SplaTT's Blog » The 80’s

The 80s are back

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:47:31 +0000

The 1980s comprise of a lot of great memories for me, and a lot of the things i learn’t in that period were also responsible for many of my work choices since then…not to mention that i love 80s music, movies and tv shows :)

Obviously i’m not the only one who thinks that the 80s was a great decade as the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney is opening their “The 80s are back“ exhibition on the 12th of December 2009.

The Powerhouse Museum is bringing back the 80s with a spectacular exhibition that will reveal the good and the bad about the decade vividly remembered for its over-the-top excess.

Revisit the era’s toys and fads, video games and technology, nightclubs and music, architecture and design trends, current affairs and events. From the Sony Walkman, Atari and Pac-Man, big hair and power dressing, to pub rock and dance parties, the America’s Cup and the Berlin Wall.

Packed with entertaining experiences, familiar personalities, great nostalgia, and perhaps just a few cringe-worthy moments, The 80s are back will remind you why the 80s was a decade not easily forgotten!

I’m looking forward to checking out the exhibition..but more importantly i have now have my tickets for the opening night party :)

Celebrate 80s music at the opening night party!

12 December, 7pm – 10pm, Over 18s only

Dust off your ra-ra skirts, leggings and skinny ties for a night of 80s fun! Australia’s foremost proponents of synthesiser pop Pseudo Echo will be joined by iconic pop rock band GANGgajang, 80s drag divas Cindy Pastel, Miss 3D and friends, including Chris Da Bonnafin (in a Xanadu-inspired performance), and renowned DJ Stephen Ferris.

You can buy tickets for the event here.

Cameron Frye’s house

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:08:23 +0000

In the classic 1980’s movie, “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off“, Ferris Beuller’s best friend Cameron Frye lived in a house with a glass garage that housed a spectacular 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California that they used during the movie.

Well…that house is up for sale.

Now that would be a cool house to live in :)

1980’s videoclips: Into Temptation

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:25:52 +0000

“Into Temptation” was the third single from the 1988 Temple of Low Men album, which was the second album from the legendary Australian/New Zealand band, Crowded House.

I have seen these guys perform live during three decades; the 1980’s, the 1990’s and the 2000’s. A truly great band :)

Crowded House – Into Temptation

YouTube link

1980’s video clips: Sunglasses at Night

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:44:13 +0000

Released in 1983, “Sunglasses at Night” was the first single from “First Offense” which was the debut album of the Canadian musician, Corey Hart.

Corey Hart – Sunglasses at Night

YouTube link

1980’s video clips: Down Under

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:55:02 +0000

“Down Under” was originally released in 1981 by the Australian band, “Men at Work”, and achieved the number 1 chart position in Australia, the US and the UK.

Men at Work – Down Under

YouTube link

1980’s video clips: Ship of Fools

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:21:14 +0000

The song, “Ship of Fools”, was released in late 1986 by the British pop/rock band, World Party.

World Party – Ship of Fools

YouTube link

1980’s video clips: Shout

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:47:40 +0000

The song “Shout” was released in late 1984 by an English pop rock band formed in the early 1980s called “Tears for Fears”. It become one of the most successful pop songs of 1985, eventually reaching the Top Ten in 25 countries and held the number one position in at least 9 of those countries.

Tears for Fears – Shout

YouTube link

1980’s video clips: Under the Milky Way

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:24:13 +0000

In 1998 the Australian band, The Church, released the song “Under the Milky Way” which won them the Australian ARIA award for best song in 1989.

The Church – Under the Milky Way

YouTube link

1980’s video clips: What’s My Scene

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:44:09 +0000

The Australian band, Hoodoo Gurus, released “What’s My Scene” in March of 1987 which reached the number three position on the Australian charts.

In 2007, the Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

The citation for the band’s nomination includes:
“For two and a half decades the Hoodoo Gurus have consistently been one of the most inventive, lyrically smart and exciting rock’n'roll bands Australia has ever produced… along the way they’ve influenced an entire generation of bands which explains why the likes of You Am I, The Living End, Dallas Crane, Grinspoon and many others queued up a few years back to pay tribute to the band’s 1984 debut album, Stoneage Romeos.”

Hoodoo Gurus – What’s My Scene

YouTube Link

1980’s video clips: Slice of Heaven

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:04:32 +0000

“Slice of Heaven” is a single by New Zealand singer/songwriter Dave Dobbyn, which was released in 1986 alongside the animated motion picture, Footrot Flats: The Dog’s ~~Tail~~ Tale.

The single charted at #1 in both New Zealand and Australia.

Dave Dobbyn – Slice of Heaven

YouTube link

1980’s video clips: Ant Music

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:16:32 +0000

From Wikipedia:

Adam and the Ants were a New Romantic band during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were one of the bands at the time that marked the transition from the 70s punk rock era to the New Wave/post-punk era.

The song Ant Music, was the third single to released from their 1980 album, Kings of the Wild Frontier. The single peaked at number two in the UK and spent five weeks holding the number one spot in the Australian charts.

Adam and the Ants – Ant Music

1980’s video clips: Learning To Fly

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:09:32 +0000

Not quite a music video clip, but an extract of Pink Floyd’s spectacular performance of “Learning to Fly” from their 1988 tour.

The song initially appeared on the 1987 album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”.

Pink Floyd – Learning To Fly

I worked as a lighting technician at the Melbourne concert they did and it was truly amazing :)

1980’s video clips: Rain

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:58:19 +0000

Dragon, a popular New Zealand / Australian rock band, formed in Auckland New Zealand in 1972 and relocated to Sydney Australia in mid-1975. Since then they have split up and reformed twice with a few changes to band members due to deaths from drug overdoses and cancer.

The single, “Rain”, was released in 1983 and again on their brilliant 1984 album, “Body and the Beat”. It peaked at number two on the Australian charts.

Dragon – Rain

Live in Sydney clip

1980’s video clips: Running in the family

Mick (SplaTT) Stanic — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:06:07 +0000

If you liked your Jazz-Funk and Pop-Rock music mixed together a bit, then during the 1980’s the English band Level 42 were just the sort of thing that you would have been listening to.

A “best of” CD called “Level Best” was an early CD purchase of mine (1989 i believe) and it still sits in the CD stacker in my car today.

Level 42 – Running in the Family
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