If we look through the archives since 1971, Glam has survived continuously to this day. Sure there were the dizzy peaks of 1974 – 1978 and 1983 – 1989 and between those era’s, 80s Glam was being shaped with emergence of tight leather clad rockers including Queen, the Scorpions & Whitesnake. So what after 1989?

We know that in the late 80s and early 90s, many great Glam acts made their debut including Firehouse, Skid Row, Enuff Z’nuff, Trixter but they were denied reaching their full potential. Society was changing. After a run of 7 years, Glam was getting stale and it was a time for something new. 1990 was a year of massive change. The end of the Cold War, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall & the Persian Gulf War. It was more a dramatic shift than a large change, not unlike the Summer of Love in 1969 which incidentally, was were the foundations of Glam were laid but more on that later.

Seattle was the place where it would happen. Kids all over the world embraced a new form of rebellion called grunge. The shift was too great and Glam, as a mainstream genre, became uncool.

After 15 years of relative obscurity and living ‘underground’ Scandinavia played the unlikely host for a minor glam revival that still limps along today.

Bands like Vains of Jenna, Hardcore Superstar, Malice in Wonderland and Crashdiet are examples of modern day glam bands that have gained some traction in the market.

Having seen Poison & Vains of Jenna on the same bill, the question I had to ask myself is “are these nu glam bands in the same league as the original Glam Rockers?”. “Are they wannabes or the real deal?”. “Are they serious or a disgrace to Glam?”

For those that have lived through both of the glorious era’s, it’s possible that the original rockers aren’t as accepting of nu glam and the young audience are embracing them?