1988

January
Shoom is one of the first club nights to adopt the Smiley face logo for its flyers. Ravers of the time like it for its association with the peace & love Hippy movement of the 1960's. The smiley face later becomes the symbolic representation of acid house in the UK.

February

Hedonism hold their first illegal warehouse party

March

Shoom re-locates to the YMCA on Tottenham Court Road, but there are still more people raving outside than inside! So Shoom moves to a bigger venue called Busbys.
Many new people are exposed to the rave scene including , Dj El chicano, Letronic and Otiz F. Angel (younger relation of Buzbys head doorman).


Paul Stone & Lu Vukovic start a harder edged party called RiP, situated in a labyrinth like warehouse complex on Clink Street, near London Bridge. RiP sees Mr C (Later of the Shamen) and Eddie Richards & Kid Bachelor play a harder more techno underground house ("as opposed to the more soulful sounding house music at Shoom") . The crowd are very diverse crowd, from gangsters in shell suits to middle class revellers.


Clink street is also one of the first to feature MC 'E-mix', one of the scene's first MCs. He added a new spin by rapping & toasting on the House & Techno of the time.


Hot & Nude nights kick off the acid house trend in the North at Fac 51 Haçienda (better known simply as The Haçienda). Founded by Rob Gretton, the Hacienda was largely financed by the record label Factory Records and the band New Order along with label boss Tony Wilson. It was situated on the corner of Whitworth Street West and Albion Street, close to Castlefield, in the centre of Manchester.

March 29th

An illegal pirate station called Obsession FM start their broadcast. The music policy for the station is 40% soul, reggae & 60% Acid house. The hook line – Ravers! Are You Obsessed? Was given birth. The partners, Richard Okuno, Sav Petriou, El Chicano, Roy Chen, and Otiz F. Angel openly dedicate their broadcasts to support warehouse parties & spread the rave underground movement.

April

After years of escalating football hostility in London, many rival fans suddenly STOPPED
THE VIOLENCE! Within months making hooligans find themselves raving together, even becoming friends. This induced euphoria was cause by House music and ecstasy. Many individuals take up a new general view that the rave movement can spread happiness. Another optimistic view was the world is going to adjust for the best. Promise land (lyrics) by Joe Smooth best catches the mood in London". ..When the angels from above, come down and spread their wings like doves...then we'll walk, hand in hand, sisters, brothers, we'll take you to a promise land".


RiP (still at Clink) move to Fridays with their 'A-Transmission' nights and Sundays with 'Zoo'.

April 11th

Paul Oakenfold opens a club night called Spectrum in the center of London. A heroic move, in that it is to be held at Heaven, (at the time one of the biggest club venues in London) near Trafalgar Square. To make things harder the event is held on Monday nights. Even so after 3 weeks Spectrum has 1200 people going every week with just as many ravers locked outside. It was a road block. Spectrum quickly gains a musical reputation as a rave venue. On one occasion, Paul Oakenfold even plunges the complete club into total darkness then plays Tchaikovsky's 1824 Overture. Spectrum also hold a few nights at Legends in Manchester and one party in a marque by the Thames.

June 4th

Nicky Holloway opens 'The Trip' at London's Astoria. Thousands of ravers attend filling the massive club every week. Full on street parties erupt after each party closes, with revellers dancing in water fountains opposite the venue and around their cars. Passing drivers, tourists and Police are baffled by hundreds of people chanting "Acieeeed!"

June
Large companies notice the rave trend and rush to cash in on the 'smiley face' symbol. With no copyright or protection, thousands of mass produced smiley t-shirts & "Wheres the Acid House Party" T-shirts appear everywhere.

There were even tabloid rumours that the brain numbing TV soap Eastenders was planning to make an episode where Ian Beale would drop LSD at a rave and try to jump off a bridge. This commercialisation was the first invite to a wave of plastic ravers. People who disliked the culture now wore Acid t-shirts because it was cool to do so. New, cash rich, clubs, promoters and well connected DJs (some corporately backed) enter the rave gold rush.

July 20th

In protest to commercialisation, New Generation opens at Turnmills. The rave is hosted by
Otiz F. Angel, Ray Loc, Cram Gee & El Chicano with an invite only policy. The promotion is aimed to create an active inner core of hardcore ravers. To host their first acid event, the New Generation play a night of acid, techno and a experimental sound they called Dub Trance.
There after New Generation organise many more events in and around the Farringdon, Shoreditch & Brick lane area.

July
The Sun newspaper at first cashes in on Acid with its own Smiley T-shirt but this is quickly back-tracked as the tide suddenly turns. A new agenda begins with the smiley face frowning. This is adopted throughout the media. The BBC bans Jolly Roger's tune "Acid Man".
Voices throughout the London underground scene become aware of rumours that the authorities are taking steps to put an end to the raves. Some say because of the drugs, or the fact that so much money was now being made. Other theories accused the government of being opposed to an awakening of minds with fears that, under the right conditions, people could connect and they could lose control. (Divide and conquer conspiracy).

July
ESP promotions is born at the Roadmender, Northampton. A few packed nights called Bounce follow at Castaways (later renamed to Millwalkies).

August

Tony Colston-Hayter, disenchanted with the increasingly stricter door policy of Jenny Rampling at Shoom, enters the scene. Tony holds his first parties at Wembley Studios under the name “Apocalypse Now”. On the last night of Apocalypse Now Tony lets ITN news film the event. Interviews with the dj's and positive news are dropped by the TV networks in favour for 'shock' footage of 'spaced out kids' and drug paraphernalia.

August 17th

The Sun newspaper follows up the Sunrise report and issue an investigation into the Heaven night club (then owned by Sir Richard Branson) and home to Spectrum. Claiming "Junkies flaunt their craving by wearing T-shirts sold at the club with the messages like 'Can you feel it?' & 'drop acid not bombs'". Not understanding the pun 'Drop Acid meaning play Acid house' not bombs, the Sun took the term literally linking Acid House with the drug LSD. After the Sun newpaper's article on Heaven, Sir Richard Branson tells Paul Oakenfold that he need only rename his club rather than shut it down. This amazing generosity keep the very best club night in London alive. Spectrum closes but opens again within weeks renamed 'Land of Oz'.

August 26th
Following up the New Generation raves, Otiz F. Angel hosts an illegal warehouse party called 'Resurrection' at Millmead industrial estate, Tottenham. 600+ ravers arrive at the party and Resurrection goes weekly. The negative is that the location is in close proximity to two rival hooligan gangs, the Yids (Tottenham fans) and the Gooners (Arsenal fans) yet the events remain peaceful. Although there is no trouble, Resurrection warehouse becomes known as a notorious gangland venue.

August

At the end of this "Summer of Love" the unfortunate ecstasy related death of Janet Mayes (R.I.P) at an illegal acid party sparks a Police campaign against warehouse parties. In respect for Janet, many ravers reduce even stop the use of substances yet still remain living the raver lifestyle without the chemical high. Campaigns start reminding people the the rave scene is about the music. This is a time to focus on the concept of peace, love & unity championed by Rave culture. During a bust at a party in Sevenoaks, 20 year old student Paul Hartnoll is beaten by uniformed officers. He recovers and goes on to form the band Orbital.

September 12th

Acid House is introduced to Liverpool as James Barton takes over The State ballroom to start Daisy. DJ's on the first night are Andy Carroll & Mic Microdot.

Robert Darby and Leslie Thomas charged with "conspiring to manage premises where drugs were supplied" after organising a boat party on the Thames. They are sentenced to 10 and 6 years imprisonment.


October 1st
Grooverider & Fabio open a legal club night called Rage.


Tony Colston-Hayter renames his organization to Sunrise after the bad publicity surrounding the last Apocalypse Now. The first event is busted by Police.


November 5th
Sunrise sell 4000 tickets for their Guy Fawkes Edition party. As the event kicks off in a run-down gas works (where the film Full Metal Jacket was made) riot Police raid it an shut down the music. At 5am the Police draw back hopelessly out numbered by ravers who climbed barbed wire fences and ran across dual carriageway's to get in.

Carl Cox was already a well respected D J on the infamous M1/Orbital rave circuit but at this event Carl breaks-through. Playing at Sunrise, he hooked up a three decks. 15,000 ravers rocked to the  amazing experience- since the Carl Cox is known as 'The 3 Deck Wizard'.

November 7th

The Daily Mail newspaper reports Sunrises party as "evil night of Ecstasy"

November 20th

Obsession Fm becomes a 24/7 house music station. After a assembly with Densil Roberts &
Otiz F.Angel, Obsession FM become one of the dedicated pirate radio stations the support the Sunrise events amongst other top raves.


December 10th
Wayne Anthony enters the scene forming Genesis. Genesis ('KP' & Wayne Anthony) host their first party in a warehouse near Aldgate, East London.

December 24th

Genesis hold their second warehouse party. Held in an vacant warehouse near Clapton Pond, Hackney. Genesis use thousands of old car tyres that littered the building to build a UV lit entrance tunnel and bar area. Combined with a Christmas tree, parachutes, netting, inflatables & some new white canopies stolen from a nearby building site.

December 26th

Genesis return to the same warehouse (now with a written contract with the owner!). Initial problems with the electricity had the first 300 or so people standing round in the dark. Later they are caught totally off guard as (mainly due to the reputation of the xmas eve party) 2000 people descend on the warehouse.

December 28th

Sunrise IV "Boxing Day in Heaven" December 30th Sunrise V "Final Party", held at the Astoria New Years Eve Sunrise team up with Genesis for parties named Sunset at Leeside Road, Hackney, London. A venue already utilised by Genesis on Christmas Eve & Boxing Day. It turns nasty and Tony Colsten-Hayter is confronted by a gang of West Ham (ICF) football thugs who demand a cut in the profits. This leaves him looking for party venues that do not fall within the 'territories' of football gangs.