'Bowie Nights at Billy's Club, London 1978' Nicola Tyson at Sadie Coles HQ

Artist Nicola Tyson (known for her figurative paintings) unearthed her snappy snaps and low and behold a slice of social history has emerged. 'Bowie Nights at Billy's Club, London 1978' is the title of the exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ gallery on until the 25th February, 2013. I was mesmerized when Nicola first showed me these previously unseen moments she recorded whilst studying at college of a night we all looked forward to going to. These spontaneous and shadowy images look like they might have happened yesterday and strangely enough in my mind it felt like yesterday when I first saw them the truth be known.

Marilyn, me and Boy George 1978

This was the year after the 'punk' scene dissipated and the beginnings of what became the 'new romantic' era emerged. This Bowie night set the cornerstones of the celebrated 'Blitz' night often talked about and referenced. Anyway, go and have a look and be prepared to be amused and fascinated by Nicola Tyson's perfectly formed account.

Jeremy Healy, Andy Polaris, unknown

By 1978 a new scene was needed to fill the 

vacuum left after Punk went mainstream – 

and “Bowie Night” was a start. Roxy Music 

and David Bowie had influenced the darkly 

flamboyant aspects of the London punk 

scene, and so in opposition to the dumb 

monochrome cynicism of mainstream Punk, 

each Tuesday anything went at Billy’s, the 

more theatrical the better. 

                                                              Nicola Tyson, 2012.

www.sadiecoles.com

Nicola Tyson