Blitzed!: The Autobiography of Steve Strange

by Steve Strange

Steve Strange was head boy of the New Romantic movement. He ran the best clubs in London - Billy's, Blitz and Camden Palace - which defined the glitzy banality of the era; places where Spandau Ballet and Boy George came to life. He formed, with Midge Ure, Visage, which became one of the biggest bands of the time, selling millions of records and gaining tabloid notoriety. BLITZED! recounts the rise and fall of the Blitz Kid from the excess of the early eighties - the clubs, the people, the music, the money - to his time spent recovering in Ibiza and India, the subsequent steady decline into cocaine and heroin abuse and his rise back to sanity. Steve recounts how he lost all his possessions in a house fire and days later learned of the death of his close friend Michael Hutchence. Within a couple of years Paula Yates had also committed suicide and Strange had ended up back in South Wales, homeless, mentally unstable and facing a court order for shoplifting. He recounts how he pulled himself back from the brink. He now manages a band, is clean, is re-recording Visage tracks and is ready to tell his amazing story.

Genres: Music, Autobiography, Memoir

198 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone should write a book...he did.

[DarkPumpkinSpice (Helene) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn I wish I was 20 in 1980 and living on London!
Steve Stange’s autobiography is not perfect (sometimes, I felt a bit lost in the who’s who of the era or felt that some stories were just glossed over because he wanted to tell them but didn’t remember all the details). It would have been nice to have someone help him write the book.

However!!!!!!! It was such a fun ride! At this exact moment, a few biographies like Rusty Eagan’s and Robert Elms’ are coming out, the Design museum of London is having a Blitz club exhibition and photographer Iain McKell is coming out with a photography book about the New Romantics.

Mr Strange (RIP) is taking the reader along with him from Wales to London, from his childhood to Visage and the different clubs, from addiction to breakdown and back again. It was pure fun to read!

[Abigail Albani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good account of perhaps the most flamboyant figure of the end 70s beginning of the 80s. Adventure upon misadventure all of which left an indelible mark on his life. A real character, sometimes high on demand other discarded. but with his courage he always made a real, good comeback in the London nightclub scene. A founder of the Blitz Club where some of the great era bands made their start-off such as Spandau Ballet and Boy George. All in all, this book will remain glued in my mind as it is his famous track Fade to Grey with the short-lived band Visage.The only pity is that he left us so soon as I believe that he still had more to give although not as much as the 80s. Farewell Steve and thank you for leaving us your life account!

[Lisa Lobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you grew up in the early 80s, you’ll enjoy this book. It’s packed with celeb names/stories and made for an interesting read....

[MR M · Rating 1 out of 5]

not informative enough about personal relationships with famous females

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent autobiography of Steve Strange who was a mainstay of the New Romantic scene

[Chetty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally have found it to be a great autobiography even though Mr Strange is sometimes being a bit arrogant but that's just part of his personality I think and as a fashion-crazed and madly-stylish this guy was and still it is a normal.
The way the artist recounts his ups and downs of life is honest and is a sort of confession. Having discovered him and his group Visage in April, I very much like this artist and still will for years to come.

[Phil Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure why on eBay this book is demanding £50 plus its an interesting read in parts but definitely not worth spending anymore then £20 at best!