VINTAGE 80s CLUB PICS    Hold cursor over image for details

Do you remember the '80s? How could you forget the rather obscene decade of greed, consumerism, materialism, perfect bad taste, power dressing, shoulder pads, label mania and 'loadsa' money. How about the senile Reagan, a demented Thatcher and the shameless yuppies? However, let's not overlook those all-important men in make-up and the gender benders. They suddenly came out of the wood work in their droves and frightened the life of the masses in the press and on our TV screens. There's no doubt that the era proved to be clubland's heyday. Someone coined the term ligger for the occasion. In fact, if you had the right look and attitude, you would literally get in everywhere quicker than a disease. You'd never have to pay for drinks - or anything else for that matter! - and you'd find yourself on the world and his wife's mailing lists. Which came in handy in those pre-internet social network days. Out every night, partying with the in-crowd ... could life get any better? Indeed, many club kids lived a millionaire's lifestyle while claiming 'artistic' dole benefit. You'd have to be A-listers these days to get this kind of privileges. Also, this was the first time people realized that being a club kid is a privilege and great opportunity, not a hobby or perversion confined to the brain-dead and the drug-fucked. It personally taught me a lot about life and gave me the self-confidence I desperately lacked growing up. Without even trying, I got to meet some of the most amazing people on the club, fashion and music scenes in London, Paris, New York and the rest. The decade opened with a bang, unleashing myriad well-powdered Blitz kids and gaggles of spooky-looking goths. Clubland truly looked like a relentless celebration of youth culture, hormone-raging individuality and exacerbated multi-media creativity at every level. So much was happening that you felt - hoped - the decade would never end. When it did, words like blanket uniformity, practicality and blandness had already become order of the day, yet again - but, thankfully, not for long ...