Did straight teenage boys like new wave...

[Crocodiles]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Qbertqubes[/i]
<br>I loved depeche mode, culture club, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys etc & I am straight as an arrow
[/quote]
That's impossible.




[:D]

Seriously, you know how Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer go out on tour as The Big Four Of Metal? Well, those four bands you mentioned that you love -- Depeche Mode, Culture Club, Pet Shop Boys, and Erasure -- are The Big Four Of Homosexual Bands. Even GLAD wouldn't book those four bands together. Just way too much homosexuality for one occasion. Have to take Erasure off the bill and replace them with Motorhead.

[InvisibleMan]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Crocodiles[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Qbertqubes[/i]
<br>I loved depeche mode, culture club, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys etc & I am straight as an arrow
[/quote]
That's impossible.

[:D]

Well, those four bands you mentioned that you love -- Depeche Mode, Culture Club, Pet Shop Boys, and Erasure -- are The Big Four Of Homosexual Bands. Even GLAD wouldn't book those four bands together. Just way too much homosexuality for one occasion.
[/quote]

oftentimes anything remotely catchy and melodic and with some synths and rhythm gets labeled as "gay"

[Crocodiles]

[quote][i]Originally posted by InvisibleMan[/i]
oftentimes anything remotely catchy and melodic and with some synths and rhythm gets labeled as "gay"
[/quote]
The label also gets applied when members of the band are gay. Culture Club, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure... To call those bands "gay bands" is not entirely inaccurate.

[Passing_Stranger]

So funny to read Americans' perceptions of, say, Depeche mode - they were huge, absolutely massive in Soviet Union/Russia in the late 80's and early 90's (and still are a guaranteed crowd attraction). And they were percieved as a band for real men, moody and serious (and straight as an arrow), lots of young men modelled their looks and behaviour after them. No gay connotations whatsoever![:D] I guess you could've been beaten almost to death if you mentioned this to the "depecheist" crowd then. And even now you'll get rather funny glances talking about DM like that.

New Wave in USSR and Russia wasn't a big phenomenon unfortunately, surpassed by disco music from Germany and Italy and hard'n'heavy bands. But even amongst those who listened to NW music I doubt there were many gays. Actually, it's absolutely uncommon here to percieve a whole style/genre of music as "gay" or "straight". You can listen to disco openly and won't be doubted in your manhood. So thanks to all who contributed, it's very interesting (and, at the same time, baffling) to read about the way NW was thought about and looked upon.

[InvisibleMan]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Passing_Stranger[/i]
<br>So funny to read Americans' perceptions of, say, Depeche mode - they were huge, absolutely massive in Soviet Union/Russia in the late 80's and early 90's (and still are a guaranteed crowd attraction). And they were percieved as a band for real men, moody and serious (and straight as an arrow), lots of young men modelled their looks and behaviour after them. No gay connotations whatsoever![:D] I guess you could've been beaten almost to death if you mentioned this to the "depecheist" crowd then. And even now you'll get rather funny glances talking about DM like that.

New Wave in USSR and Russia wasn't a big phenomenon unfortunately, surpassed by disco music from Germany and Italy and hard'n'heavy bands. But even amongst those who listened to NW music I doubt there were many gays. Actually, it's absolutely uncommon here to percieve a whole style/genre of music as "gay" or "straight". You can listen to disco openly and won't be doubted in your manhood. So thanks to all who contributed, it's very interesting (and, at the same time, baffling) to read about the way NW was thought about and looked upon.
[/quote]

very interesting that you mention Soviet Union.... I actually wondered how the views of continental Europeans might be different from US or even UK views of what is "gay" ...I know in former Soviet Union many straight guys listened to such things as Modern Talking, Fancy, Boney M, Pet Shop Boys, Dee D Jackson, Sandra etc.. things that were more campy Disco, often associated in US with gay culture...

but one thing to mention is that in Soviet Union in the 80's I think "gay" was still more of a taboo topic, so that might partially explain what you said..

by the way, why do you think British form of New Wave wasn't as popular in Russia as say German and Italian Europop? Do you think it was lack of promotion, and lack of MTV-driven media?

[Passing_Stranger]

[quote][i]Originally posted by InvisibleMan[/i]
very interesting that you mention Soviet Union.... I actually wondered how the views of continental Europeans might be different from US or even UK views of what is "gay" ...I know in former Soviet Union many straight guys listened to such things as Modern Talking, Fancy, Boney M, Pet Shop Boys, Dee D Jackson, Sandra etc.. things that were more campy Disco, often associated in US with gay culture...

but one thing to mention is that in Soviet Union in the 80's I think "gay" was still more of a taboo topic, so that might partially explain what you said..
[/quote]

You are right, the gay topic was very much a taboo up until the very late 80's. And still when it was raised music wasn't a big part of the discussion, it concentrated more on social, moral etc. topics. Even now "gay music" doesn't encompass whole genres, only the artists who are openly or very obviously gay. Actually, the term "gay music" isn't widespread at all, guys are likely to say "this is for girls" than "this is gay music". We haven't as fully formed and independent "gay culture" as, say, in USA where it seems like a real separate industry.

[quote]by the way, why do you think British form of New Wave wasn't as popular in Russia as say German and Italian Europop? Do you think it was lack of promotion, and lack of MTV-driven media?
[/quote]

It's a really interesting question. It is of course due to the lack of promotion and media support - moreover, in 1984 most of the NW bands were just plainly banned by authorities (with really ridiculous excuses - like Yazoo and DM for "punk, violence" and Sparks for "neofascism, racism") and people just weren't able to play them at discos openly as the discos were controlled by comsomol and party structures. Of course you couldn't buy the records because there was only one state company called "Melodia" who released all the vinyls and of foreigners they preferred artists from the Socialist bloc or "safe" disco and Europop bands (Boney M and ABBA were the leaders and absolutely massive, peroid-defining artists - and after them it was a countless stream of Italians: Ricchi e Poveri, Al Bano & Romina Power etc.). First official vinyls from NW bands were from 1986-87- Frankie's "Liverpool", Duran's "Notorious" and several more.

By the way, a very big phenomenon was breakdance, and also aerobics which sometime could be soundtracked on TV by uncredited music from NW bands (like Classix Nouveaux, for example).

But I think the liking for European and not the UK music was a bit deeper than because of the state ban - more of a cultural preference. The only really big UK bands were the Beatles and several hard rock pioneers like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, after that there was a clear shift for more melodic stuff from Europe. Italan music was always very popular as it's a bit close to the Russian music in its melodic roots and disco from Germany etc. was very melodic too, and generally the preference was for more melodic music. Mostly people just couldn't get their heads around New Wave in early 80's - it wasn't very rock, it was too mechanical, artificial and just plain alien. "Advanced" young people of course lapped it up but not the general public (still, it wasn't even given a chance...). NW seems to be more of a musicians' style than peoples - lots of rock bands adapted at least influences from NW and several went all the way. Please check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO3np8-SwjI Though it was several years after the NW had died out in the West.

Besides the electronic sounds were used by Eurodisco/Europop bands in much more smooth and "friendly" manner - so I guess NW was just surpassed and substituted for. People like Gary Numan had zero chance to impress the Soviet public, unfortunately.

Well, I guess this are the main points, but feel free to ask more[:)]

[neon surfer]

Seems like a completely trollish question but i'll give you an honest answer. An un-pc one. There were probably more gays listening to metal(judas priest lol) than there were 80s/new wave, as 80s/new wave was the mainstream music for teens back then, so you had all types of synth acts from Billy Idol, Devo, Berlin, to INXS, etc. etc. and everything in between.

[quote]Originally posted by WoodlandParkPunk
[br]back in the 80's? Not trolling here, but thinking back to my high school days 1980 - 1984 I can't remember many of the guys I went to high school with liking new wave music and or fashion. Hell, I was a metal guy through and through and thought all other music was shit. Now, many many years later and I LOVE new wave and not so much the metal and I love women.lol Just wondering and ranting.

"You just pick a chord, go twang, and you've got music." ~ Sid Vicious
[/quote]

[KYYX4ever]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Passing_Stranger[/i]
<br>So funny to read Americans' perceptions of, say, Depeche mode - they were huge, absolutely massive in Soviet Union/Russia in the late 80's and early 90's (and still are a guaranteed crowd attraction). And they were perceived as a band for real men, moody and serious (and straight as an arrow), lots of young men modelled their looks and behaviour after them. No gay connotations whatsoever![:D] I guess you could've been beaten almost to death if you mentioned this to the "depecheist" crowd then. And even now you'll get rather funny glances talking about DM like that.

[/quote]

This is totally true about DM in the former U.S.S.R.. I lived in Latvia from 1992-1994, right after they got independence, and DM were HUGE. "Moody and serious" (for "real men") is a spot-on description. It was kind of amazing how many DM fans there were.[8D]

[InvisibleMan]

[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>This is totally true about DM in the former U.S.S.R.. I lived in Latvia from 1992-1994, right after they got independence, and DM were HUGE. "Moody and serious" (for "real men") is a spot-on description. It was kind of amazing how many DM fans there were.[8D]
[/quote]

I remember you mentioning living in Europe in other posts? Not to be nosy, but may I ask how you ended up there?

In Russia in late 80's there was band Technologiya (Technology) that was imitating DM... one of the many clones of that band I guess [:D]

[rotator]

Yes. we did. although I didnt look very straight in 1983.

[KYYX4ever]

[quote][i]Originally posted by InvisibleMan[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>This is totally true about DM in the former U.S.S.R.. I lived in Latvia from 1992-1994, right after they got independence, and DM were HUGE. "Moody and serious" (for "real men") is a spot-on description. It was kind of amazing how many DM fans there were.[8D]
[/quote]

I remember you mentioning living in Europe in other posts? Not to be nosy, but may I ask how you ended up there?

[/quote]

Peace Corps, teaching English in a secondary school (and other age groups). It was such an exciting time to be there--right after they'd declared independence. Currency, street signs, everything was changing overnight, from bleak-Soviet-grey to technicolor.

I also taught in Poland and Egypt for a little bit, as well as just travelling there from time to time. Going overseas in a few days, actually, for our 15th anniversary [:)]

[Parrothead]

[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by InvisibleMan[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>This is totally true about DM in the former U.S.S.R.. I lived in Latvia from 1992-1994, right after they got independence, and DM were HUGE. "Moody and serious" (for "real men") is a spot-on description. It was kind of amazing how many DM fans there were.[8D]
[/quote]

I remember you mentioning living in Europe in other posts? Not to be nosy, but may I ask how you ended up there?

[/quote]

Peace Corps, teaching English in a secondary school (and other age groups). It was such an exciting time to be there--right after they'd declared independence. Currency, street signs, everything was changing overnight, from bleak-Soviet-grey to technicolor.

I also taught in Poland and Egypt for a little bit, as well as just travelling there from time to time. Going overseas in a few days, actually, for our 15th anniversary [:)]
[/quote]

Reading this brought back memories. I was in Estonia at end of June/beginning of July 1990, for the Song and Folk Dance Festivals, exciting - interesting times indeed.

[TragicMagic]

By enlarge in Australia, you were referred to as "a poofta" if you actively enjoyed the likes of Duran Duran, Spandau or Wham etc.

INXS, Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes, Divinyls, ACDC and all manner of Oz-Rock were about the only artsists you could actively like without being called a poofta.

regardless, many non poofta's still secretly enjoyed the music. And these days of course, it's safe to enjoy it without fear of being called a poofta. Unless you're and old school bogan with a proud mullet. In which case you'll probably still think it's 'cool' to label people with a wide variety of musical tastes as 'a poofta'. That and anyone who doesn't drink local draught beer may also be called a poofta.

Basically... anyone with taste, style and intellect still risks being called a poofta in some areas of Australia.

Wombats excluded. Wombats are awesome no matter what they do.

TM

[SonicBoom]

I was also in high school during the 80's. Only a few people i knew back then were really into New Wave or alternative music. I was actually into a lot of the stuff my classmates were listening to at the time (Aerosmith, Ac/DC, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, Van Halen etc.) But still I more preferred the stuff that was playing on KROQ. What's funny is that I actually think there's more teenagers and young people nowadays that are into new wave than back in the 80s.