Blitz

A history of the club that set the '80s alight, by much-loved presenter and Blitz attendee Robert Elms.The short-lived Blitz club in London's Covent Garden was more than a place to hang out or be seen: it was the catalyst for a cultural explosion, a counter-culture blast against all that Thatcher's leadership had ushered in by the dawn of the 80s. Tuesday nights boasted a ferocious, fearless cast - from Boy George and Spandau Ballet to Grayson Perry and Peter Doig, Sade and Wham! to Michele Clapton and John Galliano. They were the vanguard of a very different England; socially liberal, loud and proud, celebrating diversity, but also fiercely individualistic and above all determined to succeed. Britain stood in black and white; between 1979 and 1980, the Blitz Kids switched on the colour.

In Blitz, Robert Elms reflects on the club night, founded by a group of working-class kids, which made its mark on the worlds of art, literature, fashion and music, one whose impact reverberated far beyond its doors and is still felt today, in the UK, across Europe and even in America.