Fair warning, there could be several posts in this series, as being a fan of all things Gary Numan since 1979, I have a LOT of these little things. So, here are just a few to get started with, but a nice little selection of vintage cold wave, icy synthesizer cool lapel adornment they are too, I’m sure you’ll agree…
^ Gary Numan metal lap badge with 1979 ‘Touring Principle’ era live shot
A little helping of button badge goodness in the shape of ‘Red Mecca’ era Cabaret Voltaire, a particularly fine vintage. Well, at least two of them are of that era – the pale blue one dates from a bit later, 1982 or 1983, can’t quite recall exactly when it was I bought it, but it would have been one of those years.
^ Cabaret Voltaire badge, ‘Red Mecca’ era logo
Another helping of vintage button badge goodness to bring a dash of post-punk style to any jacket/bag badge mount of choice – this time around courtesy of blog semi-regulars, Xmal Deutschland. Spanning various eras, 4AD and beyond, these were all bought back in the day – I managed to see Xmal play live a couple of times, in support of the Stranglers and headlining when promoting the ‘Viva’ tour, and damn fine they were too.
^ Xmal Deutschland badge design – grey/red \’Matador\’ era
Sold on their 1985 ‘Outside World’ tour, this small metal/enamel badge, delightfully inscribed with the legend, ‘The Propaganda Wish’ adds a dash of icy cool ‘Abba from Hell’ synth rock sophistication to any lapel!
^ \’The Propaganda Wish\’ -metal/enamel badge sold on the Propaganda 1985 \’Outside World\’ tour
A few more helpings of new wave button badge goodness to tide over the festive season… this time around some vintage goodies from Siouxsie and the Banshees. All of these are from the period, not later reprints (which I always find a massive disappointment when I come across them on eBay – or is that just me?) The rectangular oblong one has seen better days and the plastic encasing the image has started to discolour now – it has seen a lot of service on my jacket lapels in the past though! A couple of the others are printed on foil instead of plain paper and naturally catch the light and the eye that bit better.
^ Siouxsie badge, circa 1982