Mutant Movement 1981 Special: 45th Anniversary AFTERNOON DJ Set

If any year epitomises what Mutant Movement is all about, it's 1981. Retro Alternative classics from Positive Punk to Futurist & New Wave!!!
About this Event

If any year epitomises what Mutant Movement is all about, it's 1981. Retro Alternative classics from Positive Punk to Futurist & New Wave!!!

Since the very first MM in 2017, a huge part of each set list has been around 1981, the year that clubs discovered the synth and even Record Mirror ran a Futurist chart with input from DJs across the UK including Marten Read who first played The Human League at The Precinct in 1978 and built the Leeds scene whilst at Leeds Warehouse.

This is a 7 hour event and as ever with MM sets, it will start off with more underground tracks so if that's not your bag or you can't last 7 hours, you can be sure to be there for the climax if you come a little later!

Here's how followers voted in two polls of alternative & mainstream to find the best tracks of 1981...
1 Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
2 Human League - Sound Of The Crowd
3 Visage - Fade To Grey
4 Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
5 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Spellbound
6 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay
7 Kraftwerk - The Model
8 Japan - Quiet Life
9 Soft Cell - Bedsitter
10 Duran Duran - Planet Earth
11 Depeche Mode - New Life
12 Human League - Love Action (I Believe In Love)
13 Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough
14 Pete Shelley - Homosapien
15 Gen X - Dancing With Myself
16 Teardrop Explodes - Reward
17 Soft Cell - Memorabilia
18 Spandau Ballet - To Cut A Long Story Short
19 Simple Minds - Love Song
20 Soft Cell - Sex Dwarf
21 Duran Duran - Girls On Film
22 ABC - Tears Are Not Enough
23 Cure - Charlotte Sometimes
24 Devo - Whip It
25 New Order - Ceremony
26 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Israel
27 Soft Cell - Say Hello Wave Goodbye
28 Soft Cell - Tainted Love
29 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Joan Of Arc
30 Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink
31 Bauhaus - Kick In The Eye
32 Cramps - Goo Goo Muck
33 Billy Idol - Mony Mony
34 David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
35 Spandau Ballet - Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
36 Visage - Visage
37 Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
38 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Arabian Knights
39 Human League - Don't You Want Me
40 Duran Duran - Careless Memories
41 Ultravox - All Stood Still
42 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Maid Of Orleans
43 Human League - Open Your Heart
44 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir
45 Bauhaus - Passion Of Lovers
46 D.A.F. - Der Mussolini
47 Kim Wilde - Kids In America
48 Specials - Ghost Town
49 Visage - Mind Of A Toy
50 Ten Pole Tudor - Swords Of A Thousand Men
51 Japan - Visions Of China
52 Landscape - Einstein A Go-Go
53 Simple Minds - American
54 Ultravox - The Voice
55 Ultravox - Vienna
56 New Order - Everything's Gone Green
57 Killing Joke - Follow The Leaders
58 Kraftwerk - Computer Love
59 Jam - That's Entertainment
60 Stranglers - Golden Brown
61 Adam & The Ants - Stand And Deliver
62 Human League - The Things That Dreams Are Made Of
63 Heaven 17 - Play To Win
64 Depeche Mode - Dreaming Of Me
65 Duran Duran - My Own Way
66 Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
67 Japan - Art Of Parties
68 Teardrop Explodes - Treason (It's Just A Story)
69 Department S - Is Vic There?
70 Soft Cell - Chips On My Shoulder
71 Human League - Seconds
72 Haircut 100 - Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)
73 Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)
74 Ultravox - The Thin Wall
75 Altered Images - Happy Birthday
76 Pigbag - Papa’s Got A Brand New Pig Bag
77 Simple Minds - Sweat In Bullet
78 Queen And David Bowie - Under Pressure
79 Clash - The Magnificent Seven
80 B-Movie - Remembrance Day
81 Public Image Ltd - Flowers Of Romance
82 Soft Cell - Entertain Me
83 Altered Images - I Could Be Happy
84 Sisters Of Mercy - Floorshow (Demo)
85 Haircut 100 - Love Plus One
86 Cramps - The Crusher
87 Cure - Primary
88 Japan - Cantonese Boy
89 Birthday Party - Release The Bats
90 Soft Cell - Frustration
91 Echo And The Bunnyman - A Promise
92 Adam & The Ants - Prince Charming
93 Grace Jones - Pull Up To The Bumper
94 U2 - Gloria
95 New Order - Procession
96 Cramps - New Kind Of Kick
97 Simple Minds - Celebrate
98 Toyah - It's A Mystery
99 Blondie - Rapture
100 Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
101 Gina X Performance - No G.D.M. (Dedicated To Quentin Crisp)
102 Joy Division - Dead Souls
103 Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
104 Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck
105 Simple Minds - Theme For Great Cities
106 B-52's - Planet Claire Instrumental
107 A Flock Of Seagulls - Talking
108 Echo And The Bunnyman - Crocodiles
109 Depeche Mode - Shout!
110 Stray Cats - Rock This Town
111 J. Geils Band - Centerfold
112 Gary Numan - She's Got Claws
113 John Foxx - Europe (After The Rain)
114 Fad Gadget - Coitus Interruptus
115 Teardrop Explodes - Passionate Friend
116 Kraftwerk - Numbers
117 Toyah - I Want To Be Free
118 Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood
119 Spandau Ballet - Freeze
120 Men At Work - Down Under
121 Human League - Hard Times
122 Heaven 17 - Let's All Make A Bomb
123 Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer
124 Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
125 Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut
126 Clash - This Is Radio Clash
127 Heaven 17 - Geisha Boys And Temple Girls
128 Duran Duran - Anyone Out There
129 Gun Club - Sex Beat
130 Visage - We Move
131 Heaven 17 - I’m Your Money
132 Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
133 Heaven 17 - The Height Of The Fighting
134 A Flock Of Seagulls - Telecommunication
135 Hazel O'Connor - D-Days
136 Kim Wilde - Chequered Love
137 Specials - Do Nothing
138 Our Daugter's Wedding - Lawnchairs
139 Laurie Anderson - O Superman
140 Ramones - The KKK Took My Baby Away
141 ABBA - Lay All Your Love On Me
142 Undertones - It's Going To Happen
143 Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl
144 Adam & The Ants - Ant Rap
145 Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love
146 XTC - Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me)
147 Police - Invisible Sun
148 Human League - Boys And Girls
149 Headgirl (Motorhead & Girlschool) - Please Don't Touch
150 Daryl Hall And John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
151 Odyssey - Going Back To My Roots
152 UB40 - One In Ten
153 Thomas Dolby - Europa And The Pirate Twins
154 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'N' Roll
155 Journey - Don't Stop Believing
156 Police - Spirits In The Material World
157 Mobiles - Drowning In Berlin
158 Cabaret Voltaire - Seconds Too Late
159 Bauhaus - Hollow Hills
160 U2 - Fire
161 Toni Basil - Mickey
162 Jam - Funeral Pyre
163 Shakatak - Easier Said Than Done
164 Earth Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
165 Imagination - Flashback
166 Aneka - Japanese Boy
167 Toyah - Thunder In The Mountains
168 Dollar - Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)
169 Kid Creole And The Coconuts - I'm A Wonderful Thing (Baby)
170 Rainbow - I Surrender
171 Imagination - Body Talk
172 Classix Nouveaux - Guilty
173 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Monitor
174 Coast To Coast - (Do) The Hucklebuck
175 Godley And Crème - Under Your Thumb
176 New Order - In A Lonely Place
177 Yello - Bostich
178 Sisters Of Mercy - Adrenochrome (Demo)
179 Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Niños Del Parque
180 Jam - Absolute Beginners
181 Kirsty MacColl - There's A Guy Works Down The Chipshop Swears He's Elvis
182 Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight
183 Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen
184 Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
185 Meatloaf - Dead Ringer For Love
186 Jacksons - Can You Feel It
187 Freeez - Southern Freeez
188 Dave Stewart With Barbara Gaskin - It's My Party
189 Daryl Hall And John Oates - Private Eyes
190 Gary Numan - The Wreckage
191 Psychedelic Furs - Dumb Waiters
192 Spandau Ballet - Paint Me Down
193 Linx - Intuition
194 Kim Wilde - Water On Glass
195 Boys Town Gang - Can't Take My Eyes Off You
196 Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
197 Stray Cats - Runaway Boys
198 REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You
199 Roxy Music - Jealous Guy
200 Chameleons - Here Today
201 R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
202 Fad Gadget - Swallow It
203 Kate Bush - Sat In Your Lap
204 Whispers - It's A Love Thing
205 Klaus Nomi - You Don't Own Me
206 Depeche Mode - I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead
207 Lene Lovich - New Toy
208 Madness - It Must Be Love
209 Jon And Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home
210 AC/DC - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
211 Bow Wow Wow - W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah No! No! My Daddy Don't)
212 Dexy's Midnight Runners - Show Me
213 Sugarhill Gang - Apache
214 Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe
215 Birthday Party - Zoo-Music Girl
216 Animal Magnet - Welcome To The Monkey House
217 Cramps - Green Fuz
218 Magazine - About The Weather
219 Rod Stewart - Young Turks
220 Bad Manners - Just A Feeling
221 Junior Giscombe - Mama Used To Say
222 Squeeze - Is That Love
223 Phil Lynott - Yellow Pearl
224 Birthday Party - Nick The Stripper
225 B-Movie - Marilyn Dreams
226 Danse Society - Clock
227 Dead Or Alive - Number Eleven
228 Fashion - Mutant Move
229 Eurythmics - Never Gonna Cry Again
230 Ronny - If You Want Me To Stay
231 Phil Collins - I Missed Again
232 Sheena Easton - For Your Eyes Only
233 Police - De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
234 Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
235 Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
236 Associates - Kitchen Person
237 Grandmaster Flash - Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel
238 Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up
239 Ottawan - Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)
240 Prince - Controversy
241 D Train - You're The One For Me
242 Madness - Shut Up
243 Dexy's Midnight Runners - Plan B
244 Brian Eno & David Byrne - The Jezebel Spirit
245 Yellow Magic Orchestra - Nice Age
246 Nash The Slash - Dead Man’s Curve
247 Exploited - Dead Cities
248 Nolans - Attention To Me
249 Cliff Richard - Wired For Sound
250 Olivia Newton-John - Physical
251 Smokey Robinson - Being With You
252 Gun Club - For The Love Of Ivy
253 D.A.F. - Sex Under Water
254 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - It's Nasty (Genius Of Love)
255 Bad Manners - Walking In The Sunshine
256 Kool And The Gang - Get Down On It
257 Fall - Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul
258 Bow Wow Wow - Chihuahua
259 Shock - Angel Face
260 Gang Of Four - To Hell With Poverty
261 Xmal Deutschalnd - Schwarze Welt
262 Orange Juice - L.O.V.E... Love
263 Godley And Crème - Wedding Bells
264 Susan Fassbender - Twilight Café
265 Genesis - Abacab
266 Rhoda with The Special A.K.A. - The Boiler
267 Sugar Minott - Good Thing Going (We've Got A Good Thing Going)
268 Landscape - European Man
269 Kid Creole And The Coconuts - Me No Pop I
270 Blue Rondo A La Turk - Me And Mr Sanchez
271 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - Freedom
272 Modern Romance - Tonight
273 Pretenders - Message Of Love
274 Dave Stewart And Colin Bluntstone - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
275 Linx - So This Is Romance
276 Classix Nouveaux - The Robots Dance
277 Vapors - Jimmie Jones
278 Church - The Unguarded Moment
279 Meteors - Rockabilly Psychosis
280 Iggy Pop - Pumpin' For Jill
281 Au Pairs - Headache For Michelle
282 Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
283 Quincy Jones - Ai No Corrida (I-No-Ko-Ree-Da)
284 Dire Straits - Tunnel Of Love
285 Racey - Runaround Sue
286 Level 42 - Love Games
287 Dollar - Hand Held In Black And White
288 Yarborough And Peoples - Don't Stop The Music
289 Vangelis - Chariots Of Fire - Titles
290 Polecats - John I'm Only Dancing
291 Shakin' Stevens - Green Door
292 Cars - Since You're Gone
293 Pete Shelley - Witness The Change
294 Alan Vega - Jukebox Babe
295 A Certain Ratio - Flight
296 Modern English - 16 Days
297 Peter Godwin - Torch Songs For The Heroine (Dance Mix)
298 Blue Zoo - Love Moves In Strange Ways
299 Misfits - Halloween
300 Thompson Twins - Animal Laugh (Oumma Aularesso)
301 Undertones - When Saturday Comes
302 Sharon Redd - Can You Handle It
303 Pat Benatar - We Live For Love
304 Robert Palmer - Looking For Clues
305 Modern Romance - Everybody Salsa
306 Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice
307 Was (Not Was) - Out Come The Freaks
308 Beat - Drowning
309 Third World - Dancing On The Floor (Hooked On Love)
310 Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 - Jazzy Sensation (Bronx Version)
311 Wah!-Nah=Poo - Seven Minutes To Midnight
312 Spandau Ballet - Glow
313 Theatre Of Hate - Rebel Without A Brain
314 Comsat Angels - Our Secret
315 Fire Engines - Candyskin
316 Burundi Black - Burundi Black
317 Divine - Born To Be Cheap
318 Look - I Am The Beat
319 INXS - Stay Young
320 Evelyn 'Champagne' King - I'm In Love
321 Grace Jones - Demolition Man
322 Dennis Waterman - I Could Be So Good For You
323 Starsound - Stars On 45
324 Whitesnake - Don't Break My Heart Again
325 Beat - Doors Of Your Heart
326 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Birthday Party
327 Barry Manilow - Bermuda Triangle
328 ESG - Moody
329 Bill Nelson - Living In My Limousine
330 Berlin Blondes - Framework
331 Virgin Prunes - Seven Bastard Suck
332 Shock - R.E.R.B.
333 Chris & Cosey - Put Yourself In Los Angeles
334 Artery - Into The Garden
335 Modern Eon - Euthenics
336 Telex - Brainwash
337 General Saint & Clint Eastwood - Another One Bites The Dust
338 Beggar And Co - (Somebody) Help Me Out
339 Shalamar - Make That Move
340 Oingo Boingo - Little Girls
341 Iron Maiden - Wrathchild
342 Tight Fit - Back To The Sixties
343 Change - The End
344 Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
345 Coast To Coast - Let's Jump The Broomstick
346 Higsons - I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys
347 Matt Johnson - Song Without An Ending
348 Sound - Sense Of Purpose (What Are We Going To Do)
349 News - A World Without Love
350 Front 242 - Principles
351 Music For Pleasure - Debris
352 Mood - Is There A Reason
353 Jets - Yes Tonight Josephine
354 Harry Thumann - Underwater
355 New Musik - The Planet Doesn't Mind
356 Kool And The Gang - Steppin' Out
357 Patrick Cowley - Megatron Man
358 Ellie Warren - I Was Made For Loving You
359 Belle Stars - Hiawatha
360 Eddy Grant - Can't Get Enough Of You
361 Shakin' Stevens - You Drive Me Crazy
362 Dave Edmunds & The Stray Cats - The Race Is On
363 Mötley Crüe - Stick To Your Guns
364 J. Walter Negro And The Loose Jointz - Shoot The Pump
365 Funkadelic - Shockwaves
366 Defunkt - Razor's Edge
367 James Brown - Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses?)
368 Gillan - New Orleans
369 Aretha Franklin - I Can’t Turn You Loose
370 Alice Cooper - Clones
371 Jacksons - Walk Right Now
372 Heatwave - Gangsters Of The Groove
373 Quarks - Mechanical
374 Bikini Atoll - Russian Doll
375 Stranglers - Let Me Introduce You To The Family

Doors 3pm on Saturday 24th October 2026 at The Backroom, Leeds

In the event of this gig being rescheduled or cancelled, the choice of keeping tickets for a future date or a refund would be offered. Age restriction strictly over 18s, refunds will not be issued for tickets bought in error.