Image © Gavin Watson.

Outside rigs powered by old generators, sound systems hanging from trees, a sea of gurning faces glowing under the strobes. In an open field people gather at night in the summer of love to escape the world and…rave. Brothers Gavin and Neville Watson were there, at the peak of the 1989 acid house wave, and they’ve documented the spirit of a generation in Raving '89.

The book is a celebration of the unbound freedom and anarchy of the rave movement, in all its glory. ‘Suddenly these kids who didn’t consider them political were creating this revolution,’ writes Neville. ‘It was more punk than punk ever was.’

Gavin shoots the rebellion, going deep into the crowded dance floor where wide-eyed faces beam into the camera. Friends and strangers alike come together to dance underneath the disco lights and camo nets, and the images show clichés of the 1980s and more – acid wash denim, shoulder pads, bright colours and, of course, big hair.

But style was secondary to this movement, and it’s the smashing of conventions that really comes across. Dynamic and shot at awkward angles, the images capture the intensity and raw energy of the time. Eyes bulging, bodies hunched and fists clenched, the crowd is an army ready to rave in an apocalyptic scene.

In between the pages of gritty black-and-white shots, Gavin and Neville add their comments and anecdotes, adding a poignant depth to the euphoric party scenes. The book pays homage to a time liberated by music and independent thought, a defining moment for a generation.

Published by DJhistory which has also printed Disco Files, art critic Vince Aletti’s history of the 1970s dance phenomenon.
Alex Christofides

Raving '89
£19.95 RRP
ISBN 978-0-9561896-1-5