Rusty Egan
Encyclopedia
Rusty Egan was the drummer for the British new wave
band, The Rich Kids
. They were founded by former Sex Pistol
, Glen Matlock
, bass guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; with Steve New
guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; and fronted by Midge Ure
guitarist, lead vocals and occasional backing vocals, and keyboards player, from their inception in March 1977 to their disbanding in December 1978. He continued working with Ure, and later collaborated with The Misfits, The Skids
, Shock
, and Visage
. However, Egan did not return to Visage for its reunion at the end of the 1990s.
He was the DJ at Blitz
, the influential New Romantic
nightclub
in London where he worked with Steve Strange
from 1979 until 1981. Whilst there, he introduced Germany's (Kraftwerk
), the Japanese (Yellow Magic Orchestra
) and British (Eno
, Ultravox
, Landscape
) electronica
/synthpop
to the British club scene, almost single-handedly putting together the soundtrack for the New Romantic movement. Egan also owned The Cage, a New Romantic record store on London's King's Road
. As the club grew in popularity, Egan began to be recognised as a central figure in London's nightlife. In 1982, he opened up the Camden Palace
nightclub in London, where he continued to spread and influence the development of electronica in the UK. For a time, he switched to producing
records
for many of the bands
he used to DJ, including Spear of Destiny, Shock, Visage, and The Senate
.
Egan was later brought back into his career as a disc jockey by the allure of the internet as a medium for sharing music. Presently, he works as a DJ at the Boujis nightclub in London, playing and promoting 1980s style synthpop and electronica music.
Originally, Richard James Burgess
was Egan's drum teacher.
On 13 June 2008, Egan appeared DJing at the 'Big Top', as part of the Isle of Wight Festival
.
Egan appeared alongside former Visage bandmate Steve Strange on makeover show Pop Goes the Band in early 2009 on Living. He had his teeth drastically reconstructed as part of his makeover.
Rusty won the category for lifetime achievement at the 2009 London Club and Bar Awards. Previous winners have included Richard Branson, Mark Fuller and Nick House.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band, The Rich Kids
The Rich Kids
Rich Kids were a short-lived, seminal new wave band from London, founded in 1977 by Glen Matlock following his departure from The Sex Pistols. The band also included future Ultravox member Midge Ure, and Rusty Egan, who later went to found Visage.-Career:...
. They were founded by former Sex Pistol
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock is an English bass guitarist most famous for being in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Drummer Paul Cook has said that Matlock came up with much of the music for the band's songs and most of the lyrics, while lead singer Johnny Rotten made some adjustments...
, bass guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; with Steve New
Steve New
Stephen Charles New, later known as Stella Nova, was an English guitarist and singer, known for his work with a number of punk and new wave bands in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; and fronted by Midge Ure
Midge Ure
James "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
guitarist, lead vocals and occasional backing vocals, and keyboards player, from their inception in March 1977 to their disbanding in December 1978. He continued working with Ure, and later collaborated with The Misfits, The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
, Shock
Shock (troupe)
Shock is a music/mime/dance/pop group that was notable in the early 1980s for supporting English pop groups such as Gary Numan, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode and Famous Names, led by Steve Fairnie....
, and Visage
Visage
Visage are a British New Wave rock band. Formed in 1978, the band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement of the early 1980s, and are best known for their 1980 hit "Fade to Grey".-New Wave years :...
. However, Egan did not return to Visage for its reunion at the end of the 1990s.
He was the DJ at Blitz
Blitz Kids
The Blitz Kids were a group of young people who frequented the Blitz nightclub in Covent Garden, London in the very early 1980s, and are credited with launching the New Romantic cultural movement...
, the influential New Romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in London where he worked with Steve Strange
Steve Strange
Steve Strange , is a Welsh pop singer, best known as the lead singer and frontman of the 1980s pop group Visage...
from 1979 until 1981. Whilst there, he introduced Germany's (Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
), the Japanese (Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
) and British (Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
, Landscape
Landscape (band)
Landscape is a British band, best known for the 1981 hits, "Einstein A Go-Go" and "Norman Bates". Formed in 1974, they toured constantly during the mid- to late-1970s, playing rock, punk and jazz venues and releasing two instrumental EPs on their own Event Horizon label...
) electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
/synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
to the British club scene, almost single-handedly putting together the soundtrack for the New Romantic movement. Egan also owned The Cage, a New Romantic record store on London's King's Road
Kings Road
King's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England...
. As the club grew in popularity, Egan began to be recognised as a central figure in London's nightlife. In 1982, he opened up the Camden Palace
Camden Palace
KOKO is a nightclub in a former theatre in Camden Town, London, England, at the bottom of Camden High Street close to Mornington Crescent tube station. Until 2004 it was called the Camden Palace. The building is considered to have some architectural significance and is a Grade II listed...
nightclub in London, where he continued to spread and influence the development of electronica in the UK. For a time, he switched to producing
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
for many of the bands
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
he used to DJ, including Spear of Destiny, Shock, Visage, and The Senate
The Senate (band)
The Senate were a White Soul cover band active in Europe in the mid-late 1960s. This group included the late drummer Robbie McIntosh, who would later be a member of The Average White Band, and Alex Ligertwood who went on to a successful career that included vocal work for Santana...
.
Egan was later brought back into his career as a disc jockey by the allure of the internet as a medium for sharing music. Presently, he works as a DJ at the Boujis nightclub in London, playing and promoting 1980s style synthpop and electronica music.
Originally, Richard James Burgess
Richard James Burgess
Richard James Burgess is a studio drummer, music-computer programmer, recording artist, record producer, composer, author, manager, marketer and inventor. He was the producer for Spandau Ballet's first two albums.-Education:...
was Egan's drum teacher.
On 13 June 2008, Egan appeared DJing at the 'Big Top', as part of the Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival 2008
The Isle Of Wight Festival 2008 was the seventh revived Isle of Wight Festival held at Seaclose Park in Newport on the Isle Of Wight. The event took place between June 13 and June 15, 2008.Tickets went on sale in December 2007 and were sold out within weeks....
.
Egan appeared alongside former Visage bandmate Steve Strange on makeover show Pop Goes the Band in early 2009 on Living. He had his teeth drastically reconstructed as part of his makeover.
Rusty won the category for lifetime achievement at the 2009 London Club and Bar Awards. Previous winners have included Richard Branson, Mark Fuller and Nick House.
External links
- www.theblitzclub.com
- https://plus.google.com/101461256478258425136?hl=en&tab=wh#101461256478258425136/about
- Rusty Egan on DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- http://rustyegan.blogspot.com/