A reflection on a short-lived scene with long-lasting impact, Blitzed! traces the evolution of the eponymous London club through interviews with club regulars like Boy George, Princess Julia, members of Spandau Ballet, and more. Blitz grew out of a time when Teddy Boys chased punks down the King’s Road, and David Bowie performed on Top of the Pops. Bowie became the universal inspiration for the wild and wondrous looks required for club admittance: only the decidedly outrageous could get you through the door. While the interviewees recall the fun, the joy, the feeling of belonging, they also acknowledge the competition, striving to outdo your rivals with next week’s outfit. In Blitzed!, we’re invited to savor the clothes and the cattiness.

While the club itself lasted less than two years, it laid the groundwork for a subculture to spill into the mainstream. “The world was a different place after ‘Starman,’” recalls one interviewee, and it was transformed again after the Blitz kids turned culture upside down.

Photography credit: Homer Sykes (the b&w shot of George and Steve Strange), Nicola Tyson (colour shot) and Sheila Rock (Blitz Club shot with the gang).