Blitz cover art

Blitz

The Club That Created the Eighties

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Blitz

By: Robert Elms
Narrated by: Robert Elms
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About this listen

'Elms is one of the greatest chroniclers of our age. He was born to write this book.' Dylan Jones
'Fantastic! It is like time travel . . . [to] the most exciting, innovative, outrageous, wildest, most creative club ever.' Steve Dagger
'Elms was not only in the room where it happened, he was at the very heart of it.' Gary Kemp
'The perfect witness and commentator: open-minded, outward looking, and an expert and shrewd cultural analyst.' Lavinia Greenlaw
'Sharp, funny and caked in two-day old eyeliner.' Jodie Harsh

A history of the club that set the '80s alight, by the much-loved presenter, writer and Blitz attendee Robert Elms.

The short-lived Blitz club in London's Covent Garden was more than somewhere to hang out or be seen: it was a catalyst for cultural explosion, a counter-culture blast against everything Thatcher's leadership had ushered in by the dawn of the 80s. Tuesday nights boasted a ferocious, fearless cast - from Boy George and Spandau Ballet to Grayson Perry and Peter Doig, to Michele Clapton, Sade and John Galliano. This was the vanguard of a different England; socially liberal, loud, proud and diverse, fiercely individualistic and determined to succeed. Britain was black and white; the Blitz Kids switched on the colour.

In Blitz, Elms reflects on a club night founded by working-class kids, one whose impact reverberated beyond its doors, through the worlds of Art, Literature, Fashion and Music, and into the present day.

©2025 Robert Elms (P)2025 Faber & Faber
Art Art & Literature Entertainment & Celebrities Journalists, Editors & Publishers England Funny
All stars
Most relevant
I was there in the beginning of the blitz era,not geographically but at heart I was into the same tunes,the same scene and lived through the retelling of this time.

Spoken with passion and fervour,I whizzed through this title,and ,whilst I've already heard some of the stories,others I wasn't familiar with.

Five out of five all round.
Amazing and engrossing!!

Absurdly brilliant!

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A fantastic telling of the blitz club story. I don’t think it was the root of as much Elms thinks. Other clubs and music were available but you can forgive his claims as he writes as well as you’d expect him to.

A rip roaring story

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Excellent work from Rob. Wonderful insight to the infamous Blitz club that started our generation with all the runners and riders of New Romantics etc.
Narration was fine and I enjoyed the journey throughout the period in question. Some run folk and crazy times indeed. Cracking stuff.
If I’m being picky Rob often used those ‘long words’ we all never use and find pretentious but he’s a writer so…
Overall great piece I would re listen to another time.

80s in a nutshell - a blast

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A great tale told well. Robert encapsulated the whole scene perfectly. I could smell the hair spray and cigarette smoke.

A great trip back to my youth.

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Robert pulls together all the threads and characters from this influential scene into an inspirational tale. Full credit is given to the Welsh contingent of Steve Strange and Chris Sullivan who shaped the Blitz scene. And Rusty Egan as the DJ who shaped the taste of the club goers. There is a bit of over-reach in its influence but he argues it well. The exhibition at the Design Museum is a must see to accompany this book.

Passionate telling of the story by someone who was there!

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