ALTERED IMAGES Interview (Los Angeles)

“I Could Be Happy Interviewing Clare Grogan of Altered Images”

Altered Images is one of my favorite New Wave bands of all time. With Clare Grogan’s bubbly voice, effervescent spirit and sexy cute smile, she was a strong and formidable presence in the post-punk and New Wave scene of the early 80’s and someone who always intrigued me personally.

In addition to their raw talent, the photogenic nature of her and her bandmates also made them excellent candidates for gaining additional exposure and adoration through the then burgeoning, innovative medium of music videos.  For many of us, this was our first exposure to this unique band.

Given the band’s enduring influence, it is also a sad fact that for many US fans who weren’t lucky enough to have seen them in the early 80’s, we’ve had to experience decades of deprivation, never being able to see Clare perform live. Luckily for myself and thousands of fans on Saturday January 27th, 2017 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, this unfulfilled dream became a tangible reality.

Making it an even more special night, thanks to Clare’s generosity, we were able to set up an exclusive interview with her right before soundcheck. I was eager to talk to her about her influences and the origin of the band (particularly as it relates to their dramatic whirlwind ascension into the public spotlight in a very short period of time). I also wanted to touch upon Clare’s successful and prolific career as an actress over the years (in Gregory’s Girl, Red Dwarf, Father Ted, Eastenders, etc.). Clare was just as charming and intelligent as I had always thought she’d be in person and I feel grateful for having had the chance to sit down and chat with her.

Here’s our full interview:

As referenced above during our conversation, here is historic footage of Clare and Altered Images performing at the 1980 Leeds Futurama 2 Festival where they gained additional exposure and adoration (and, most importantly, John Peel’s attention)!

To stay up to date on Clare’s various upcoming projects, including her upcoming film “Delirium,” be sure to follow her at @claregrogen2 on Twitter.

Jason Reed
Inner Edge Music