Editing New Romantic (section)

===Origins===
[[File:David-Bowie Early.jpg|thumb|upright|David Bowie's androgynous [[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars|Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders]] look, which was a major influence on the movement]]

The New Romantic movement developed almost simultaneously in London and Birmingham.<ref>{{cite book|last=Johnstone|first=Sam|year=2013|chapter=New Romantics|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tlsKXeRt0wgC&pg=PA363|editor1-last=Childs|editor1-first=Peter|editor2-last=Storry|editor2-first=Michael|title=Encyclopaedia of Contemporary British Culture |location=London |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|page=363|isbn=978-1134755547}}</ref> In London, it grew out of David Bowie and Roxy Music themed nights, run during 1978 in the nightclub [[Gargoyle Club|Billy's]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/revolution/|title=Revolution, Shapers of the 80s |date=22 January 2010 |publisher=Shapersofthe80s.com |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> in [[Dean Street]], London.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Steve Strange |journal = Showbiz Wales/Southeast Hall of Fame (BBC) |date = August 2009 |url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/halloffame/showbiz/steve_strange.shtml |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100727171020/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/halloffame/showbiz/steve_strange.shtml |archive-date = 27 July 2010 |url-status = dead |df = dmy-all }}</ref> In 1979, the growing popularity of the club forced organisers [[Steve Strange]] and [[Rusty Egan]] to relocate to a larger venue in the Blitz,<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Johnson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/04/spandau-ballet-new-romantics |title=Spandau Ballet, the Blitz kids and the birth of the New Romantics |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]  |location=London |date=4 October 2009|access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ataria.eus/tolosaldea/1513784931858-erromantiko-berriak-entzungai |title='Erromantiko berriak' entzungai – Tolosaldeko ataria |language=eu |publisher=Ataria.eus |date=22 December 2017 |access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref> a wine bar in [[Great Queen Street]], [[Covent Garden]], where they ran a Tuesday night "Club for Heroes".<ref name=Johnson2009/> Its patrons dressed as uniquely as they could in an attempt to draw the most attention.

Steve Strange worked as the club's doorman and Egan was the DJ at the Blitz. The club became known for its exclusive door policy and strict dress code. Strange would frequently deny potential patrons admission because he felt that they were not costumed creatively or subversively enough to blend in with those inside the club. In a highly publicised incident, a drunken [[Mick Jagger]] tried to enter the club, but Strange denied him entry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31452452|title=Steve Strange: The custodian of New Romantic pop|first=Mark|last=Savage|date=13 February 2015|website=Bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The club spawned several spin-offs and there were soon clubs elsewhere in the capital and in other major British cities, including Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.<ref name=Buckley2005p318/>

While still at Billy's, Strange and Egan joined [[Billy Currie]] and [[Midge Ure]] of [[Ultravox]] to form the band [[Visage (band)|Visage]]. Before forming Culture Club, Boy George and Marilyn worked as [[cloakroom]] attendants at the Blitz.<ref>{{Harvnb|O'Byrne|2009|p=81}}</ref> The video for David Bowie's 1980 UK number one single "[[Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)|Ashes to Ashes]]" included appearances by Strange with three other Blitz Kids and propelled the New Romantic movement into the mainstream.<ref name=Buckley2005p318/>

In Birmingham, the origins of the New Romantic movement lay in the opening in 1975 of the [[Hurst Street, Birmingham|Hurst Street]] shop of the fashion designers [[Kahn and Bell]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Rimmer|first=Dave|year=2003|title=New Romantics: The Look|location=London|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|pages=105–106|isbn=0711993963}}</ref> whose elaborate and theatrical designs brought together futuristic visual elements and influences as diverse as Egyptian, African and Far Eastern art,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1175728/bustier/|title=Bustier|access-date=30 June 2013|publisher=Victoria & Albert Museum}}</ref> and would largely define the movement's look.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nick|last=Rhodes|author-link=Nick Rhodes|title=How we opened the door to the 1980s|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3651745/How-we-opened-the-door-to-the-1980s.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3651745/How-we-opened-the-door-to-the-1980s.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |date=22 April 2006|access-date=30 June 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> By 1977, a small scene featuring Jane Kahn and Patti Bell themselves, [[Martin Degville]], [[Boy George]] and Patrick Lilley had emerged in pubs such as The Crown and clubs such as Romulus and Barbarella's.<ref>Rimmer, pp. 100–102</ref>

[[Leeds]] also developed an early New Romantic scene around 1979, with clubs including the Warehouse, Primos and [[Le Phonographique]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Ethan |title=How Leeds Led the Goth Scene |url=https://www.popmatters.com/leeds-goth-2649733682.html |website=[[PopMatters]] |date=13 January 2021 |access-date=22 December 2023}}</ref> This scene's most notable exponent was [[Soft Cell]], whose vocalist was the Warehouse's DJ and cloakroom worker [[Marc Almond]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reynolds |first1=Simon |title=Rip it Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 |date=2 April 2009 |publisher=Faber & Faber |quote=Almond played electronic dance pop when he DJ-ed at the Leeds Warehouse nightclub, and often penned Soft Cell songs in the cloak room. The Warehouse was the epicentre of the Leeds branch of the Futurist/New Romantic scene. 'When exhibitionism hit Leeds, it hit hard,' Almond recalled. 'It was a battle for who could wear the most make-up and most acres of material.'}}</ref>