KevB Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Adam & the Ants - a very clear and identifiable stage presence (eventually) and some very successful catchy pop tunes. There were worse than that in the 80's I'm sure. He'd already tried the punk thing and got nowhere with it. Edited July 14, 2015 by KevB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 At least bands back then had some degree of originality, not like the homogenous capitalist puppets on the radio nowadays. [size=4]Mutter, [size=3]mutter, [size=2]mumble, [size=1]mumble..[/size][/size][/size][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 [quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1436894831' post='2821835'] 80's just could not follow the late 70's punk explosion. Pistols...Clash...Damned...Stranglers...These and many others were mind blowingly exciting after all the rock and metal that had stagnated the day before Punk arrived. Then after punk we get....Howard jones...The Thomson Twins.... Bananarama....Hayzee Fantayzee ...Zigue Zigue Sputnik...Even the names look pants......And the cherry on the cake was Adam ' Prince Charming' Ant who bought with him the most insane fashion to match the blandness of the music..... 'Down in the tube station at midnight' or 'Agadoo'...... Give me a minute to think... [/quote] I saw Zigue Zigue Sputnik at Coventry Poly on their only? tour, Tony James on bass threatened to hit a girl with a wine bottle when she tried to snog him! They were pretty dire live but were supported by a band called Black Elvis 2000 who were awesome, I remember a chant ringing round of "bring back the support band" I think they got kicked off the tour a couple of dates later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 [quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1436877373' post='2821573'] I hate to disagree but Stevie Wonder in the 80s included such (IMO) drivel as "Happy Birthday", I Just Called to Say I love You" and "Ebony and Ivory". Each to his own obviously but no amount of post production will rescue this tosh. [/quote] Haha that's a fair comment lol. I just remembered that two of my all time favorite bands were from the 80's - Faith No More & GnR so maybe my post pub comment last night was pretty inacurate on multiple fronts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmo Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 [quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1436876861' post='2821565'] I actually worked quite closely with a former member of the Prisoners and like their stuff, but they weren't really an 80s band - more mod revival. [/quote] I made a mistake by saying i liked a band that was formed in 1980, and their best days were probably over by 1985, in a topic that asks of the 80`s were really bad. I really mentioned them so you can see why i might not like Wham etc . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4-string-thing Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 There was a lot of rubbish pop music in the 80's, even the stuff that we thought was great now sounds weedy and dated. There was also some great bands who still sound brilliant and fresh nowdays. The Smiths, The Bunnymen, The Cramps, Cabaret Voltaire, The Birthday Party, Marc & The Mambas, The Three Johns, Shriekback, & Wah! Were all brilliant and their records still sound great today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 There were a lot of great live bands around in the 80's.. won't comment on the tosh that was played on the rmain-stream radio. Also music programmes like The Tube in the 80's were pretty good at giving unsigned and up and coming bands a chance to be heard. It was the best time for live music for me, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Here's some Tosh from the eighties.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQUd8Kpyvto ....aaaand relax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1436905879' post='2821989'] Here's some Tosh from the eighties.... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQUd8Kpyvto[/media] ....aaaand relax [/quote] "That" kind of Tosh is fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Riva Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1436893190' post='2821821'] Only one of the two male members of the band appeared in the live line up, so the sound was heavily augmented by backing tapes. The vocals were either inaudible or shouty and tuneless. The (session) guitarist spent most of the gig gurning inappropriately. It was possibly one of the worst gigs by a major band that I have ever been to. IIRC a review of the London gig in the NME singled out the guitarist for (justifiable) ridicule due to his on-stage performance. The following week he had a letter published complaining about his review. The week after one of Propaganda wrote in supporting the NME's description of his antics... [/quote] Ace. Was it Kevin Armstrong? He was the go-to guitarist for that type of act around that time - he played with Bowie at Live Aid and Iggy Pop around the time of Blah Blah Blah. If you're looking for duff gigs of that era then I'll see your Propaganda and raise you Furniture (of Brilliant Mind 'fame')... "We're Furniture, what's your excuse?" was the singer's opening line to the crowd at Leicester Poly. Delivered with the appropriate level of contempt towards the audience, obviously. They absolutely bombed.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 [quote name='Old Man Riva' timestamp='1436906886' post='2822008'] Ace. Was it Kevin Armstrong? He was the go-to guitarist for that type of act around that time - he played with Bowie at Live Aid and Iggy Pop around the time of Blah Blah Blah.[/quote] Probably - he's the guitarist named on Wikipedia for what it's worth. Whoever it was image-wise they were totally inappropriate for the band. [quote name='Old Man Riva' timestamp='1436906886' post='2822008'] If you're looking for duff gigs of that era then I'll see your Propaganda and raise you Furniture (of Brilliant Mind 'fame')... "We're Furniture, what's your excuse?" was the singer's opening line to the crowd at Leicester Poly. Delivered with the appropriate level of contempt towards the audience, obviously. They absolutely bombed.. [/quote] Strangely enough I caught Furniture at the end of the 80s when they were promoting their second album "Food Sex & Paranoia". They were on in the SU bar at Trent Poly and were totally fantastic. The Wrong People is still one of my favourite albums. For a terrible live band from the 80s. IMO you would have to try very hard beat the awfulness of A Flock Of Seagulls. Lumpen, pedestrian, turgid synth pop churned out by people who didn't really understand musically, or image-wise, what it was all about; but were transparently desperate to be successful. Someone at their record company must have had a lot of faith in them (and a massive promotional budget), because it seemed that they would turn up as second support for every other really good band that I went see. I must have had the misfortune to catch their live act on at least 6 separate occasions, most of the time without realising that they were on the bill until I turned up at the gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 By virtue of the fact that the 80's included this debacle means that the 80's win as worst decade, hands down! [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYFRFyvhGRY[/media] [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1436908667' post='2822035'] For a terrible live band from the 80s. IMO you would have to try very hard beat the awfulness of A Flock Of Seagulls. Lumpen, pedestrian, turgid synth pop churned out by people who didn't really understand musically, or image-wise, what it was all about; but were transparently desperate to be successful. Someone at their record company must have had a lot of faith in them (and a massive promotional budget), because it seemed that they would turn up as second support for every other really good band that I went see. I must have had the misfortune to catch their live act on at least 6 separate occasions, most of the time without realising that they were on the bill until I turned up at the gig. [/quote] I was touring the US in 1981, and who showed up as support at one gig (can't remember the city)? Yep, AFOS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomBass Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 In the 80s I was into AC/DC, Saxon, Scorpions, Motorhead etc etc. I appreciate 80s pop music much more now than I ever did back then. I also sort of get the Beatles now, took me a while though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Over time the rubbish songs tend to et forgotten and get no air play. 80s was also the birth of Hip Hop. Bands like Beastie Boys were emerging. Although Two Tone was born in the late seventies it was still going strong throughout the first few years of the 80s. Jazz-Funk. Music was definitely more polarised and there were definite genres that people only listened to and dress accordingly. It was all a lot more tribal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 http://youtu.be/x1U1Ue_5kq8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicko Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1436951111' post='2822221'] Over time the rubbish songs tend to et forgotten and get no air play. 80s was also the birth of Hip Hop. Bands like Beastie Boys were emerging. Although Two Tone was born in the late seventies it was still going strong throughout the first few years of the 80s. Jazz-Funk. Music was definitely more polarised and there were definite genres that people only listened to and dress accordingly. It was all a lot more tribal. [/quote] I think it was polarised but I don't think it was tribal at all - at least not in the same way the 60s and 70s was. There was such an explosion of genres accessible through the charts that kinda made it ok to like "other" stuff. Even my NWBHM denim wearing friends could't wait to see the Girls on Film vid (I wonder why!) and from there its a short leap to the rest of the New Romantic music, if not the wedge haircut and ridiculous clothes. And then it was OK to like rap when RUN DMC released walk this way with the Toxic Twins guesting.and it was OK to go and buy King of Rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 [quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1436877373' post='2821573'] I hate to disagree but Stevie Wonder in the 80s included such (IMO) drivel as "Happy Birthday", I Just Called to Say I love You" and "Ebony and Ivory". Each to his own obviously but no amount of post production will rescue this tosh. [/quote] Yeah but also Do I Do, Master Blaster and Go Home, which crops up in this nugget of 80s joy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGzWqAc16l0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Old Man Riva' timestamp='1436826560' post='2821272'] Saw Propaganda in the 80s with the mighty Derek Forbes on bass. [/quote] Any idea where and when? My second ever gig was Propaganda supported by Then Jerico at Hammersmith Palais, Nov 1985. Didn't know the Kevin Armstrong/Simple Minds connection! Edited July 15, 2015 by toneknob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Which brings me on to Trevor Horn - anything with him behind the desk (and occasionally bass) gets the thumbs up from me: as well as Propaganda, there's Frankie, ABC, etc. Here's Trev with Propaganda at a "Me and My Mates" gig at Wembley. Alan White from Yes on drums. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fEDeyWQqoE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chardbass Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 The 80s was a big time for me- I started secondary school at the beginning of them and was almost done with 4 years of music college by the end of them. The music went through as big a change too didn't it? 82-85ish is what I class as my 80s. Anything later, in retrospect, sounds like early 90s and anything earlier is almost late 70s. The same goes for most decades I guess. There really was some terrible music back then but strangely even music that I didn't massively love first time 'round makes me almost weep today. Tears for Fears' .."Rule the world" being one of them. Talk Talk 'It's My Life' is another (great bass sound- in fact it was the decade of the upfront bass sound) Music innit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenitram Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 (edited) Propaganda! Subway! Bass! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOxulx7SyxA[/media] .... with... er... massive spoilers, if you've never seen it. Edited July 15, 2015 by Zenitram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Must watch Subway again… and Diva... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyKnees Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 The early 80s post-punk period was pretty ace, but that might just be because I was 14 in 1980 and going to loads of great gigs in Liverpool, so I'm kind of biased I guess. All that NWOBHM stuff was bloody awful though, as were all those dire cliché ridden American poodle rock bands. The charts did seem to be more eclectic then though, which was generally a good thing. I think Live Aid killed the traditional music industry as was, that and the introduction of CDs, which gave the industry an opportunity to endlessly re-package everything instead of focussing on new talent. I don't personally think it has ever or will ever recover, which is possibly why my own tastes have drifted further towards left-field and world music. Or is that just what happens when you get older? I dunno... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I've heard it said that the '80's was the re-packaged 50's and the 90's was the 60's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 What short memories you all have...what about Prince, Japan, The Style Council, PIL, Aswad, Steel Pulse, etc??? Some of my favourite tunes came from the 80s...I defy you to listen to this without thinking "that is a great tune.." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNHc56y0POU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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