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80´s  NYC

New York of the early 1980’s was a cultural melting pot of young experimental pioneers. Bands like Blondie, Gary Numan, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Devo Grace Jones & Klous Nomie had begun to filter out to the rest of the world. With a strong European influence the downtown kids created a scene that changed the music industry. Style played an important role in the new emerging bands. Music labels and artists were now consulting with stylists. MTV was now giving visual to the bands and the songs. A band could have a fantastic look and capture the attention of the record buyers. Stylists like Maripol helped create the image for the artist which had a high impact effect. When you watched MTV sometimes you would have to sit through many lousy rock & roll videos to see one really good one. It was somewhat of a musical freak show with intervals of rock & roll boredom in between. Anytime of day you could tune in and see the newest thing emerging from the New York music scene. Clubs that had begun in the late 70’s such as Mudd Club, had paved the way for a new nightclub generation of fabulous freaks and avant garde new wavers. Electronic music began to renovate the dwindling disco scene. The air waves became flooded with these emerging new styles and sounds. Artists such as Madonna had begun to fuse dance music with the electronic synth pop sound. Most dance music by the mid 80’s had a very electronic pop sound. Pop culture was everywhere. Movies, books & fashion were influenced by the downtown scene. The book slaves of New York had introduced most households to what was once a virtually unknown world. Artists, designers, musicians & freaks took on star like personalities that had kids in small towns dreaming of the big city. Films like Desperately Seeking, Slaves of New York & Liquid Sky gave us a glimpse into the exciting downtown art scene. Clubs like Danceteria, The Roxy, Palladium, Pyramid, Area, The World & Boy Bar were thriving mecca’s of the pop culture fashion scene. Hip Hop & New Wave had merged giving the club scene a funky urban punky edge. Lots of day glow, big spiky hair, plastic and rubber jewelry, Stephen Sprouse graffiti clothing, sneakers & shoulder pads filled the dance floors and galleries of the flourishing scene. Magazines like Details and Paper showed us who’s who & what “It Girl”{Dianne Brill} would be beyond the velvet ropes. Area nightclub had live themed installations with real people like Bernard Zette that changed the idea of clubs. The later part of the ‘80s brought us Susanne Bartsch and her British eccentric influence which would once again change the style and flavor of the scene. This made way for the 90’s which is when a super club apocalypse hit New York. New York today still has a thriving club scene and is still a favorite of many visitors. Unfortunately strict mayors of the past have placed far too many restrictions on clubs, club owners and club go-ers making the clubs of the 1980’s legendary. NICKY  LONDON COLUMN  MENU