Initially, the band was comprised of Steve Strange, Rusty Egan and Midge Ure (also previously of The Rich Kids). Also in there, and credited as a co-writer of FADE TO GREY was Chris Payne,a member of Gary Numan's band. The trio recorded a demo which included a cover of the Zager and Evans hit "In the Year 2525". Ultravox's multi-instrumentalist Billy Currie and the core of post-punk band Magazine – bassist Barry Adamson, guitarist John McGeoch, and keyboardist Dave Formula – joined the studio-only band later. Visage signed to Radar Records and released their first single, "Tar" (which was originally composed whilst Strange was in The Photons), in September of 1979. The single failed to chart, but the band managed to secure a deal with a larger record company, Polydor, the following year.
1980 saw the release of their second single, "Fade to Grey". The single became a huge hit (making the top ten in the UK and topping the chart in several other countries) and was quickly followed by the release of their self-titled debut album which was also a chart success.
After further Top 40 hits with "Mind of a Toy" and the title track "Visage", Strange struggled to reunite the band's members again to record a second album because of their commitments with their respective bands (Ure and Currie with Ultravox; Formula and Adamson with Magazine; and McGeoch with Siouxsie and the Banshees). However, in the autumn of 1981 all musicians (except McGeoch) went into the studio again and recorded The Anvil. The album was released in March of 1982 and became Visage's first (and only) UK top ten album, producing two top twenty singles with "The Damned Don't Cry" and "Night Train". The Anvil earned Silver disc status in the UK, as did the band's first album.
Following this, Ure left the band to concentrate on his work with Ultravox, who were by now becoming even more successful than Visage were. Creative differences with Strange were also cited as reasons for his departure at the time. Visage, now without Ure and Adamson but with the addition of bassist Steve Barnacle, recorded the stand-alone single "Pleasure Boys", which was released in October of 1982. Unfortunately, the single failed to prolong their string of hits and peaked just outside the UK top 40.
Although still recording, Visage then took a two year hiatus from releasing any new material due to contractual difficulties.
With their contractual problems resolved, 1984 saw the return of Visage for what would become their third album and final released for many years. Beat Boy was released in September of 1984 but was a critical and commercial failure, peaking at #79 in the UK. Two singles from the album, "Love Glove" and "Beat Boy", also failed to make the UK top 40. By this time, Billy Currie and Dave Formula had also departed the band (though they received a "special thanks" credit on the album sleeve for their input), leaving only Strange and Egan from the original line-up along with newer musicians Steve and Gary Barnacle and Andy Barnett. A decision to make Visage a live band instead of a strictly studio-based project also failed to meet with success and the band subsequently split in 1985. Their final release was a Visage VHS video compilation of the band's renowned promotional videos and also included footage of Strange's trip to North Africa the year before. The compilation does not, however, include the original video for the "Love Glove" single which was filmed at a late-night Dockland location in London in 1984.
Following the demise of Visage, Strange then formed the short-lived band Strange Cruise. They released one album in 1986, though this too proved unsuccessful. Visage returned to the charts once more when a Bassheads remix of "Fade to Grey" was a UK Top 40 hit in 1993.
In 2004 Steve Strange reformed Visage with an entirely new line-up. The line-up included Steven Young, Sandrine Gouriou and Rosie Harris from Seize and Ross Tregenza from Jetstream Lovers/Goteki. The new line-up released the track "Diary Of A Madman" in 2007, written by Strange and Tregenza.
Strange released another album using the moniker Visage in 2013 called "Hearts and Knieves.
In December 2014, Visage released Orchestral, a mostly live album containing twelve Visage songs remade with a Czech symphony orchestra.
On 12 February 2015 Steve Strange died due to heart attack while visiting Egypt, He died at 55.
There is another band that use the same name:
2) Visage (ヴィサージュ) was a Japanese visual kei band, who was signed to the Undercode VK label.
Anvil
Visage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the torso's pumping iron
A man with a horn takes to the stage
The drum beat cracks in time
Harder and bolder the bodies move
Shoulder to shoulder skin feels smooth
Palms sticky, still so cool
Watch the moving bodies
As they react to the sound
Feasting on the visions
See the figures going round
Graceful and flowing the fashion shows
Sensual and glowing the passion grows
Pick your playmate still so cool
The crash of the anvil at the nightclub school
Take it as it comes up
Leave it when it's done
Put a number in your matchbook
And call when you want fun
Living the nightlife to the end
Giving the right life like a friend
One more rover still so cool
The crash of the anvil at the nightclub school
Ahh nightclub school
Dance with me
Ahh nightclub school
Play with me
Ahhhh Nightclub School
Stay with me
Ahh nightclub school
Ride with me
Ahh nightclub school
Have fun with me
Ahh nightclub school
Dance with me
Ahh nightclub school
The drumbeat cracks in time
Ahh nightclub school
Ahh nightclub school
The lyrics of Visage's song The Anvil describe a night at the nightclub school, where people lose themselves in the music and the atmosphere. The Anvil is a reference to the hammering sound that is produced by a blacksmith's anvil, which is used metaphorically to describe the beat of the music. The singer is lost amongst the crowd and watches as a man with a horn takes to the stage. As the drumbeat cracks in time, bodies move harder and bolder, shoulder to shoulder, with skin feeling smooth and palms sticky, yet still cool. The lyrics describe the sense of power, freedom, and sensuality that music and nightlife can evoke, with fashion shows and passion growing. The song ends with references to taking it as it comes, enjoying life to the fullest, and riding the wave of the night, all underscored by the persistent, driving beat that echoes the sound of the anvil.
Line by Line Meaning
Lost amongst the crowd
Feeling alone and unnoticed in a sea of people
On the torso's pumping iron
At a gym, where people are exercising and working on their bodies
A man with a horn takes to the stage
A musician playing a horn takes the spotlight on stage
The drum beat cracks in time
The rhythm of the drum is perfectly synchronized with the music
Harder and bolder the bodies move
People are dancing more intensely and confidently
Shoulder to shoulder skin feels smooth
The dancers are packed closely together, their skin slick and soft from sweat
Palms sticky, still so cool
Despite the heat and energy, their hands are still cool to the touch
The crash of the anvil at the nightclub school
The sound of metal being struck (like an anvil) echoes through the nightclub
Watch the moving bodies
Observing the dancers' physical movements
As they react to the sound
Their motion is driven by the music they hear
Feasting on the visions
Taking in the sights of the people and environment around them
See the figures going round
The dancers are spinning around the floor
Graceful and flowing the fashion shows
At other times the venue hosts glamorous fashion shows with fluid presentations
Sensual and glowing the passion grows
The energy of the crowd is growing more sensual and vivacious
Pick your playmate still so cool
Deciding who to spend time with, while maintaining a cool and collected demeanor
Take it as it comes up
Accept events and experiences without over-analyzing or scrutinizing them
Leave it when it's done
When everything is over, move on to the next thing without lingering
Put a number in your matchbook
Jot down someone's phone number for later
And call when you want fun
Reach out to someone when you're in the mood for entertainment
Living the nightlife to the end
Fully immersing oneself in the experience of clubbing and staying out late
Giving the right life like a friend
Participating in the scene and helping others have a good time
One more rover still so cool
Someone who likes to move around and not stay in one place for too long, but remaining unaffected and detached
Ah nightclub school
The venue's environment and events are teaching people about nightlife and socializing
Dance with me
Asking someone to join in the dancing
Play with me
Inviting someone to have fun and engage in arousals
Stay with me
Asking someone to stay by one's side for a while
Ride with me
Asking someone to accompany one through the ups and downs
Have fun with me
Asking someone to join in on the merrymaking
A drumbeat cracks in time
The song/moment is building towards something explosive
Ah nightclub school
The institution where people come to learn about and experience the nightlife culture and events
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: B CURRIE, RUSTY EGAN, STEVE STRANGE, DAVID TOMLINSON, MIDGE URE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind