New Wave's Blitz Kids | Milly Burroughs

For our final New Wave show at Oona Bar, before Refuge Worldwide moves to the new space at Niemetzstraße, we are honouring the legacy of one iconic venue by digging into the history of another.

Behind a door in Covent Garden side street, London’s Blitz club was the birthplace of avant-garde 1980s style and New Wave’s New Romantic era. Inspired by everything from David Bowie, the punk and soul scenes, to continental cinema and cabaret culture, young, hungry creative talents came together at the Blitz’s Tuesday night club night — founded by Steve Strange and DJ Rusty Egan in 1979 — to revolutionise fashion, music and design.

No fantasy was too extravagant and entrance at the door was dependent on adherence to an ambitious dress code. Let’s explore the sounds of the 1980s’ most iconic guest list.