McNidder & Grace

Rusty Egan, co-founder of Visage and resident DJ at London's iconic Blitz Club, helped define the New Romantic music movement. His autobiography captures the birth of British electronic music, 1980s London nightlife, and collaborations with Midge Ure, Steve Strange, and other pioneers. RustyEgan is one of the most iconic and influential figures in the electronic music industry. His career began in the music industry as a runner atDJM studios, followed by a stint at WEA Records. Rusty collaborated with formerSex Pistols member Glen Matlock, alongside Steve New and MidgeUre, to establish the new wave band Rich Kids. Their debut album, Ghostsof Princes in Towers, released in 1978, achieved both critical acclaim andcommercial success. During the Rich Kids tours, Rusty met Steve Strange. This encounter led to Rusty's concept for a club night at Billy's, a Sohovenue, catering to fashionable punks and showcasing the music they werepassionate about. In 1979, they moved their club night to the Blitz in CoventGarden. As the resident DJ at the Blitz, Rusty played a pivotal rolein introducing British, German, and Japanese electronica to the Britishclub scene, essentially curating the soundtrack for the burgeoning NewRomantic movement. Rusty Egan was instrumental in the formation of the band Visagewith Midge Ure. Steve Strange joined them as the frontman (face and voice), andthe lineup was completed by Billy Currie on keyboards, along with JohnMcGeoch (guitar), Dave Formula (keyboards), and Barry Adamson(bass), all from the band MAGAZINE. Beyond his band work Rusty co-founded the incredibly popular CamdenPalace nightclub in London with Steve Strange, where he continued tochampion and shape the development of electronica in the UK. He alsoestablished Metropolis Music, a publishing and production company,allowing him to create music as well as perform it. Inmore recent news, Rusty released his album Welcome To The Dancefloorin 2017, which featured collaborations with Midge Ure, Tony Hadley, and PeterHook. Furthermore, in June 2024, Demon Records Rusty Egan is stillregularly DJing and in September 2025 will be releasing his new album Romantic to coincidewith this autobiography and the Design Museum's Blitz Club Exhibition centred ofcourse, around Rusty.

Marc Burrowsexplores the peculiarly British cultural phenomenon of the Christmas single's chart. The festive top spot was something that, prior to 1973, wasn't particularlyimportant but has since become a cornerstone of the December news cycle and,for years, an annual cultural moment ... that may have reached the end of itslife. He tracesthe origins of the concept, through the Beatles andthe-years-when-it-wasn't-really-a-thing, the Glam rock boom, Band Aid, noveltyrecords, the X-Factor years and the awful Sausage Roll charity records of the2020s, supported by interviews with figures involved in some of the most iconichits and notable chart battles of the past half century and obsessive, in-depthresearch. He explores the sometimes fascinating and sometimes weird andunlikely stories behind some of the most beloved (and some of the most utterlyloathed) songs in British musical history. The Story of the Christmas No. 1 is more than just a nostalgic music book. It subtly explores pop culture and social history, examining our relationshipwith Christmas, how our national identity is reflected in the music we listento together, and how the music industry has changed. It also reveals how theChristmas No. 1 reflects the current social reality of today and how technologyand culture have reshaped the way music is consumed.