Manchester raves

The Saatchi gallery’s ‘Sweet Harmony’ exhibition toured to Manchester to show a Northern Rave version of the exhibition in the Warehouse | Art Edit at Manchester’s Warehouse Project, a venue widely considered to be the new home of UK rave. The show took visitors from the days of Acid House and The Hacienda, right through to the movements and collectives that are keeping that legacy alive for generations to come. It featured a wide array of photographs, video and sculpture, inspired by and recovered from the golden era of British underground culture, and has a particular focus on Manchester and other Northern powerhouses.

Work I had showing in the exhibition was from the summer of 1994 at an illegal after party for two rave outfts known as Pollen & Freedom to Party (FTP) both from Manchester. As a young student studying photography friends of mine who ran FTP allowed me to document their illegal party which occupied some playing fields in the Chorlton area of the city. The photos show infamous characters from the rave scene including DJ SpaceMann who was often found at free parties within the region and beyond and another familiar face, Alphonso Buller aka MVITA (Manchester Vibe In The Area)

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