The eighties have been taking me hostage lately. In the last couple of weeks I’ve been to two nights out where the music of the decade was the soundtrack to the night. For the first evening I was in a bar in the city dedicated to the popular eighties hits and for the second evening just a few nights ago it was a bar off Regent Street with one night for pop from that era.
The people I was with differed for each evening – I was the only common link but still the music focused on the tracks we were supposed to connect the eighties with. Music by Spandau Ballet, Howard Jones, Wham! and Abba (though I would argue they are more seventies) dominated both events.
I remember that my tastes as a child of the eighties were quite alternative at the time. I would listen to the radio from morning until midnight, given half the chance, which would open my mind to other music. Some of the less mainstream acts had pretty big hits during that decade.
When you go to these eighties evenings, you never hear music by Afrika Bambaataa, Japan, Echo & the Bunnymen, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, NWA, The Smiths, Public Enemy and even The Stones Roses (who slipped into the late eighties). This was what I liked when I was growing up.
Nevertheless, I have a good time at both these new eighties evenings out. I danced and sang along with everyone else and somehow it raised myspirits. You can be amused and energised by flashes back to pop music that you may not have had a connection with the first time.
It’s like with anything, you get out of it what you put in and really 50% of socialising is how you interact with other people and make the effort to give them a good time. It makes you feel good when you see someone smile. They say smiling is infectious!
If you just observe and don’t get involved well it’s all going to slide past you and it’s not going to be enjoyable. I used to be guity of this – upset that the DJ’s not playing my favourite tracks (it gave me no joy at the end of the day).
On a grander level with life, if you put energy and enthusiasm in, you should receive some kindness and hopefully the same energy back. If somehow, what is returned to you is nowhere near your efforts, then it’s time to reassess. Life is too short to suffer a lack of kindness and joy. Your energy is precious.
Cherrydial 