WITH EMERGING TRENDS IN VINTAGE FASHION IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE HERITAGE FROM WHERE IT EMERGES. BERRY TAKES A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF 90S RAVE AS WELL AS FOLLOWING A RAVER THROUGH HER EVERYDAY LIFE. FROM THE BEDROOM TO THE CLUB WE SEE ASPECTS OF THE SUBCULTURE EMERGE, FROM COLOUR TO IMAGERY BERRY WILL TAKE YOU ON JOURNEY BACK TO THE 90S.
Imagine Plymouth in the 90s students all over the show, but where would they go? Dartmoor was the home of raves in the west and where Lynnette and her friends would spend their weekends HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED INTO THE RAVE SCENE? I was a student and my housemate started going to them WHAT’S BEST MEMORY YOU HAVE FROM YOUR RAVE YEARS?
THE CAMARADERIE. I remember one night all my uni
friends were there (there was about 30 of us) and we just partied all night and laughed and danced. It felt very positive. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE ATMOSPHERE OF A RAVE? It was always boiling hot and noisy, but everyone was very friendly - it wasn’t aggressive or drunken and men weren’t particularly lecherous. It was like an adult version of a children’s birthday party. THE MUSIC
WAS HYPNOTIC TOO, SO YOU FELT AS IF YOU WERE IN A TRANCE. Lots of people did Ecstasy but I have
never taken any drugs. You would do well to speak to someone who took it as their rave experience would be very different to mine. I used to drink vodka and cranberry juice out of a bottle, so I used to be tipsy - this meant I was ready to go home about 2am as I used to get tired, but the true ravers would go on until morning. YOU USED TO MAKE FLYERS FOR THESE RAVES – HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT MAKING AND DISTRIBUTING THEM? None of us had computers so we used to hand draw or paint them and then take them to a local printing shop to print in bulk.
SINCE YOU WERE DISTRIBUTING THE FLYERS DID YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT THE AUTHORITIES FINDING OUT AND PUTTING A STOP TO IT ALL? It never crossed our mind. WHAT WOULD YOU WEAR TO THESE RAVES? Black or white crop tops and ARMY STYLE TROUSERS AND BIG CHUNKY WHITE TRAINERS. I also wore small little strapless silk dresses in different colours with biker boots. IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE THE RAVE SCENE IN 3 WORDS WHAT WOULD IT BE? Friendly. Noisy. Life affirming.
Head back to Plymouth with Becky Dodman with her account of 90s rave culture. As a true raver Becky’s recollection of her time during the 90s will take you on a journey back in time. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTRODUCED INTO THE RAVE SCENE? I was working in a hotel working as a leisure pool attendant and one of the other staff invited me out with his group of friends one night. I was 18. It became a regular Friday and Saturday thing .... we’d finish work and head over to Plymouth for the night.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF RAVES? THE STICKY FLOORS!!!! For me it was about the group I went with (normally about 10 of us, sometimes more, occasionally less). It was a tight group of people with the same music interests. It was a chance for us to be free for a couple of nights a week. DOES YOUR PAST WITH RAVE CULTURE INFLUENCE YOUR WORK TODAY? I completed a collection 2 years ago based on the concept of Metamorphosis, and how people change. This was linked to my experiences of the rave scene. Here is a link to the Vice interview I gave: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/ article/7bdapq/rave-knitwear-929 WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ON THE RAVE SCENE TODAY? To be honest, I left the scene 13 years ago so can’t comment! I DO WATCH SOME WICKED VIDEOS ON THE EUROPEAN CLUB CULTURE and how people identify with their music scene. CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL NIGHT AT A RAVE? Dancing! IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE THE RAVE SCENE IN 3 WORDS WHAT WOULD IT BE? Energy, Community, Escape
Contributors: Editor: Gina Mannell Model 1: Rihannon Donohoe Model 2: Jasmine Thompson Interview 1: Lynnette Peck Interview 2: Becky Dodman