Comments on: Eighties, we’re still living in the eighties http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/ John Eden: BM Box 3641, London, WC1N 3XX, England UK Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:35:31 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: matt b http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2707 matt b Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:46:38 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2707 i'd agree with borthers in general- the summers of '89 and '90 were revelatory (based on my experiences around oxford and the home counties)- diy punk attitude, reclaiming the urban space (inc. forgotten bits of the countryside); the authorities generally confused and therefore doing very little other than looking on etc etc. the rare groove snobbiness had gone and everyone was going for it, with or without drugs. the rave itself was a small part of the whole- the hanging out, waiting for instructions, the drive to the middle of nowhere were often more exciting. castlemorton was the end of the end of that period. the casualties mounted, heroin became common, profiteers of all types had well and truly moved in. it certainly wasn't glamourous- kids coming to school on monday morning wearing ponchos, ffs. but it was sure better than getting beaten up by townies because you looked 'different', which happened plenty in the late 80s obv. this is subjective and very great things happened in different times/places, but i think it had a massive impact on all who experienced it first hand. for good or ill. i’d agree with borthers in general- the summers of ‘89 and ‘90 were revelatory (based on my experiences around oxford and the home counties)- diy punk attitude, reclaiming the urban space (inc. forgotten bits of the countryside); the authorities generally confused and therefore doing very little other than looking on etc etc. the rare groove snobbiness had gone and everyone was going for it, with or without drugs.

the rave itself was a small part of the whole- the hanging out, waiting for instructions, the drive to the middle of nowhere were often more exciting.

castlemorton was the end of the end of that period. the casualties mounted, heroin became common, profiteers of all types had well and truly moved in.

it certainly wasn’t glamourous- kids coming to school on monday morning wearing ponchos, ffs.

but it was sure better than getting beaten up by townies because you looked ‘different’, which happened plenty in the late 80s

obv. this is subjective and very great things happened in different times/places, but i think it had a massive impact on all who experienced it first hand. for good or ill.

]]> By: History is Made at Night http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2705 History is Made at Night Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:35:00 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2705 I liked Lord Borthbury's point, I agree it is certainly arguable that the whole thing really peaked in the mid-1990s with Reclaim the Streets, mass clubbing with incredibly varied scenes and proper house music - in 1988 they were still dancing to the Woodentops for fuck's sake, followed by a clueless trip round the M25 to hand over money to gangsters and Tory entrepreneurs. But I guess everyone thinks their moment was when it was really happening, in which case there is no more reason to celebrate 1988 than 1979, 1983, 1996 or 2001. I liked Lord Borthbury’s point, I agree it is certainly arguable that the whole thing really peaked in the mid-1990s with Reclaim the Streets, mass clubbing with incredibly varied scenes and proper house music – in 1988 they were still dancing to the Woodentops for fuck’s sake, followed by a clueless trip round the M25 to hand over money to gangsters and Tory entrepreneurs. But I guess everyone thinks their moment was when it was really happening, in which case there is no more reason to celebrate 1988 than 1979, 1983, 1996 or 2001.

]]> By: dan http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2704 dan Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:40:16 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2704 yeah but everyone here including the author is talking about their own experiences, rather than the music. Your own experiences are of course tempered by the realities of geography/fashion etc, but music is not, and none of this makes say Mike Dunn or whoever's work any less amazing and important all these years later. I do agree though that people do tend to talk total poo when reminiscing about those times. yeah but everyone here including the author is talking about their own experiences, rather than the music. Your own experiences are of course tempered by the realities of geography/fashion etc, but music is not, and none of this makes say Mike Dunn or whoever’s work any less amazing and important all these years later. I do agree though that people do tend to talk total poo when reminiscing about those times.

]]> By: Lord Borthbury http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2703 Lord Borthbury Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:29:33 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2703 I attended a few parochial acid house nights in Hastings in 88/9, remembering one of them as being riddled with Loadsamoney types posing in label designerwear, spivs selling 20 quid pills, and posh kids whose parents bought them a car. They took the piss out of me because my clothes were home-made acid t-shirt and no label jeans. In the early days, you needed a large disposable income to be proper acid house, and in 1988/9 that meant Thatcherites and Trustafarians. Imagine my surprise when I subsequently watched the television and found out that the scene I witnessed was democratic and liberatory, nay revolutionary, and that it was all ruined in 1990 when it all got too popular. Look at those photos from Ibiza in 87. Look at those haircuts, those clothes. They think they've discovered something new, but they're still looking like Pat Sharp and Chris Waddle. Basically, the rave scene didn't get good until at least 89, and in reality, 90-91. By this time, those originally involved were telling everyone that the club scene had died. So they continued to milk it for lots of lovely money for 15 years, before failing to open a restaurant. I attended a few parochial acid house nights in Hastings in 88/9, remembering one of them as being riddled with Loadsamoney types posing in label designerwear, spivs selling 20 quid pills, and posh kids whose parents bought them a car. They took the piss out of me because my clothes were home-made acid t-shirt and no label jeans. In the early days, you needed a large disposable income to be proper acid house, and in 1988/9 that meant Thatcherites and Trustafarians.

Imagine my surprise when I subsequently watched the television and found out that the scene I witnessed was democratic and liberatory, nay revolutionary, and that it was all ruined in 1990 when it all got too popular.

Look at those photos from Ibiza in 87. Look at those haircuts, those clothes. They think they’ve discovered something new, but they’re still looking like Pat Sharp and Chris Waddle.

Basically, the rave scene didn’t get good until at least 89, and in reality, 90-91. By this time, those originally involved were telling everyone that the club scene had died. So they continued to milk it for lots of lovely money for 15 years, before failing to open a restaurant.

]]> By: smith3000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2699 smith3000 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:04:18 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2699 Dan has made a valid point there. Chicago house does still sound fucking amazing in a club. Dan has made a valid point there. Chicago house does still sound fucking amazing in a club.

]]> By: dan http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2693 dan Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:53:26 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2693 Chicago house still sounds fucking amazing in a club! Chicago house still sounds fucking amazing in a club!

]]> By: smith3000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2692 smith3000 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:45:26 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2692 Thought provoking stuff Mr E, as ever. As you know, certain events, people, styles of music, even whole scenes get missed out of the 'official' histories and I think it's important that we - us, the people who experienced them firsthand - create our own versions of the Truth .. while we can still remember them. The whole pop-culture nostalgia industry may be just another pointless, empty media construct but that doesn't invalidate our memories - if anything it gives them more value. And anything that keeps Paul Oakenfold and Judge Jules on TV and away from studios and clubs is fine by me. Thought provoking stuff Mr E, as ever.

As you know, certain events, people, styles of music, even whole scenes get missed out of the ‘official’ histories and I think it’s important that we – us, the people who experienced them firsthand – create our own versions of the Truth .. while we can still remember them. The whole pop-culture nostalgia industry may be just another pointless, empty media construct but that doesn’t invalidate our memories – if anything it gives them more value.

And anything that keeps Paul Oakenfold and Judge Jules on TV and away from studios and clubs is fine by me.

]]> By: Loki http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2691 Loki Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:23:37 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2691 Kinda with kek on this...but don't feel bad about the nostalgia drug... if the cycles keep turning then occasionally they spin off some new form of beauty with the predictable end result: if 95% of the original stuff was crap then 95% of the new stuff is also crap but there's still a gradual accumulation of great stuff out there as more and more people throw their attenuated take into the mix... i still jump up and down to Westworld and Betty Boo when the drugs wear off but can't see how, for instance, The Ting Tings aren't just as good... Kinda with kek on this…but don’t feel bad about the nostalgia drug… if the cycles keep turning then occasionally they spin off some new form of beauty with the predictable end result: if 95% of the original stuff was crap then 95% of the new stuff is also crap but there’s still a gradual accumulation of great stuff out there as more and more people throw their attenuated take into the mix… i still jump up and down to Westworld and Betty Boo when the drugs wear off but can’t see how, for instance, The Ting Tings aren’t just as good…

]]> By: kek http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2687 kek Fri, 30 May 2008 19:07:44 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2687 Top post, John. It's all about repackaging/rebranding yoof experiences back to folks when their disposable income levels rise in middle age, so that they can reconsume their own yoof...also it can be similarly re-packaged to the generation(s) that followed them, ie their children or their own younger siblings... What's interesting to me is the way that these cycles have accelerated inh recent years - a combination of desperate capitalism, onological consumerist hysteria lol and post-modernism chasing its own tail. Acid House: what's this, the 3rd/4th/5th revival, I forget which lol...yeah, you can't beat an anniversary for heating up the market-place... "the world’s fucked and we’re impotent spectators." No, we're not, Nick. Don't ever think that...lol.... Top post, John.

It’s all about repackaging/rebranding yoof experiences back to folks when their disposable income levels rise in middle age, so that they can reconsume their own yoof…also it can be similarly re-packaged to the generation(s) that followed them, ie their children or their own younger siblings…

What’s interesting to me is the way that these cycles have accelerated inh recent years – a combination of desperate capitalism, onological consumerist hysteria lol and post-modernism chasing its own tail.

Acid House: what’s this, the 3rd/4th/5th revival, I forget which lol…yeah, you can’t beat an anniversary for heating up the market-place…

“the world’s fucked and we’re impotent spectators.” No, we’re not, Nick. Don’t ever think that…lol….

]]> By: dubversion http://www.uncarved.org/blog/2008/05/eighties-were-still-living-in-the-eighties/comment-page-1/#comment-2682 dubversion Thu, 29 May 2008 22:18:08 +0000 http://www.uncarved.org/blog/?p=1308#comment-2682 Sorry about that post, I'm drunk. Pithy perspicacious comment to follow tomorrow. Maybe Sorry about that post, I’m drunk.

Pithy perspicacious comment to follow tomorrow.

Maybe

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