How 80’s Pop and politics created the world we live in

“And you may ask yourself...well, how did I get here?” What is the relationship between Thatcher and Reagan's politics, and the pop music of the time? Economically, the decade crushed entire industries and workers movements, yet in press and the popular psyche people seem to look back fondly. Why does this happen, and how are these trends are replicated in the present day?

Our panel will discuss how politics infuses pop in both sound and sentiment, and how the 80s is particularly relevant to our present moment. We'll dive into the explosion of queer culture into the mainstream, austerity, hair metal, futurism and the electric dreams of neoliberalism.

Join us in the main hall to talk about all things 80s with legendary DJ Cherie Giormaine who runs Bristol's queer 80s goth club "Electric Barbarella" and veteran music journalist and author of "Mixing Pop and Politics" Toby Manning who spoke to us earlier this year.