthy student, is laying at the forefront of the group, and is certainly the character that I notice first when looking at the poster. John Bender, the film’s ‘criminal’, meanwhile, is sitting at the back, posing with a raised fist, covered with a black, leather glove.

Although the film portrays the students’ stereotypes negatively, and as something they wish they could escape from, the poster is, undeniably, an iconic symbol of the eighties. By placing all of the students closely together, whilst wearing clothing and posing in ways that represent their respective styles and cliques, the poster represents a coming together of people who lead very different lives, at home and at school. It is a perfect representation of what the film is about, and is a large part of the film’s continuing popularity and enduring legacy. Mollie Potter

When considering iconic photography in the 1980s, it would truly be a crime not to mention, firstly, the icon that is Freddie Mercury, but also the infamous photographs seen of him.

Naturally then, this triumphant image of Freddie at Wembley Stadium in 1986 is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The eye-catching spatter of yellow illuminates the image, his iconic army jacket becoming a centre piece of Mercury’s incredibly unique fashion. This, in contrast with the all-white aesthetic fulfilling the rest of his attire makes Freddie not only the centre-piece of this photograph, but bold and unmissable too- a powerful artist, clad in his expressionist armour, relishing in the moment. This photo graph is memorable in its power, screaming, ‘look at me, look at this musical legend in his absolute prime.’ This photograph alone, gives you the feeling, the idea, of how it must have felt to attend the performance of a lifetime.

The context of this photograph then, adds another layer entirely. Although it is not known exactly when Mercury became aware of having contracted the AID’s virus- he sadly passed away just five years after his performance at Wembley Stadium. This image becomes more of the iconography it already is visually; a queer man, triumphant, raising his fist unafraid in a largely unaccepting society. Standing true in solidarity, flourishing in an flamboyant identity that left not just a lasting legacy, but an epic one. This photograph, knowing what we know now, contends with prejudiced misconceptions, and directly contrasts the discriminations the LGBTQ+ community, as well as HIV sufferers, face then and today. For these reasons, and the undeniable aesthetics of the photograph, this is arguably the most iconic, and my personal favourite image taken in the 1980s.

Ronald Reagan was one of the most prominent politicians of the 1980s as the Cold War neared its end during his presidency. This photo is one of many taken by the press pack in 1982 when the 40th President of the United States was hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle. The Reagans were actually the first President and First Lady to be hosted by the monarch for dinner at Windsor with the actor-turned-politician writing in his diary that the event was ‘a fairy tale experience’.

This photo is notable for its context more so than its actual composition, although it is a pretty balanced photograph with the two figures on horseback complimenting each other. They are relaxed and conversational rather than stiff and formal in the scene captured, as such cementing a friendly moment amidst a frosty political climate. The British government, headed by Margaret Thatcher , still in her first term of office, was keen to secure American support over the Falklands War. There were also concerns as to the spread of communism in Argentina and other parts of South America. The politics of the Thatcher-Reagan era were beginning to take shape.

The invitation to Windsor Castle, however, was a personal request from the Queen, not a suggestion on behalf of the British government. It was the first personal invitation to a president from a British monarch since 1919, when Elizabeth II’s grandfather was on the throne. The activity captured in the photographs is rather telling as to the more personal nature of the late Queen’s diplomacy. Horse riding was her majesty’s lifelong passion and not necessarily something Mrs Thatcher was particularly known for. The Queen and President genuinely got along and were able to talk openly as seen in the photograph.

If you asked someone unaware of the identities of the two riders, they may simply guess that it is just a photograph of two riding companions and not necessarily two heads of state. A testament to how much President Reagan enjoyed riding with the Queen, he later invited her to his ranch in Santa Barbara so they could repeat the experience.

The photo is a charming one of two icons of the 80s, from different countries, with different public personas spending time together in a surprisingly informal scene.

Susanna R. Sheath

Top-Right: Universal Studio, Suzie Gibbons; Redferns, White House

The Comedic Legacy Left By The ‘80s Alternative Comedy Scene

Jasmine Kelly

For many reading this, the ‘80s did not exist for us. It lives in our heads as a vision of neon colours, mullets, denim jackets and funky pop music. These ‘80s influences are still all around us even 3 decades later but what maybe is not as recognised is the impact that the British alternative comedy scene of the ‘80s has had on our society today.

This new alternative style of comedy, was one which appeared to leave the seemingly mainstream racist and sexist ideals in the past and instead, was largely characterised by young, left-wing comedians whose performance style was less composed and more upfront, in-your-face style comedy.

The true home of this alternative style comedy was at the Comedy Store club which opened in 1979 on the top floor of a topless bar in Soho and invited new comedians to share their talents. It was from this call that many now-famous comedians blossomed with the likes of Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, all of which went on to form the group The Comic Strip with their own tv show The Comic Strip Presents… premiering in 1982 which turned the comedians away from stand-up and more towards acting; with their first episode being a parody of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five.

Also in 1982 was the premiere of The Young Ones, a revolutionary sitcom about four students, played by Mayall, Edmundson, Planer and Christopher Ryan. Featuring slapstick humour, surrealism, and musical performances with the likes of Madness and Motorhead, the show was a real variety but, despite this, the essence and chaos of The Young Ones is still somewhat replicated in the student houses of today, bar the explosions and kicking the doors down. The show was revolutionary for the time as it brought comedy to be directed specifically at young people and helped them laugh at the turbulently political early ‘80s. Without The Young Ones’ influence and their deliberate targeting of young adults, 2008 sitcom The Inbetweeners wouldn’t have been possible with the four student characters and their teenage antics reminiscent of The Young Ones’ style and insulting humour.

It wouldn’t be right to talk about the comedy scene of the ‘80s without mentioning Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson. While considered less alternative as they emerged from the Cambridge Footlights, they still somewhat embodied

the alternative spirit with their youthful energy and stereotypical avoidance, even if they were less anarchical in their delivery and jokes. All of them even guest starred in The Young Ones on their spoof of University Challenge representing the Footlights where they appeared as entitled rich kids. The trio went on to have their own sketch show Alfresco, written by Ben Elton who also co-wrote The Young Ones.

Ben Elton as a comedic force behind the scenes in the ‘80s did not stop there however, as he also went on to co-write Blackadder, which brought Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall together with Rowan Atkinson as the standout star as the lead character Edmund Blackadder. Set in various time periods, including the Middle Ages, Elizabethan, Regency and World War One, and laced with satire, it was ground-breaking in establishing the historical sitcom as a genre. It paved the way for the comedically educational kids TV show Horrible Histories, a show dedicated to providing kids with accurate historical knowledge, unlike Blackadder, with the hysterical flair that Blackadder certainly provided. Ben Elton also later wrote Upstart Crow, a Shakespearean comedy, much inspired by his earlier work on Blackadder.

The ‘80s appeared to be a time of tumultuous political existence and these youthful alternative comedians provided a hysterical way of coping by harnessing the confusion felt by many into comedy. The often-left-wing stance taken by many of these comedians along with the satire and parodying, without leaning into racist and sexist stereotypes, was unconventional for the time and with its targeting of a younger generation; its unsurprising that the ‘80s comedic legacy still lasts and that pieces of it can be found in comedy shows even today.

Pic: Fox TMDB

That’s So Retro: Video Games in the 80s and its Influences Now

Sam Pegg

Despite finding their origin in the 70s, video games and gaming as a whole largely owes itself to the 80s. Think of “retro” games of the past: Pacman, Tetris, Donkey Kong, Castlevania, and even Super Mario Bros. All came about during the 80s. While the 70s started to mainstream gaming appeal, it’s the 80s that became the icon decade that helped bring the world of video gaming into the limelight.

When you think about 80s gaming, it’s more apt to imagine the arcades that dominated films of the time (Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Tron), TV shows and films that try to evoke that 80s nostalgia (Wreck-It-Ralph, Stranger Things), or even God-awful modern creations that try to capture the magic of the decade and epically fail (Pixels - but we secretly love it anyways). In fact, films, TV, music, and even literature have been littered with call-backs and homages to the 80s, demonstrating how influential a decade it has been in the world of pop-culture references.

Yet, moving past simple references, 80s gaming has become typified in recent years as a ‘retro-ideal’, with games and gaming harking back to the magic of the 80s and actively trying to recreate that lightening-in-the-bottle feeling. As the decade that constantly pushed gaming to its limits, it may be bold to say the 80s did more for games than any other decade, but it’s a view that certainly feels widespread. Even 30-40+ years on, genres and styles established in the 80s (Metroidvanias, Fighting Games, etc.) find themselves in abundance even in modern gaming - think Hollow Knight and Dead Cells, or even the continued instalments of Street Fighter and similar games that popped up in the 90s.

In fact, most video game genres find their roots in the 1980s. Computer-based RPGs first came about in the 1980 game, Akalabeth: World of Doom, but they truly find their success in 1986 with the first Dragon Quest game. On the other hand, while first-person shooters have origins further back into the 70s, they gained more popularity with games like Wolfenstein and took on new meaning in the 1990s with Duke Nukem and Doom. The 80s became the foundation for many of the genres and styles we love today, but even as they established the industry as we know it, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t to the detriment of the industry either.

While the early 80s became a testing pot for new games and genres, the onslaught of games released in the early part of the decade (especially in Western countries like America) caused the industry to almost collapse inwards. Partly due to the sheer amount and largely thanks to the poor quality of the games, consumers’ trust in the industry weakened and almost threatened to undermine the whole market. While the gaming market today is one of the biggest industries in the world, the emphasis on quality over quantity (in most cases - EA, we’re looking at you here) is largely a result of the learned mistakes that the 80s established. Although, one could also summarise that this weakened faith has made it harder for consumers to trust indie and smaller game designers, a struggle that is continually felt even now.

While not its origin, the world of 80s gaming was one packed to the brim, seeing the highs and lows that would impact the industry for years to come. With a slew of new genres and styles, 600 words don’t quite seem enough to do the momentous decade justice - but it’s a start.

Our Favourite 80s TV Shows

The 80s was full of iconic cultural entertainment. It did not fall short at TV! From sit-coms to art shows, the decade had it all! It’s only right, then, we discuss and celebrate some of our favourite TV Shows. They are clearly unforgettable, even 30 years on! Read on to learn about 3 of The Edge’s top picks for 80’s TV Shows! Full House (1987-1995) Arriving to the screens in the late 1980s, ABCs Full House won the hearts of families across America, and soon after, the world. I think we’re all familiar with the concept by now, especially since the Netflix spin-off Fuller House. But, to families at the time, it was probably a brand new concept - three men raising children with very little female help; especially the first season sans “Aunt Becky” portrayed by Lori Loughlin. This made for a pretty comedic storyline, these men often had no idea what they were doing with these kids, but it added a wholesome element, as the girls formed bonds with their uncles; most notably the relationship between Michelle and Uncle Jesse.

While the story was also laced with the heartbreak of the girls and their fathers grappling with the loss of their father, and adjusting to an atypical definition of family, the show changed the way that kids and their parents alike viewed the notion of ‘family’. It may not look like two parents, two kids, a dog and a picket fence, but the love built up in the walls of the Tanner household was core to the definition of their family.

I think it was a pretty iconic show for its time, and its spin-off doing so well for four seasons just emphasises that. Michelle’s iconic moments remains one of the main GIFs passed around my family and friend group-chats for the purpose of memes. My personal favourite moment? Michelle running after her big sisters, massive ice skate in hand, “wait for me I got little legs!!!!” I can DEFINITELY resonate with that! I just wish there was a more accessible way to watch it!!!

Rhianna Saglani

The Joy of Painting (1983-1994) Most people will be familiar with Bob Ross’s soothing voice as he guides the viewer to create recognisable and beautiful oil landscape studies with no reference but his own canvas. The Joy of Painting ran from 19831994 - quite easily timestamped by Ross’s iconic perm - spanning a tremendous thirty-one seasons and over four hundred episodes.

While in its own time The Joy of Painting presumably only actually served as a purely instructional guide for those with a canvas set up in their front room, the show has resurfaced in popularity in the 21st century primarily due to Ross’s calming

demeanour and encouraging catchphrases. Ross’s attitude when painting can and should be extended into general life; hidden beneath the guise of painting instructions, he seemingly so offhandedly drops small nuggets of wisdom, such as “there are no mistakes, just happy accidents”, and “if you have light on light, you have nothing. If you have dark on dark, you basically have nothing. Just like in life. You gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come.” He views the world with a certain kind of magic, giving the trees ‘little friends’ and encouraging the viewer to create their own world within their painting.

During lockdown 1, my friends and I often had Bob Ross painting sessions on Zoom, providing not only something creative to do with our time but also the calming words we needed to hear to get through such a difficult period. The show certainly fits into the category of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response: a tingling sensation caused by auditory triggers and now a popular category of YouTube videos that feature whispering and relaxing noises), with Ross’s lowered tone and calming sounds of brush on canvas.

The Joy of Painting can be found on YouTube, whether you want to follow along painting with him or pop him on to help you sleep, learn artist tricks or a new philosophy to life.

Charlie Burgess

Only Fools And Horses You plonker, Rodney! My first memory of John Sullivan’s Only Fools and Horses was hearing my dad’s booming laughter as Del Boy (Davis Jason) iconically falls through the bar after ditching the Nag’s Head for a posher place; It’s every fan’s favourite! And the most hilarious part is when Del gets up, he still has his glass in his hand! Watching this scene as a child made me laugh at the stupidity of the characters, but as an adult, I can appreciate the deft comic acting of David Jason

in his prime. His comedic timing is impeccable throughout the series, and it’s commendable that he’s created such a recognisable character!

Nicholas Lyndhurst played Del Boy’s younger brother, Rodney, or ‘Dave’ as Trigger (Roger Lloyd-Pack) called him. Rodney lacks the charisma and confidence of his older brother, but his intelligence is a hilarious foil to Del Boy’s ignorance. My favourite episode is The Unlucky Winner is (1989) in which Rodney wins an art competition and gets to fly to Spain with girlfriend Casssandra (Gwenyth Strong) and Del. Turns out however, that Del entered him into the Under 15 category, and now Rodney has to pretend to be a 14 (and a half!) year old while Cassandra and Del act as his mum and step dad. A scene where Rodney goes skateboarding and gets chased by a little girl still makes me howl with laughter!

I have always loved this show for the nostalgia. It brought the Scott-Munden’s together as a family, providing a special glimpse into my parent’s life in the 80s, as well as the set being reminiscent of my nan’s house which was stuck in the decade! Regardless of the sentimentals of the show, it’s also the best comedy there’s ever been, with incredible writing, incredible acting, and an incredible theme tune! Amy

Scott-Munden

The Origins of Ticket Sales

Ithink post-COVID, post-HSLOT and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour fanatics can agree that live culture has turned a corner towards insanity around tickets and queuing, so much so that PRYZM/Banquet Records issues a clear statement around the recent Louis Tomlinson shows at their venue. This begs the question - Has it always been like this? Are we collectively forgetting the culture preCOVID? Or was it just entirely different? More specifically though, what was going on with queuing and ticket purchasing in the 80’s?

From stories I’ve heard and anecdotes from family, I’d say the queuing-for-gigs culture in 2022 is pretty reminiscent of in-person ticket buying culture in the 80’s. Newspapers would announce a tour or a gig local to an area and then very swiftly after, box offices would open at 10am on the day of release. But the sheer dedication of fans to purchase tickets meant that the gig queuing culture we see now is pretty well mirrored by the purchasing culture back then. Tents would line the streets in the day or even days before - depending on the act coming to town - just to ensure that they got those coveted tickets. This is culture that continued right through to the last few years, until COVID forced an entirely online form of ticket purchase. However, online ticket purchase wasn’t uncommon in the 1980’s either. Ticketmaster started to find its feet in Los Angeles in 1982 when it started making hardware for online ticket purchase, securing deals with venues like the LA Forum in order to trump its physical box office opponents. Yes, they did also have physical offices but the 1980’s saw the beginnings of the internet-mad crazy of purchasing tickets to your favourite artists. So, in answer to the article title,

Ticketmaster began the revolution to bring the sales online, but of course, it took over 40 years for box offices in their physical form to become the almost redundant state they now are. In reflection, I think it’s interesting to go back to the 80’s and look at the way the live culture in the modern day has been moulded and shaped. I, for one, didn’t realise how crazy things would have been back then, all of the ticket mania and the controversy and anger seems to be so strongly internet and TikTokfuelled. But, I guess, in a post Beatlemania world, the fanaticism isn’t a huge surprise. The big artists of the 1980’s definitely caused a lot of high-stakes panic over getting their tickets and seeing them live. So yes, there’s definitely an escalation in queuing culture in the modern day for gigs themselves, but seeing as the ticket selling has moved online, and doesn’t REALLY feel like queuing (until Eras tour presale...) its completely justified that the queue culture for simply buying tickets is a beast we will never experience. What do you think? Would you rather a scary algorithm and AI be your ticket process, or wait in the cold and rain for hours?

Personally, neither sound appealing... but here I am, waiting for the war that will be Sabrina Carpenter UK Tour tickets (for those of you also the children of the Sabrina-Joshua divorce... I hope the battle for Josh tickets went in your favour)

‘So you couldn’t buy gig tickets from the comfort of your own home?’ -

Rhianna Saglani

Everything you need to know about Live Aid

Amy Scott-Munden

You’ve seen the pictures of Wembley filled to the brim, you’ve heard that Freddie Mercury did a great job, maybe you’ve even watched the recordings, but how much else do you know about the charity event? Me? Well I knew barely anything, so together, let’s delve into one of the greatest live events in history!

Here’s the facts; Live Aid was organised by Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats fame (yeah, me neither?!) and Ultravox’s Midge Ure as a reaction to a BBC News Report that documented the 1984 famine in Ethiopia. Before Live Aid came Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ in 1984. The song has been re-recorded three times since, but the original British and Irish supergroup included acts such as Duran Duran, Bono, and George Michael. The single became the fastest selling single in UK history and raised £8 million for famine relief. The duo didn’t stop there though. Instead, Ure and Geldof put on one of the biggest broadcasts of all time, literally and culturally.

Live Aid took place on the 13th of July in 1985. The concert was held in London at Wembley Stadium and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, and was broadcast to 150 nations, pulling in 1.5 billion viewers! And guess how long the concert was! Over 16 hours!!!!!! The madness doesn’t end there though. Perhaps the weirdest thing you’ll ever read is that Genesis drummer Phil Collins performed at both venues in person, being flown to Heathrow in a helicopter by none other than Noel Edmonds!

Acts included Paul McCartney, Madonna, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, and Mick Jagger. But here are some of the stand-outs:

First, of course, is Queen. The Live-Aid performance opens and closes the 2019 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody because it was so phenomenal. Queen took to the stage at prime time, 6.41PM to be exact and performed a 21-minute set full of incredible vocal power and musical expertise. Freddie Mercury’s confident stage presence

Pic:BobGeldofTMDB

was always conquering, and he strutted out to the piano to play a short version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, dressed in the iconic white vest, blue jeans, black silver-studded armband, and his trademark moustache!

During Queen’s playing of ‘Radio GaGa’, Mercury created the most iconic moment of his career. Dubbed ‘the note heard around the world’, Mercury performed an incredible acapella, call and response adaptation of the hit. It’s impossible to not be blown away by his formidable live vocals. Lead Guitarist Brian May said, “I’d never seen anything like it in my life and it wasn’t calculated either… it was the greatest day of our lives.” A rousing performance of ‘We Are The Champions’ finished the iconic 21 minute set. Even Elton John admitted they stole the show! The 80’s really was an iconic time for flamboyant, exciting, and exceptional live acts!

Following Queen’s performance would be a difficult task, and as such, David Bowie’s appearance has gone underrated. The unreliability of technology meant a live duet with Mick Jagger in Philadelphia was scrapped, but the two still recorded a version of ‘Dancing in the Street’ for the event. Bowie then went on to perform a four song set, concluding with ‘Heroes’, one of the most inspiring and sentimental songs ever! Watching this performance is beautiful, and the humility of Bowie shines through as he takes the time to introduce his band, and dedicate the song to “My son, to all our children, and to the children of the world.” To be there live and to experience the beautiful way in which music can bring us all together must have been so special.

Live Aid went on to raise over £100 million for famine relief in Africa. The charity event has also been commended for bringing humanitarian concern at the forefront of foreign policy for the West, as well as highlighting how successful live events can be in raising awareness.

80’s,TheDecade ofTheRave?-The OriginsofTheRaveSceneand It’sLegacy EmilyPoole

It goes without saying that the 1980’s was the decade of music innovation and artistic movements. From the rise and adoration of Queen, to goth culture and androgynous fashion, it comes as no surprise that rave culture found its origins in the 1980’s. The late 80’s witnessed the birth and flourishing of the youth-driven movement of ‘Acid-House.’ Tracks such as ‘Bam Bam Where’s Your Child’ and ‘Flow Coma’ becoming infamous, even today.

Raving, in the 1980’s took a mix of passionate freedom and rebellious youth and formed into something of a community; an evolution of nightclubbing that changed the way we party as a group of people even in modern insights. Some may say this could have been fuelled by the expansive use of Ecstasy, and perhaps, the loving high that came with this in the uprising rave scene of the 1980s. I think, then, the breakdown of cultural barriers is what continues the rave legacy. Up until then, clubbing was arguably a squeaky-clean, whitewashed, straight and narrow idealism; illegal raves pushing these boundaries, Ecstasy fuelled or not, to allow for something more inclusive to a range of ethnicity, culture and sexuality. House music, of course, being derived from African American and homosexual club scenes, finding its way to the UK in the form of Acid House.

Raving, then, in the 1980’s, perceived by the law as the seedy underbelly of nightclubbing, became more than that- a musical uprising, and a cultural rebellion to the figurative ‘box’ one should fit. Of course, while trespassing and drugs are still illegal, the ideas of raving has not only become more socially acceptable, but fairly common, with hundreds of beloved

genres from Drum and Bass to Hardstyle. It seems, the artistic evolution of the 80’s followed through, from popular music to illegal partying.

I think, then, it is no coincidence that the ‘acid-house’ and the illegal rave scene came into full flourish in the late 1980’s. Under the ever-increasing harsh foot of Thatcherism, the way of the rave became a moral release, a subculture flourishing in the British countryside as a direct cultural abandon of the authoritarian Thatcher grip. Raving, in the 1980’s, shattered a political and moral standstill under a Tory government. Truly, Illegal raving was not simply a lapse in youth morality, or an ever-growing noise complaint; it was the symbol of a new age of dance music culture and, spiritually, a sense of inclusivity that perhaps did not touch the party scene until then. In this way, Acid House kickstarted raving and what it has gone to become, ensuring that the 80’s, in a sense, truly was the decade of the rave. Raving and rave culture has since flourished incredibly, from huge festivals and popular club scenes, to fashion. The 8o’s raver was defined not only by the music, but the visuals and the fashion; a revolution we see translated in rave and festival fashion to this very day. Raving was, and is now, a freedom of expression under a tight society, a youthful revolution kickstarted in the late 80’s. Rave culture has saturated the popular market due to its inclusivity, the freedom, the bonding over a common interest in a youth which has embraced individuality. Acid House and 80’s rave culture was arguably a revolutionary movement- one that still pushes, influences, and lingers nostalgically in culture today; the decade of the rave leaving a lasting legacy on culture for years to come.

The Prince’s Trust Rock Gala 1987

Susanna Robertson-Sheath

On the 5th June 1987 the Prince’s Trust charity held their second annual rock gala at the Wembley Arena in London. The charity itself was set up by the now-King Charles in 1976 to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It has since become one of the most successful charities in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, having helped over 950,000 people between the ages of 11 and 30 as of 2016.

The Prince’s Trust has never shied away from utilising celebrities, particularly musicians, to help fundraise for their cause and their first charity concert was held in 1982, headlined by Status Quo. The concert highlighted in this article was the second of two held to commemorate the charity’s 10th anniversary.

Other notable Prince’s Trust events of the 80s included receiving a $450,000 donation from Michael Jackson in 1988, designated for Great Ormond Street Hospital, and the establishment of the Enterprise Programme in 1983, one of the things that the Trust is most known for and is an important tool in helping young people to start their own businesses.

The 1987 Rock Gala can be enjoyed in its entirety through its DVD release and various online uploads. My primary experience with this concert, however, has been the official clips of the artists and songs on YouTube. The Rock Gala was, naturally, attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana, icons of the 80s in their own right and ones closely entwined with celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Elton John and Eric Clapton.

As for why I chose the 1987 concert rather than the first anniversary rock gala held the year before; If you have a phone, iPad, laptop or any other tech to hand, you really must go away and listen to the rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps from this concert. It is magnificent!

The song was first released in 1968 as one of the tracks on the Beatles self titled double album, also known as the ‘White Album’. At the time, George Harrison was 25 and the song served as a commentary on the disharmony amongst the fab four. Performing the song in 1987, George was almost 20 years older and the rock scene had changed from the Beatles’ pioneering days in the 1960s. The bass and piano lines are more apparent than the original and whilst still recognisable, George’s voice was more mature and confident.

This was George Harrison in his solo prime. The quiet Beatle would release his platinum album Cloud Nine later in

the same year which featured his cover of ‘Got My Mind Set on You’, a track that became a No.1 single in the US and No.2 in the UK. The Beatles, represented primarily by Harrison, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following year, in 1988.

The Harrison performance is particularly notable due to his dislike of playing live. Post-Beatlemania he had only conducted one solo tour in 1974 before undertaking a hiatus, in contrast to Ringo Starr, who still plays live today aged 82.

The Rock and Roll Gala formed something of a supergroup as, in contrast to the larger Live Aid event, the artists, with their range of talents, performed on each other’s songs. George Harrison and Ringo Starr were a bit of an exception to this, as they arrived on stage for the final three tracks in the line up, all of which were originally Beatles songs. This does mean, however, that you have here Elton John, Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Dave Edmunds, Ben E. King and others all playing together on some of the most recognisable songs in history.

Unfortunately, I could not find information online about how much money the concerts raised, individually or combined, however, even outside their charitable causes, the Prince’s Trust 1987 Rock Gala serves as a great monument to primarily British rock music and culture of the era.

Pic: Prince’sTrustGlobal