SPILL FEATURE: WE DON’T PLAN FOR LOVE TO WALK INTO OUR LIVES – A CONVERSATION WITH RUSTY EGAN (VISAGE)

WE DON’T PLAN FOR LOVE TO WALK INTO OUR LIVES

A CONVERSATION WITH RUSTY EGAN (VISAGE)

Rusty Egan is an icon. He has been involved with music for much of his life, from performing with his family to establishing a career as a producer/mixer/DJ/composer/performer. In between he was part of founding Rich Kids (which featured former Sex Pistols Glen Matlock and a young Midge Ure) and Visage (with Steve Strange, and Midge Ure and Billy Currie, both from Ultravox). He was also key in starting the famed Blitz Club in London, which gave Boy George and Spandau Ballet their starts. As I said, Rusty Egan is a musical icon.

He has recently released his autobiography, Rusty Egan: The Autobiography. An honest and open account of his life. It is not an easy read, due to what he experienced, but Egan wrote the book with such flourish and beauty that reading the book, one sees an artist who has come to terms with a great deal. He is not merely a survivor, but he thrived over the years, despite numerous setbacks. And he is a man who has not lost his edge or humour. He is also not afraid to share his opinion.

“I was at an after party and the DJ was my daughter’s friend. And they are playing Ozzy Osbourne and Led Zeppelin. So young people are listening to all that old rock ‘n’ roll stuff from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and they dress like it. And I thought to myself, well, after we had an AI number one, and everyone has worked out that it is just an avatar and not a real person, it will make young people go backwards to real stuff. I mean, the stuff we made, it was futuristic and we used electronics, it wasn’t just some guy in a room with a computer.”

Egan speaks from experience. While he has established himself with electronic music, he has always been clear that the music is made by real people. He has recently released a new album, Romantic, which features some of his friends, including Boy George and Peter Hook (New Order) and some new singers as well. “Nine out of ten people say my new album, Romantic, sounds like the 1980s. I say, ‘no, it sounds like me’.”

And Romantic is a very personal album for Egan. Egan’s wife passed away very recently, and this album is dedicated to her.

And as for the new book, Egan is clear that he wanted to set the record straight. “I found out that I have been an idiot in the music business. I have just been making music, not understanding the data. I have not been getting the right credit. So, 45 years later I wrote a book. People will say I am moaning, but no, I just was written out of everything, and I never said anything. Now, 45 years later, all I am saying is ‘I was in the fucking room too, mate.’ With my new album, there are 18 tracks, and I went through hundreds of emails to make sure everyone got their credit.”

In his autobiography, Egan discusses his music, but he also is very open about his childhood, which included being taken from his home, and placed in Foster Care with The Christian Brothers. And when you read his book, you see how important music was and is to Egan.

“I was singing “Mother” by John Lennon, because I left in this horrible, horrible place with The Christian Brothers. And it made me think, who the fuck is Rusty Egan? And, really, it comes down to the fact that it was my childhood. Childhood, as they say, can either make or break you. My childhood was messed up. I was in the church, and I was not getting educated in that horrible place. I didn’t have an education past 13. I could drive a tractor and make bricks, but music. music was the thing. You don’t need an education to play music. I came from a musical family. My dad’s a sax player, my mother played keyboards and my brother played guitar. He, my brother, is actually a comedian now. Some people say I am,’ laughed Egan.

“But seriously, the book is warts and all,” said Egan. “Something happened to me when I was a kid, and it affected my whole life. But I just moved on. But it is not always that easy. Writing this book, I had to open that can of worms, and I basically started to cry. So, the point is that if I am going to write this book, I have to tell people that I was an abused child and abandoned in an institution and music saved me. But it does fuck up your life, because you never really deal with it.

Which included a very successful and influential career in music. And, in writing this book, he has been able to have a different understanding of his past and a good idea of where he wants to take his career. The mix of old and new has resulted in an interesting new version of one of Visage’s biggest hits, “Fade To Grey.” “I met three girls by the pool in L.A., as you would, and they told me about this singer in Paris named Ronny. I was going to Paris, so I arranged to meet Ronny. She has this amazing baritone voice, and I thought I could use her voice. She has this beautiful monotone voice, like Marlene Dietrich, whom I love.”

The end result is one of two new versions of “Fade To Grey”, which can be found on the new album, Romantic. Having enjoyed both the book and album, Egan is giving no indication of slowing down any time soon.

“I once stood outside the studios and venues. I stood outside of Wembley, was close to where I lived, and stood outside because I couldn’t afford to get in. But I would listen and I knew every song by whoever was performing. And now, I am still playing clubs, and I have just finished this new album. There is much more to come.”

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Background Photo Credit: Peter Ashworth