BLITZ AND BEYOND - The New Romantic Revolution
Tue, August 18, 2026
BLITZ AND BEYOND
The New Romantic Revolution
Created by Graham Smith. Main text: Chris Sullivan
Graham Smith designed Spandau Ballet’s early record covers, as well as our recent ‘Everything is now’ box set, and his outstanding book ‘We Can Be Heroes’ has been republished. It’s retitled ‘Blitz and Beyond – The New Romantic Revolution’ and is based on 500 photographs Graham took in the early 80s clubbing scene, including many of our favourite Spandau photos. It has wonderful worts’n’all text by Chris Sullivan and our own Gary Kemp supplies a foreword along with Boy George and Steve Strange, plus an intro by Robert Elms. Without doubt, the insiders’ tale of those tumultuous times, and we highly recommend it.
Gary Kemp “It’s AMAZING! Beautifully thorough and, unsurprisingly, stylishly constructed. It’s now my desert-island book! Well done and thank you, Graham and Chris.”
Martin Kemp “What a wonderful book. I have never seen anything that has, or I’m sure will, capture those early days so vividly. It brought back so many memories; I could almost taste the air of those clubs again….I will treasure it all my life.”
This book was previously titled ‘We Can Be Heroes’ and was published by Unbound via crowdfunding in 2011. It was then reprinted for the Design Museum’s ‘Blitz: The club that shaped the 80s’ exhibition earlier this year - where it sold out immediately. The book covers the characters, music and fashion from the London clubbing scene post-punk from 1978-1984, from its birth at Billys and Blitz via Le Beat Route, Mud club and Camden Palace to the Dirt Box and Wag club. The original publication still sells for crazy inflated prices on eBay and Amazon (was selling at over £400 a copy at one point!?)
It can be purchased from Waterstones, good bookshops, and Amazon, priced at £40.
#blitz
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