[Archived] The Blackburn Raves '88-'91

[Lee]

Oh yes....I was there......monroes, hac the lot.....anyone go to the Yuticks on Pringle Street...???

Green Bins!!!!

DJ'd at Monroes, DJ'd at Hac Blackburn, went to Yuticks on Pringle Street.

Green Bins is still knocking about,

[BuckyRover]

This is a slightly relevant thread.

I am off to Glastonbury in the morning. Should be brilliant. Just hope the weather holds up.

Wonder what excitement will occur at Ewood over the next few days....

[Jonnolad]

DJ'd at Monroes, DJ'd at Hac Blackburn, went to Yuticks on Pringle Street.

Green Bins is still knocking about,

He's still DJ'ing out and about.

What night did you used to DJ at Monroes? I used to go quite a bit back then and used to DJ myself at odds and sods (never Monroes though ). I've said it before but Saturday at Monroe's when you had to queue from 6 was the best night in the country bar none, and I went to quite a few to compare it to, both North & South. I'd go as far to say that Monroes was better than any of the warehouse parties.

Hard to believe now though, but Blackburn was the centre of everything back in late 89, start of 90. There was a real kudos to the place, and a major respect for the warehouse parties. Admitedly I'm baised but it was arguably the centre of the most all accepting and influencial youth culture ever. And wasn't it just the most amazing buzz at the time as well! Great days

That reunion thing above Cellar bar wasn't old skool music I believe btw (I be extremely suprised if Craig Cramichael has got any of his old tunes for one thing), which was a shame if it was a warehouse reunion.

[BlueMonday]

Anyone remember the Bubble Factory down Mill Hill. Still dont know how the floor didn't collapse!

Party organiser Tony K locking the doors and informing eveyone ' 12 hours, nobody leaves, this is hardcore uproar !'

Top times

In the early days, it was 1 man and his dog up the Sett End. Soon after people were climbing through the Sky lights to get in and convoys of thousands heading to Shad

Happy Days

[Ozz]

Completely off topic but meh Mods love me, does anyone remember The Liverpool Shoe Company off Heys Lane, sold knock off Kickers, Fila, Tacchini, Ellesse stuff?

[Lee]

He's still DJ'ing out and about.

What night did you used to DJ at Monroes? I used to go quite a bit back then and used to DJ myself at odds and sods (never Monroes though ). I've said it before but Saturday at Monroe's when you had to queue from 6 was the best night in the country bar none, and I went to quite a few to compare it to, both North & South. I'd go as far to say that Monroes was better than any of the warehouse parties.

Hard to believe now though, but Blackburn was the centre of everything back in late 89, start of 90. There was a real kudos to the place, and a major respect for the warehouse parties. Admitedly I'm baised but it was arguably the centre of the most all accepting and influencial youth culture ever. And wasn't it just the most amazing buzz at the time as well! Great days

That reunion thing above Cellar bar wasn't old skool music I believe btw (I be extremely suprised if Craig Cramichael has got any of his old tunes for one thing), which was a shame if it was a warehouse reunion.

Friday's and Saturday's, I even worked behind the bar as well. Generally only did the early stuff but there was the odd occasion when I'd have to do all night. There were times when we would have to prise Jonny Jepson off the office floor to tell him he was going on

Not seen Craig for a while but I believe he's 'on the mend', I'm told from someone who did DJ there that there was a wide variety of tunes being played. There's another one on July 5th.

Completely off topic but meh Mods love me, does anyone remember The Liverpool Shoe Company off Heys Lane, sold knock off Kickers, Fila, Tacchini, Ellesse stuff?

All genuine gear surely!

[vintageadidas]

Completely off topic but meh Mods love me, does anyone remember The Liverpool Shoe Company off Heys Lane, sold knock off Kickers, Fila, Tacchini, Ellesse stuff?

It sold seconds and for some unknown reason - lots of Haribo sweets!

[Sparky Marky]

Friday's and Saturday's, I even worked behind the bar as well. Generally only did the early stuff but there was the odd occasion when I'd have to do all night. There were times when we would have to prise Jonny Jepson off the office floor to tell him he was going on

Not seen Craig for a while but I believe he's 'on the mend', I'm told from someone who did DJ there that there was a wide variety of tunes being played. There's another one on July 5th.

All genuine gear surely!

Craig Carmichael? He didn't dj at monroes until it was finished.....I'm on about really early on when the raves used to go from there and when the loyal possee came to the all nighters.....them nights just went on till 10am the next morning....I used to just be in the mens bogs all night monged out and talking about Bag Pusss...(you really had to be there)

Why what happened to Craig? Did he have a mis-hap...

Bet it's like a time warp in there.....

[Sparky Marky]

Oh yes....you were there....sorry!!!

[b12_simon]

[MCMC1875]

Anyone remember the Bubble Factory down Mill Hill. Still dont know how the floor didn't collapse!

Party organiser Tony K locking the doors and informing eveyone ' 12 hours, nobody leaves, this is hardcore uproar !'

Top times

In the early days, it was 1 man and his dog up the Sett End. Soon after people were climbing through the Sky lights to get in and convoys of thousands heading to Shad

Happy Days

1991/92 it was Carlo's every Saturday night in Colne with afters at the disused school in Grassington.

[BlueMonday]

1991/92 it was Carlo's every Saturday night in Colne with afters at the disused school in Grassington.

Sett End days started around '89, with various parties around Blackburn in empty flats, disused buildings etc. Once things stated to take off they needed to find bigger places, hence the warehouses. But there was always fun to be had in Manchester(Hacienda, Club X) Blackpool(Hackets) Stoke(Shelleys[sp]) and Wigan at the Pier.

[MCMC1875]

Sett End days started around '89, with various parties around Blackburn in empty flats, disused buildings etc. Once things stated to take off they needed to find bigger places, hence the warehouses. But there was always fun to be had in Manchester(Hacienda, Club X) Blackpool(Hackets) Stoke(Shelleys[sp]) and Wigan at the Pier.

....and Zone in Blackpool?

For a brief moment in time Blackburn really was BOOMT WN as evidenced by the sign on Whitebirk roundabout.

[BlueMonday]

For a brief moment in time Blackburn really was BOOMT WN as evidenced by the sign on Whitebirk roundabout.

Will always remember going on holiday to Ibiza in '91 with a crew of the boys. The first week we didn't have to buy a drink because there was a bunch of lads from South London who used to do mini bus trips to Boomtown most weekends for the Raves. They thought Blackburn was cool as clumsy, hit shift + 8 again!! and were happy to get the beers in and we were happy to let them.

And as for Ibiza, well there's another chapter altogether.............

[Sysagent]

Heh good thread!

Monroes went down hill fast when the likes of John J and Welly stepped up to the decks...

The truely great times at Monroes were when Marcus K DJ'd there and on the odd occasion Chris & Tomlin with their crew would do a guest spot (my brother used to do the warm up as well), I used to have nip in to the back room and turn the soundsystem up, Simon and Graham (right names I think) weren't too impressed and I think you could blame me for the concreted windows that arrived.

(Did anyone here not go to Gillys night on a Thursday in the very early days at Monroes out of interest?)

There was also Cest Le Vies that had an early acid house night around '88 on Thursdays downstairs, also I recall A Guy Called Gerald and a few other choice bands at the time playing upstairs there.

As for the warehouse raves yeh I was there at almost all of them knowing Tony Creft, Scotch Tommy and Jed (think that was his name who did the soundgear) to name a few in the early days. There was the bubble factory, Ewood Mill thing with the big drop down to the truck loading bays, there was that barn near the canal at the back of the paper mill, Karrimor factory, the riot at Whitebirk industrial estate etc etc etc.

I also went to the Hac early days, Shaboo's at Blackpool (remember Sasha there in his early days and talking to the Prodigy who did a set there), Sett End of course from the beginnings, upstairs at Crackers, that gaff at Colne above the Italian, Angels at Burnley (the horror), wasn't there also a night at King George's Hall with The Spinmasters and not too mention that Dancing School thing that happened oh and yeh the Hac night at Manhatten Heights. Quite a few times me and my mate used to venture down South to the big M25 Orbital parties down there, Reigate comes to mind as being a good one.

As for the participants of the scene Marcus K is now a major league Producer, record label owner, worldwide DJ in the Drum n Bass field, Gilly still DJ's on odd nights in Gt Harwood still "living the dream", as for the rest of them who knows, maybe someone on here does.

Oh yeh and Joy was a whole lot better than the Live The Dream rave for sure!

Bloody good times and I wouldn't swap them for anything and typing all that up there makes me feel uncomfortably rather old, also its rather ironic that the sad burnt out shell of Monroes is just at the end of my road...

p.s. One of the best club nights to be had in them days was at Konspiracy, bit intimidating but absolute quality records and DJ's.

[Ozz]

Other top nights were had at Zone in Blackpool, which was I think at the Papa Jenks venue, early nights at Bowlers, Legends in Warrington (bit weird being in a mess and looking out over the Rugby pitch!) and of course Hacienda in Manchester, before it went bonkers.

[bodrum_blue]

I remember these things for a different reason.

February 1990 and my father was in Blackburn Infirmary with a brain disease. At midnight on the Saturday night I received a phone call from the hospital to say he had just died. I drove to my mothers and collected her and we set off to go to the hospital. A journey that should have taken 20 minutes took us over an hour because we got caught in a convoy of "ravers". At one point a car overtook us and there out of the rear nearside window was a girls bare ass. At any other time it would have been a welcome sight (it was a cute ass!!) but it was the last thing me and my mother wanted to see at that time. If you were that girl or know of her ask her to show it me now please.

[speeeeeeedie]

I loved reading this thread the first time it came around and now have a reason to move it up.

The Independent has an article talking about 25 years of acid house; http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/trance-encounter-can-it-really-be-25-years-since-acid-house-was-born-7893365.html. It's Southern centric but Lancs gets a mention.

I was too young to particiapte but remember the vibe vividly. It did seem like something was changing.

[K-Hod]

Far too young to go to any of these- but saw a film 'Weekender' fairly recently which touches on the rave scene and they go to one in Blackburn.

[Ozz]

High On Hope-The movie chronicling the Blackburn Raves has been made, but waiting release.

NSFW trailer link.

http://highonhope.com/Site_3/Trailer.html

[old darwen blue]

Link doesn't work

[Ozz]

Just use this then, think its a Flash issue.

Suddi [Raval] is doing music for games and so on now.

http://suddiraval.com/

Also a nice blog on Preston Bob, who contributed much of HOH footage.

http://undeleted.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/interview-preston-bob-high-on-hope-cinematographer/

[speeeeeeedie]

Thanks Ozz. The trailer looks good. I like the focus on the larger issues. Hillsborough was in 89 too. When did Thatcher resign? 90? It really did start a cultural shift.

I started going out boozing around 92/93. Pubs and clubs were packed for years.