The Psychedelic Furs - Dumb Waiters

What this video is

Released in April–May 1981, 'Dumb Waiters' arrived at a pivotal transition point in British alternative music, when post-punk's abrasive energy was beginning to be absorbed into the wider new wave commercial mainstream. Produced by Steve Lillywhite — who was simultaneously shaping the sound of U2, XTC, and Siouxsie and the Banshees — the single represented the Furs at their most aggressive and dissonant. The…

Why it matters

As the first Psychedelic Furs single to chart in the UK (No. 59), 'Dumb Waiters' and its video mark an early artifact of the band's transition from cult post-punk act to commercially visible new wave group. The video documents the band's 6-piece classic lineup — including Duncan Kilburn's…