Creativity Quote by Nik Kershaw

Nostalgia, in Kershaw's telling, isn’t a warm bath; it’s a business model with a wristband. The line lands because it’s built like a backstage aside: casual, a little amused, and quietly irritated. “There’s always some promoter” is the giveaway. Not “sometimes,” not “a few.” Always. The machine never stops humming, and it doesn’t care whether the artist feels like a living person or a themed accessory.

“An ’80s night” isn’t just a date on the calendar, it’s a packaging strategy: compress a decade into neon shorthand, sell it as an experience, and hire the original voices to authenticate the vibe. Kershaw’s jab is that the authenticity is purchased on the cheap. “We’ll supply the band” flips the usual hierarchy. The band isn’t the draw; it’s inventory, like lighting or a DJ. The promoter’s pitch treats musicians less as creators than as fixtures, easily slotted into a retro template.

Then comes the kicker: “All you can drink.” It’s funny because it’s bleakly plausible. The offer implies the gig’s compensation is so flimsy it needs to be padded with intoxication, as if the artist should be grateful for an open bar instead of a fair fee. Subtext: the industry loves your past more than your present, and it will monetize your younger self while negotiating down your older one.

Kershaw, an emblem of ’80s pop sheen, uses dry humor to puncture the romance of reunion culture. The line understands how quickly celebration turns into exploitation when a generation’s memories become someone else’s margins.