Read this: Live at the Brixton Academy
“I made the police an offer, ‘you have a problem with illegal raves; I have the solution: make them legal. Give me an all-night licence and you can stop the ravers from panicking the Daily Mail readers of Middle England.’”
This old article about the Brixton Academy found it’s way into my Pocket (my favourite app for bookmarking articles). It’s a few juicy recollections from Simon Parkes, the founder of The Academy and was part of the promotion for his memoir, Live at the Brixton Academy. The effusive Amazon reviews really make me want to dive into his stories of punk, hip hop and rave revelry alongside the serious (and sometimes deadly) business of running a music venue in the 80s and 90s.
I remember going to one of the first legal all-night raves he mentions above. This one didn’t quite go to plan; the police closed it down at 3am so we staged a very polite and unrebellious sit-in! But I did go to some fantastic post acid house parties and a gazillions New Order and Pixies gigs. It’s a very special place with a phenomenal social history. Read more here.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl/Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: Nick Hider
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