Visage: Fade To Grey

[V] Rewind to 2002 with Jane Gazzo

One man on a lonely platform. One case sitting by his side. Ah, we fade to gray.” So sang the eccentrically styled Steve Strange (strange by name, strange by nature) in the song which, even though released some 29 years ago, still stands up in clubs today amongst modern day auto- tune pop gems. Strange was the infamous door bitch at London’s Blitz Club in the early ‘80s who teamed up with DJ Rusty Egan and Midge Ure (who would later form Ultravox) for a record which is still considered one of the synth-tastic anthems of the New Romantic movement. The music video, whilst simplistic, has remained significant mostly because of its avant-garde campness. And where for art thou Steve Strange these days? Well apart from staying away from chemists lest he should steal any more stuffed toys (he was given a suspended sentence for shoplifting a Teletubby in 2000 – a cry for help anyone?), Strange has become like many other casualties of the ‘80s, reality TV show fodder, and chat show talking head whenever the phrase New Romantic should arise.