1988 TV documentary on London raves
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a World in Action 30 minute program about raving in London in 1988……
Ring Tone Etiquette; Jagz Kooner- Forbidden Planet (interview)
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Posh people’s etiquette organisation Debretts have recently issued fresh guidelines for mobile phones and ring tones so Skrufff asked a bunch of producers about their personal preferences including London rock/ dance uber producer Jagz Kooner (of Sabres of Paradise, the Aloof, Primal Scream, repute…)
Ordinary People Acid House Documentary Seeks Funds (interview)
click on the picture to donate
Producers of High On Hope are seeking personal donations to clear music rights for the award winning rave movie, to allow the gritty documentary to be released on DVD and shown in independent cinemas.
Contributors who donate £3 receive a secret link to watch the film in advance, while those giving £100 receive a name-check in the final credits, a DVD and 2 tickets to a private screening and after-party. Producers need to raise £30.000. (Click HERE to donate: http://www.highonhope.com/donate/ )
The fascinating film charts the inside story behind the rise and fall of the illegal late 80s acid house scene in Blackburn, via interviews with the core party organisers and footage from some of the legendary raves, which attracted tens of thousands each weekend in 1990 and 1991.
Spurning the ‘suited superstar DJs’ and the ‘people who carved careers, adulation and financial muscle out of the acid house revolution’ the film instead focuses on the largely anonymous individuals who helped create the scene, most of whom ended up prison for their efforts.
Opus 3 : Fine Day
Orbital co-conspirator Kirsty Hawkshaw
Orbital (Officially) Return
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Acid house pioneers Orbital have confirmed they are to headline a six date UK tour next April, at which they’ll be promoting their long awaited as yet unnamed artist album some 7 years after they officially split up.
Pioneering performing electronic music live at mega raves such as Glastonbury and Tribal Gathering in the 90s, the Hartnoll brothers became global superstar though quit in 2004 to pursue solo careers.
Five years on, however, they temporarily reformed to play a 20 year memorial gig at the Big Chill, prompting Paul to admit to having second thoughts about the wisdom of their decision to quit.
“I didn’t (miss being in Orbital) for the first couple of years but then it started building up,” he told the Times, “Seeing contemporaries you always used to be on bills with — the Chemical Brothers, Underworld, the Prodigy — still doing it, we started to say: ‘I used to enjoy that; that used to be a laugh.”
Speaking to the Sunday Times in the same year, he was even more direct, admitting his plans to hook up with Hollywood agents commissioning film scores was trickier than expected.
“Their attitude was, ‘I’m not getting Orbital. What am I getting?’ What do you do on your own?” he said.
Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff
The Orb; Live @ Glastonbury (1992)
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Fantazia; Raving, We’re (Still) Raving- 20 Years On (interview)
“Loads of old ravers come come to our Fantazia parties still, I would estimate that this year’s events so far have been 50/50 old ravers to new ones. It’s amazing to shake so many hands of those that were there at the first events.”
Chatting to Skrufff this week as he finalized preparations for next weekend’s 20th birthday celebration (in Trafford Park, Manchester) event promoter Charlie Fantazia remains infectiously evangelical.
“Fantazia past and present events mean a lot to so many people. It truly was the 2nd summer of love,” he smiles, “People met their present wives and husbands at the events and made lifelong friends at the 90′s raves.”
Click for details of Fantazia The Greatest Show on Earth’; takes place on October 8 at Bowlers, Trafford Park, Manchester
The power of the parties and the enthusiasm he recalls is immediately apparent from a quick Google search of Fantazia Youtube, revealing scores of Youtube clips of tens of thousands dancing, ironically like no-ones watching (http://bit.ly/BFDGH , http://bit.ly/tgHJ0 (http://bit.ly/oKm2kY ). What’s also more than clear is the diversity of the original crowds, with black, white, young and old ravers jammed in side by side yet clearly all comfortable. (Fantazia Donnington: http://bit.ly/nM9AvO )
“The 50% that are new to Fantazia or raves are privileged,” Charlie continues. “They are getting to see the friendly atmosphere off the raves of old. No aggression, just friendly happy people. Fantazia ravers really keep to that PLUR ethos, not the hoody attitude at other raves we have been to where the menace is palpable.
We encourage our ravers to go wild with their outfits and just wear want they want, you don’t get the negative snobby vibe that is associated with the superclubs.”
