Join us for the first in a new series of in-conversation events with Brian ‘Nasher’ Nash – best known as the guitarist in ‘80s band Frankie Goes to Hollywood – as he chats with some of his good friends and fellow music industry figures.

First up, we welcome back Rusty Egan, one of the most iconic and influential figures in electronic music. A long-time friend of Nasher’s, Rusty joins us at the BME to share   stories from his extraordinary career and his life in music.

Rusty’s career began in the music industry as a runner at DJM studios, followed by a stint at WEA Records. He collaborated with former Sex Pistols member Glen Matlock,  alongside Steve New and Midge Ure, to establish the new wave band Rich Kids. During   the Rich Kids tours, Rusty met Steve Strange. This encounter led to Rusty's concept for a club night at Billy's, a Soho venue, catering to fashionable punks and showcasing the music they were passionate about. In 1979, they moved their club night to the Blitz in Covent Garden. As the resident DJ at the Blitz, Rusty played a pivotal role in introducing British, German, and Japanese electronica to the British club scene, essentially curating the soundtrack for the burgeoning New Romantic movement.

Rusty was instrumental in the formation of the band Visage with Midge Ure. Steve Strange joined them as the frontman (face and voice), and the lineup was completed by Billy Currie, John McGeoch, Dave Formula and Barry Adamson, all from the band MAGAZINE. Rusty later collaborated with the Skids, The Misfits and Shock.

Beyond his band work Rusty co-founded the incredibly popular Camden Palace nightclub in London with Steve Strange, where he continued to champion and shape the development of electronica in the UK. He also established Metropolis Music, a publishing   and production company, allowing him to create music as well as perform it.

In more recent news, Rusty released his first solo album Welcome To The Dancefloor in 2017, and a follow-up, Romantic, in 2025.

Brian Nash was born in Liverpool and, in the early 1980s, became the guitarist for pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The band’s debut single, ‘Relax’, became one of the   biggest hits of the decade, despite – or perhaps because of – the controversy surrounding its lyrics. Their 1984 debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, achieved advance sales of more than a million, while the band’s first three singles all reached No.1 on the UK Singles Chart.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood disbanded in 1987, after which Nasher embarked on a solo career, releasing four albums and collaborating with and producing numerous other   artists. His autobiography, Nasher Says Relax, was published in 2011 and later adapted as an audiobook. Today, Nasher continues to work in music alongside his role as a celebrant, and remains an active figure within Liverpool’s vibrant music community.

The in-conversation is followed by a short DJ set by Rusty inside the museum.

Tickets on sale Friday 4th September, 10am.