The Blitz Club Culture

The New Romantics was a subculture born out of dissatisfaction with the way ‘punk had become a parody of itself’ (Cole, 2000) that, once adopted by the mainstream, began to alienate ‘many of those who were at first attracted to it’s embracing of difference and individuality’ (Cole, 2000). Where punk had originally been about a very ‘DIY’ ethic and energy, it evolved into something uniform and hyper-masculinised. In doing so, the punk scene became much less of a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ youth, such as George O’Dowd (better known today as cultural icon, Boy George) and the Bromley Contingent (which included Siouxsie Sioux and Billy Idol) who ‘spent more time hanging out at gay clubs’ (Rimmer, 2003).

Consequently, those who didn’t fit

With both the men and women incorporating silks, satin, lace and makeup into their outfits, aesthetics related to cross-dressing were an important part of the scene’s ethos. Strange may have demanded the ‘right’ kind of people, but his ‘right’ would have been considered very much ‘wrong’ in mainstream club culture and society. The existence of the Blitz club was the permission people needed to loudly and glamorously question the norms entrenched around gender

Huge hair lacquered and heels high, they danced to Kraftwerk and discovered a world away from their usual suburbia. One where clothing signified sexuality. This community was a life line ‘because clothing, along with adornment and demeanour’ is ‘a primary method of identification for and of gay men’ (Cole, 2000). Bridging a gap between alternative and gay club culture, it was the answer for boys like Richard who wanted to express themselves through the ‘most outrageous, shocking clothes and dance to the music of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ and ‘meet a boyfriend’ (Cole,