Steve (centre) with two models from the music video for "Visage".
Visage was an English New Romantic-New Wave-Synth-Pop band popular in the 1980's. The band's front-man, Steve Strange, started the group with DJ Rusty Egan, Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Dave Formula, Barry Adamson & John McGeoch in 1978 to create music that fit the atmosphere of his ultra-trendy nightclub The Blitz, which up to that point played exclusively music from other artists that fit the feel of the New Romantic scene, like Kraftwerk & Roxy Music. Their first single was released in 1979, followed by their self-titled debut in 1980. That album's single "Fade To Grey" became an uber-hit that signalled the beginning of the New Romantic movement & lead to the rise of synth-pop in the 80's. The band's last album under its original line-up was released in 1984. Steve passed away in 2015, in the midst of recording Visage's last album, Demons To Diamonds; released posthumously that same year.Discography:
- Visage (1980)
- The Anvil (1982)
- Beat Boy (1984)
- Hearts & Knives (2013)
- Orchestral (2014)
- Demons To Diamonds (2015)
Visage provides examples of:
- Central Theme: Fashion is king, clubbing is in, but nightlife has a sad underbelly.
- Gratuitous French: Famously, "Fade To Grey" features a verse sung in French by Brigitte Arens, who was Rusty's girlfriend at the time. It's the same as the English verse sung by Steve, just translated.
- Instrumentals: A few, like "Moon Over Moscow" & "The Dancer".
- Living Toys: "Mind Of A Toy". It's not a cheerful portrayal.
- Lyrical Dissonance: Their more haunting songs were full of this. "The Damned Don't Cry" is a lament to loneliness; "Mind Of A Toy" puts a tragic spin on Living Toys. In fact, this was the central concept behind the New Romantic scene - depth and meaning underneath glitz and glamour.
- Meaningful Name: Steve Strange (real name: Stephen John Harrington), as anyone who saw his fashion sense would agree.
- New Wave Music: A rare synth-only example.
- Synth-Pop: The pioneers; "Fade To Grey" was one of the first hit singles to made exclusively using synthesisers. All their music was made using analog synths and not real instruments.
- The Fashionista: The New Romantics were a combination music/fashion scene and thus being as chic as possible was vital. Steve's fashion choices are still stylish even today.
