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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZVISAGEUK pop/dance band formed by Steve Strange (b Steve Harrington, 28 May '59, Wales), who was prime mover in New Romantics movement of early '80s. Had roadied for Generation X after moving to London, then formed Moors Murderers with future Pretenders Chrissie Hynde (late '77-early '78), then the Photons, who played one gig, then started elitist Billy's Club with former Rich Kids drummer Rusty Egan '79. Club in London's Soho played Ultravox, Human League, Kraftwerk and other electrodance music with Egan at turntable, Strange vetting the clientele's wardrobes. Transferred to Blitz Club in Covent Garden and floated musical project Visage, with Strange's vocals, Egan on drums, Midge Ure (ex-Rich Kids) and John McGeoch on guitars, Dave Formula on keyboards, Barry Adamson on bass (last three moolighting from Magazine), and Billie Currie (ditto Ultravox). Ure and Strange wrote material, others contributed. After demos (incl. cover of Zager/Evans's "In The Year 2525'), single "Tar' '79 on Radar, LP Visage '80 released with synths on top of monotonous Eurodisco beat, much in line with club's policy and equally popular: hit singles "Fade To Grey','Mind Of A Toy', "Visage'; but the group was a vinyl- only proposition, the other members too busy to tour, while Ure's meeting Currie led to his becoming vocalist with Ultravox, further limiting work with Visage. The Anvil '82 yielded hits "Damned Don't Cry' and "Night Train'; a couple of failures persuaded Strange to quit while ahead; hits collected on Fade To Grey. Strange and Egan opened the Camden Palace; Strange relinquished control of that mid-'80s, turned back to music as frontman of Strange Cruise with Wendy Cruise (ex-Photos singer Wendy Wu). |