London 1982. As the new romantic youthquake of 1981/1982 faded, and after what felt like a lifetime since punk's last gasp, a tiny nightclub opened it's doors in London's Soho. Drawing to it a new generation of misfits and miscreants with a penchant for polysexual hedonism, for dressing up and showing out, The Batcave became the dark heart of alternative club culture, just like The Roxy and The Blitz before it. Art school students, ex-punks and psychobillys, boys and girls, gays, straights, don't-knows and don't-cares, Camden and Kensington Market stallholders, professional squatters, kids on the dole, kids in bands, nocturnal music journalists, edgy fashionistas, androgynous randoms and even a smattering of bona fide popstars - from Nick Cave to Siouxsie Sioux, Marc Almond, Robert Smith, Killing Joke and Sigue Sigue Sputnik. All were welcome to pile in, gawp at the hair, ripped, torn, bleached and rubberised fashions, and death-mask make-up and take in the dancefloor's heady musical mix of beats-heavy post-punk pioneers, outsider icons like Wayne County and The Cramps, and a teetering pile of lusty glam rock singles from the likes of T. Rex and The Sweet. The club even had it's own house band, Specimen, fronted by charismatic and ghoulishly handsome frontman Olli Wisdom (RIP) as well as playing host to a slew of first-wave bands of what came to be known as "goth". And it is with Specimen's Jon Klein (later, a Banshee, too) and keyboardist Jonny Slut (later founder of legendary club night Nag Nag Nag) along with Sophie Chery from another stalwart Batcave band, Sexbeat, who've worked with Demon in putting together this deluxe and definitive musical and visual accompaniment to a moment that sparked a global youth cult. This 63-track 6LP Collection is the first of it's kind. It captures both the fun and freedom of The Batcave and a revolutionary moment in time. It's also the first to reflect the musical influences on the scene and how that scene pointed forwards. Above everything else, it's a fascinating evocation of what you'd have actually heard had you stumbled into that sweaty, energetic dive between '82 and '84. With it's very strong tracklisting, Young Limbs Rise Again includes music from just about everybody that mattered - from The Cure to Joy Division, from The Sisters Of Mercy to Sparks. Accompanying 6LP collections is a stunning 80-page hardback book, with an introduction from Kris Needs, packed with flyers, record sleeves, over 100 photographs, many previously unseen, and the full story of the club as told by the people who were there. The Batcave's liberating air of anything-goes creativity spawned, encouraged and hosted a new generation of bands while it's fashion aesthetic - fishnets, rubber, leather, diamante, piercings, jewellery, and absolutely *anything* in black - seeped first into the wider alternative scene and then the mainstream in Britain before spreading it's tentacles literally all around the world. From Sydney to Mexico City to Paris to Brazil to Berlin - what came to be known as goth here in early-80s London, is arguably one of the UK's greatest cultural exports. The goth aesthetic forged in those tiny west end dives has gone on to inform generation after generation of bands from Nine Inch Nails to Yungblud as well as walking fashion runways for Burberry, McQueen and Galiano and giving Hollywood a whole new dark palette to work with - from Tim Burton's weird cinematic adventures to TV shows as diverse as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and American Horror Story. That thing the kids still like? It all started HERE. As Specimen's Jonny Slut says - "It was a light bulb for all the freaks and people like myself who were from the sticks and wanted a bit more from life. Freaks, weirdos, sexual deviants... There's people around who'll always be attracted by something shiny, glittering, exciting... It was more Gotham City than Aleister Crowley."

Tracklist:

Temple Of Love (Extended Version) - The Sisters Of Mercy
Let's Go To Bed - The Cure
Incubus Succubus II - Xmal Deutschland
The Light Pours Out Of Me - Magazine
Garbageman - The Cramps-
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Specimen-
Pagan Lovesong (Vibeakimbo) - Virgin Prunes
Against The Wind - Getting The Fear
The Hop - Theatre Of Hate
Fodder - The March Violets
Follow The Leaders - Killing Joke
Slowdive - Siouxsie and the Banshees
Release The Bats - The Birthday Party
We Love You - The Psychedelic Furs
Black Leather - Nightmares In Wax
Strict Tempo - Dave Ball featuring Gavin Friday
Planet Claire - The B52's
My Daddy Is A Vampire - The Meteors
United - Throbbing Gristle
Collapsing New People - Fad Gadget
I Wish I Was A Girl - Wasted Youth
Ignore The Machine - Alien Sex Fiend
Being Boiled - The Human League
Soul Inside - Soft Cell
Copped It - The Fall
Kick! - Adam ; The Ants
Adolescent Sex - Japan
Dr Mabuse (First Life) - Propaganda
Like An Animal - The Glove
Punch Drunk - Gene Loves Jezebel
Jo's So Mean To Josephine - Flowerpot Men
Resurrection Joe (Long Version) - The Cult
Club Country (12" Version) - The Associates
All About You - Scars
Your Turn To Run - Malaria!
Metal Dance - SPK
This Is Not A Love Song (12" Version) - PiL
The Back Of Love - Echo and the Bunnymen
I Travel (Extended Version) - Simple Minds
The The - Uncertain Smile
Cccan't You See. - Vicious Pink
Dead Man's Autochop - Specimen
Sexbeat - Sexbeat
RIP - Alien Sex Fiend
Last Year's Wife (12" Version) - Zero LeCrÃªche
Sleaze - Marc and the Mambas
Roman Candle (12" Version) - Flesh For Lulu 1
Deathwish - Christian Death
Dance With Me - Lords Of The New Church
Propaganda - Play Dead
Fats Terminal - Bone Orchard
Hell Raiser- The Sweet
Telegram Sam - T Rex
All I Want Is You- Roxy Music
Roll Away The Stone- Mott The Hoople
Needles In The Camel's Eye- Brian Eno
Only After Dark- Mick Ronson
Amateur Hour- Sparks
Jet Boy- New York Dolls
Vicious- Lou Reed
Ghost Rider- Suicide
Fun Time- Iggy Pop
Devil Gate Drive- Suzi Quatro 3.47

UPC: 5014797908017
Label: Demon Records
Release Date: 2.24.23
Format: Vinyl

Young Limbs Rise Again: Story Of Batcave / Various - Young Limbs Rise Again: Story Of Batcave / Various (LP)