Shock is a music/mime/dance/pop group that was notable in the early 1980s for supporting English new wave groups such as Gary Numan, Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode and Famous Names, led by Steve Fairnie.
In 1979, mime artists Tim Dry and Barbie Wilde united with dancers Robert Pereno, LA Richards and Karen Sparks to produce Shock. In April 1980, they recruited another mime, Sean Crawford. The line-up changed again with the departure of Karen and the introduction of Carole Caplin.
Based in London, England, Shock performed in clubs such as The Haçienda, The Warehouse (Leeds) and The Blitz Club (home of the Blitz Kids) and The Venue (London). With costumes from Kahn & Bell (designers for Duran Duran), miming to music by Fad Gadget, Landscape, Kate Bush and Wilson Pickett, they were in the vanguard of the New Romantic cult of the early 1980s, alongside Boy George, Duran Duran, Steve Strange and Spandau Ballet.
Their first record "Angel Face" on RCA Records - with production by Rusty Egan (Visage) and Richard James Burgess (Landscape) - was a dance floor hit, as was the second "Dynamo Beat". In 1981, Shock co-starred with Ultravox at the 'People's Palace Valentine's Ball' at the Rainbow Theatre. LA, Barbie and Carole appeared in the video for Landscape's "Einstein A Go-Go". Sean and Barbie starred in the video for Ultravox's "Passing Strangers".