Visage formed in London in 1978 around Steve Strange, who sang and became known for his androgynous look. The group included Rusty Egan on drums, Dave Formula and Billy Currie on keyboards, and Midge Ure on guitar. Their first album came out in 1980.
That self-titled record had 'Fade to Grey,' a synth-pop track with a detached vocal and a simple drum machine pattern that got played widely. The song's video, shot in black and white, showed Strange in makeup staring blankly from a train window. It became the thing people remembered.
They put out a few more albums like The Anvil and Beat Boy, which had the song 'Beat Boy' on it, but never matched that first single's reach. The band's sound was built on synthesizers and drum machines, with Strange's voice floating over the top. After the mid-80s, they were quiet for a long time before a later album in 2013.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.