0:00:03 > 0:00:05They're sexy, they're fit.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07What else can I say about them? Not only do they sing,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09they've got nice arses too.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11# It's a good life
0:00:11 > 0:00:13# Hey, hey, hey, yeah... #
0:00:13 > 0:00:19Pop music unites us. It makes us friends. And defines who we are.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24This is its story, told by those who love it the most.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25The fans.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27# What I'm doing to you
0:00:27 > 0:00:29# Ooh, ooh, ooh... #
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Fans from all over the country have been digging out and sharing with us
0:00:33 > 0:00:37some of their most treasured, rare and personal memorabilia.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42Flyers, photos, a memento of a legendary nightclub,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and a favourite boyband in plastic.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47# Good life, good life, good life... #
0:00:47 > 0:00:50All precious, and all with a wonderful story.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53# Good life... #
0:00:53 > 0:00:57This is my first album. Catch A Fire.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00My sister took me down to Woolworths to buy this one.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Those sort of chords, that distinct distortion that they get,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06it just hits you.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08You know, right in here.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11We've underlined all the words that really meant something to us
0:01:11 > 0:01:14at the time. They probably don't mean anything now, do they?
0:01:16 > 0:01:21So whether you're a fan of prog rock, reggae or UK garage,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24synth pop or boybands, this is about us.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27The people at the very heart of this thing called pop.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29# Only glad times in the
0:01:29 > 0:01:30# Good life
0:01:30 > 0:01:32# Good life... #
0:01:32 > 0:01:34As we neared the end of the '80s,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37the pop music fan had become a bit cliched.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42It's all about big hair, bright clothes, brash music...
0:01:42 > 0:01:45And mega-bands with their mega-fans.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48SCREAMING
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But there is another story to tell.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55I think a much more interesting starting point is to take
0:01:55 > 0:01:59a look at an emerging counterculture that was just as radical,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03if not more, than anything produced in the '60s and '70s.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07It kind of suited me getting into something away from the mainstream.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10You'd see every sight you could imagine.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Fire-eating drag queens, leather outfits, or completely naked.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17The rave scene brought people together and gave us
0:02:17 > 0:02:19smiley culture.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23This is the decade we went from loving the sounds emerging
0:02:23 > 0:02:27from the underground to embracing musical togetherness.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32And the decade I went from pop music fan to being in my own band,
0:02:32 > 0:02:33Kenickie.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37So let's talk about
0:02:37 > 0:02:38the smileys,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41the freaky dancing,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and the zig-a-zig-a.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48# No more rain because the sun will chase the clouds away
0:02:48 > 0:02:50# In the good life. #
0:02:54 > 0:02:58MUSIC: People Are People by Depeche Mode
0:03:00 > 0:03:03If you were a teenage fan in the '80s,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06looking for the latest hot news about your favourite pop band,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09there was really only one place for it -
0:03:09 > 0:03:10Smash Hits.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14# People are people so why should it be
0:03:14 > 0:03:18# You and I should get along so awfully?
0:03:18 > 0:03:19# People are people... #
0:03:19 > 0:03:21This is an amazing thing.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It's a vintage copy of fan Bible, Smash Hits.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26This is slightly before my time as a reader, to be honest.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'86. I would have been eight.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31But 43p - bargain price.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32And you get a lot of good stuff there.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34As you can see, John Lydon is on cover,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37but I think that kind of belies a lot of the content.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Because it is still very much pop throughout.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43There's A-ha.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Morten with a little kiss on his cheek.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49# The sun always shines on TV... #
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Then further, to the back of the magazine,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55past the beautiful John Taylor centrefold,
0:03:55 > 0:03:56which I am having for my wall...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59# Notorious... #
0:03:59 > 0:04:01..you've got the single reviews.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05There's a review of Depeche Mode's latest single, Stripped.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06The interesting thing here
0:04:06 > 0:04:09is that it seems like their sound has changed.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12# Complicating, circulating
0:04:12 > 0:04:14# New life... #
0:04:14 > 0:04:19These Basildon boys had started the '80s as futurist synth poppers.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20# New life, new life... #
0:04:20 > 0:04:24But by 1986, they were flirting with more dangerous subjects,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27like sex, politics, and the meaning of life.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31"Depeche Mode were becoming very predictable.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34"But this is the best thing they've done in ages.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37" 'Let me see you stripped' sings Dave Gahan.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40"And bang goes their appearance on Saturday Superstore.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42"Slow and atmospheric,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45"even though you can't work out what he's going on about."
0:04:45 > 0:04:49From synth pop, Saturday morning-friendly superheroes
0:04:49 > 0:04:52to a darker, more oblique kind of music.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54What on earth was going on?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59# Come with me
0:04:59 > 0:05:01# Into the trees
0:05:01 > 0:05:03# We'll lay on the grass
0:05:03 > 0:05:06# And let the hours pass
0:05:06 > 0:05:09# Take my hand... #
0:05:09 > 0:05:14When I put Depeche Mode on, it gives me a certain strength
0:05:14 > 0:05:19and I feel a younger, more confident person
0:05:19 > 0:05:21who can take on the world.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Lisa loved the band since their early days,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32when Depeche Mode had brought their teen fans pure pop pleasure.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39This is basically what I spent all my wages on. Every month.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Soon as I got it,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44went down to the record shops and just spent the lot.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48This is all of the records that they ever brought out.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51The lovely thing about Depeche Mode is,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53as they grew, I was also growing up.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I was of a similar age.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04In 1986, Lisa bought the band's latest and most disturbing album,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Black Celebration.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11It was a record that challenged and intrigued her.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17They were experimenting. Not only with different sounds,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21but also the lyrics were getting a little bit more political,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and a little risque at times.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Despite the change in direction, the fans were won over.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33On the five-month Black Celebration tour,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37over 300,000 people went to see Depeche Mode play.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Fans rejoiced earnestly in the band's world of pain.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48For Lisa, the celebration became a sort of ritualistic act.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56In 1986, I was working as a secretary and Black Celebration,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00the song, was a mantra of mine when it came out.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04There was one line in particular that stood out for me.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10"To celebrate the fact we've seen the back of another black day."
0:07:10 > 0:07:16# ..of another black day... #
0:07:18 > 0:07:21You just have a horrible experience with a customer or something
0:07:21 > 0:07:25like that and you just go home and think, "Thank goodness that's over."
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Shed the work clothes, out would come the sweatshirt.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Let's have a black celebration.
0:07:32 > 0:07:38# It's just a question of time... #
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Over the years, I've met a lot of fans who love their bands.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45But I tell you what, Depeche Mode fans have an impressively
0:07:45 > 0:07:47intense adoration for their heroes.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51# Well now you're only 15... #
0:07:51 > 0:07:57This is my little music room that's home to my Depeche Mode collection,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59amongst other things.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Album covers on the wall here.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I've got a silver disc for their single Just Can't Get Enough.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07This is one of my prized possessions.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It's Dave Gahan's jacket. He's worn it in a music video
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and various promotional photoshoots.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17MUSIC: Master And Servant by Depeche Mode
0:08:21 > 0:08:25This might be a strange piece of memorabilia to some,
0:08:25 > 0:08:30but this was a towel that was thrown into the audience by Dave Gahan.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33It just happened to come in my direction.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Me and a few other guys wrestled and fought over it for a while.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40I ended up with a torn and tattered half of it.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52This is me trying to emulate Dave Gahan.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59When I was younger, I was quite an introvert.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00It kind of suited me,
0:09:00 > 0:09:05getting into something that was considered away from the mainstream.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08You know, shut away in my bedroom, collecting my little
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Depeche Mode knick-knacks and listening to my records.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It's a huge part of my life.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15I've been a Depeche Mode fan longer than I haven't.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17So, yeah, it's...
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's quite a passionate link.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27MUSIC: Faith by Wee Papa Girl Rappers
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Shutting yourself away, listening to records
0:09:30 > 0:09:32wasn't for everyone though.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35# I remember the time I would try to rhyme
0:09:35 > 0:09:38# Said to myself, I've got to find the words... #
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Some of us wanted to get out there and strut our stuff.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43# I know it don't fit
0:09:43 > 0:09:45# So I asked my sis to find me a teacher
0:09:45 > 0:09:47# Turn around, she brings a preacher... #
0:09:47 > 0:09:51A new genre was emerging, a British take on an American import,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54which was inspiring teenagers up and down the country,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57both as fans and artists themselves.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06This is some footage recorded in 1985.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08That's me.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11A very young me.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13HE CHUCKLES
0:10:13 > 0:10:15They were definitely fun days.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Growing up in Leeds, Faadil got hooked on American rap.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24He was a million miles away from the Bronx,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26but it hit home.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29# Breakdown... #
0:10:29 > 0:10:33The last few years of school we'd had a riot in Chapeltown, Leeds.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37There was high unemployment. The miners' strike happened.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I heard Melle Mel on a record,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I think it was 1983.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Beat Street.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47# Cos I'm caught in a rat race lookin' for my own space
0:10:47 > 0:10:49# It gotta be a better place for you and me
0:10:49 > 0:10:51# There's pie in the sky and a eye for a eye
0:10:51 > 0:10:53# Some people gotta die just to be free... #
0:10:53 > 0:10:55And he did a rap and it...pfff...
0:10:55 > 0:10:58When I heard that, I was like, "Whoa!"
0:10:58 > 0:11:02After hearing all this nice "Ho! Ho!" party rap,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and then Melle Mel gets deep
0:11:04 > 0:11:05and political like that.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08That's when I said, "This is what I want to do."
0:11:08 > 0:11:12MUSIC: Heat It Up by Wee Papa Girl Rappers
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Faadil moved to Brixton in '84 and soon discovered
0:11:15 > 0:11:18a thriving grassroots hip-hop scene.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21# What we're doing is absolutely against the law... #
0:11:21 > 0:11:25In those days, rap music was not in the clubs.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27So we had to go to special events.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32Hip Hop Alliance put on events at Brixton Recreation Centre.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Hip-hop, scratch DJing, that's what was happening in there.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40# It's like that, yeah
0:11:40 > 0:11:42# It's like that, so hit it up
0:11:42 > 0:11:44# It's like that, yeah
0:11:44 > 0:11:45# It's like that... #
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Most people who went to hip-hop events took part.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And if they went into the hip-hop break-dance circle and danced
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and they weren't that good, nobody would really say anything.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Because people accepted that.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02But it was really good times. Really good times, so...
0:12:03 > 0:12:08RAPPING ON VIDEO
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Faadil set up his own crew and made himself something of
0:12:11 > 0:12:13a name on the circuit.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15# Listen to the beat... #
0:12:15 > 0:12:17It feels like yesterday.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22I don't feel like I'm this old man, aged man,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24looking at myself as a younger man.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26I'm the same guy.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Just a few years older.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34OK, this is an old-school rhyme.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38# Talking about the times in the '80s when Maggie Thatcher ruled
0:12:38 > 0:12:41# Everybody know that she wasn't that cool
0:12:41 > 0:12:43# She-a mash up the nation
0:12:43 > 0:12:46# Maggie Thatcher used to mash up the nation
0:12:46 > 0:12:48# Pushing up the prices and the inflation
0:12:48 > 0:12:51# Dole money can't bring satisfaction
0:12:51 > 0:12:53# You can't get a job even if you want one
0:12:53 > 0:12:56# Perhaps it's cos of your black complexion
0:12:56 > 0:12:58# Also, you have to have a good education
0:12:58 > 0:13:01# But you can't get that longer in a Babylon
0:13:01 > 0:13:02# Hey. #
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- All right, we're done with that. - HE LAUGHS
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Whoo! Lovely.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11POP MUSIC PLAYS
0:13:22 > 0:13:25What would you say your look was tonight? How would you describe it?
0:13:25 > 0:13:28It's called showing the tan off, in't it?
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Throughout most of the '80s, if you went clubbing of a weekend
0:13:33 > 0:13:35you'd probably end up at an establishment with
0:13:35 > 0:13:39a name like Manhattan's, Ritzy, or Sinatra's.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45And inside, you might find sticky carpets, mirrored walls and
0:13:45 > 0:13:49glammed-up punters more interested in a snog than the DJ's selection.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55But for one teenager in 1988, this was about to change forever.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02In this Suffolk garage, Paul Johnson has a treasure trove
0:14:02 > 0:14:06from the moment he discovered there was another way to party.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14This is my garage. This is where I keep most of my collection.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16This is where I keep my music memorabilia.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24That's my Filofax I used to carry around the club with me.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I decided to have my 18th birthday in a nightclub. It really was
0:14:29 > 0:14:31not only the start of my adult life,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35it was the start of a lifelong love of club music.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41I was... I am still painfully, painfully shy.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I didn't like the way I looked.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45I didn't like the way I spoke.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50I think through music and fashion you do search for your identity.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52And Paul found it when he booked
0:14:52 > 0:14:55a holiday to the Spanish islands Mallorca and Ibiza
0:14:55 > 0:14:56with his girlfriend.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00And brought back stuff packed with memories of clubs, bars,
0:15:00 > 0:15:01and fabulous music.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06During that time, we went to the Pacha club.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12There's not many times in my life that I could say I was there
0:15:12 > 0:15:14at the start.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And I think I can safely say that we actually got to experience
0:15:17 > 0:15:20something that people still talk about.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27In the late 1980s, across the Balearics,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30a cosmopolitan set lost themselves in the sheer hedonism of
0:15:30 > 0:15:34clubs like Pacha, Amnesia, and Glory's.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The vibe was absolutely amazing.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Back in the UK,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46you still had to wear a shirt and tie to get in on a Saturday night.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48But there, it was much more relaxed.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51People wearing baggy clothes.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53It was all-encompassing.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55And it made everyone feel welcome.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02All the rules were torn up as DJs spun
0:16:02 > 0:16:05a captivating mix of American house and weird Europop.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10The music was absolutely astounding.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Like something you'd never heard before.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The look that the lady's got on there is not completely dissimilar
0:16:16 > 0:16:18to what people were wearing.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22I knew then that this was going to be something that would stay
0:16:22 > 0:16:25with me throughout my life.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27I was 19 years old.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30And it was such a meaningful experience,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34not least because while I was out there, I got engaged.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37MUSIC: Voodoo Ray by A Guy Called Gerald
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Paul took what he had learned about clubbing back to Bury St Edmunds,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43where he organised beach parties at his local.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48He wasn't the only one to come back
0:16:48 > 0:16:51with more than a sombrero and a suntan.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53British DJs took home with them
0:16:53 > 0:16:58an entirely new and egalitarian club culture - rave.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01And a signature sound - acid house.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04# Ooh-ah-ha-yeah... #
0:17:06 > 0:17:10All my flyers, or the vast majority from the rave era,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12are down here on this bottom shelf.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15And it's books and collectables everywhere you can look.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18And two garages elsewhere cos I've run out of space.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Hidden away in these folders are the treasure flyers that gave
0:17:25 > 0:17:28North Londoner Chelsea access to an underground scene
0:17:28 > 0:17:30taking over her city.
0:17:32 > 0:17:38The flyers range over a period from '86 to 1990.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42And yes, I did go to nearly all of these.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46They started off being scraps of paper that people would just
0:17:46 > 0:17:50do a drawing on and then photocopy.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52One of my favourites - Club MFI,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56which was a crazy night. People talked about sweatboxes.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Literally there was water running down the walls,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01the energy was incredible.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I can look at a flyer and go, "I remember that one.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07"That was such a brilliant event. I was with so-and-so.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09"We did such-and-such."
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I think I'll love them forever.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Conditioned to the warehouses I've already mentioned.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Westside people, yeah.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22Meet at Catford Station.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26HOUSE MUSIC PLAYS
0:18:29 > 0:18:33It was 1988 and Chelsea's flyers were taking her
0:18:33 > 0:18:35to illicit open-air raves
0:18:35 > 0:18:38in the second Summer of Love, which was actually two summers.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40It was that good.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44You'd have you flyer, you'd have your pager,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48you'd be making a phone call from a phone box, getting a pager message,
0:18:48 > 0:18:53and somebody would say, "You need to get to X," so you'd drive north.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Start getting out onto the M1, or go west to the M4.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01I remember turning up at Heston's services
0:19:01 > 0:19:05and the police had blocked off all the turn-offs.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09So 3,000 people just parked their cars on the hard shoulder of
0:19:09 > 0:19:12the motorway, ran through the petrol station,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and went and partied all night.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17The police couldn't take away 3,000 people's vehicles.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19And we carried on.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22HOUSE MUSIC PLAYS
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It was crazy, mad music.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31It was tribal, in a way.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33And people would dance together.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39The scene was driven by a Class A drug - ecstasy.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42But most ravers were too busy having fun
0:19:42 > 0:19:44to care about the potential consequences.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I know that drugs are not to be promoted.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52But at the time, they created a vibe.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55They weren't the only thing that created a vibe,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58but they did enhance it.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59And people were loved-up.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04It was a time of euphoric uprising, I suppose.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12At the time, I was very different to how I am now. I was...
0:20:12 > 0:20:15a bit of a hippy, bohemian guy.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20And I lived a very dual existence.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Most people just knew me as the guy they'd grown up with.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27But a few times a month I'd be partying as the person you
0:20:27 > 0:20:29see now, as Chelsea. The rest of the time,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33I was having to live this sort of double existence. Hiding.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36It was a difficult time.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39But I was lucky that because the scene was very involved with
0:20:39 > 0:20:42the gay clubs, I was able to be myself as much as I wanted to.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46The rave scene brought people together,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49which gave them that opportunity, spending time with people,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52realising, "Um, actually, you're just the same as me.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55"You don't look it, but you are. Wow."
0:20:55 > 0:20:56And that was great.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58That was brilliant and perfect.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02And something that gave us smiley culture.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Brighton Beach, after Zap Club.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16On a Tuesday morning, around 7.00, 8.00, 9.00 in the morning.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20The most surreal thing, dancing on that beach,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23watching people in Brighton go about their daily business and go to work.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26MUSIC: Big Fun by Inner City
0:21:26 > 0:21:30In Joe's box full of photos is the story of someone transformed
0:21:30 > 0:21:31by acid house.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The stage was the place for what we called the nutters.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38The barmies. They would be up there,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40jumping about like there weren't no tomorrow.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45# Everybody gather around
0:21:45 > 0:21:49# Listen to the Inner City sound... #
0:21:49 > 0:21:54I found myself back at my flat one night, this was '87.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And a fellow I'd let stay at my flat said,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00"Come with me. We're going to this mad gaff."
0:22:00 > 0:22:03He took me off to the first
0:22:03 > 0:22:06private...what I suppose you could call rave that I went to.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10And that was it, mate. It was all over.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14It was such a new thing. It was so different.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17RAVE MUSIC PLAYS
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Before this, Joe's recreational activities had been more
0:22:21 > 0:22:23devoted to a punch-up than getting loved up.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28'English football, you could be forgiven for thinking,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31'has never had it so bad.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'Scenes like these have seriously tarnished the game's image.'
0:22:35 > 0:22:37I don't know if I liked myself pre-rave.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40There was a side of me that I didn't like.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44When most of your life is devoted to following a football team
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and bashing up the other team's supporters,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49it ain't a lot to crow about, as it were.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54There is a bit of a debate about whether rave had
0:22:54 > 0:22:57a soothing effect on the hooliganism that scarred the '80s.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00In the clubs, Joe felt the tensions
0:23:00 > 0:23:03between the football firms melt away.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I don't recall hearing any stories
0:23:06 > 0:23:10of there ever being any football clashes at a rave. Ever.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11I can remember lots of instances
0:23:11 > 0:23:13where there'd be Arsenal in the basement,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Tottenham in the back tunnel,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and my own Millwall and a few others, and nothing ever happened.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It was always sweet.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26I mean, when you consider that's the same person there...
0:23:26 > 0:23:30That's yours truly, 1974, outside the Spurs ground.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33That's a completely different chap, isn't it?
0:23:33 > 0:23:38For me, the rave situation - a blessing in disguise really.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40If I'm honest about it,
0:23:40 > 0:23:4490% of my friends now are probably rave-orientated.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46They're just nicer people.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48You know, there's no easy way of putting that.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51MUSIC: Thieves Like Us by New Order
0:23:55 > 0:23:59For Joe and thousands of others, these were halcyon days.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01And the joy of acid was spreading
0:24:01 > 0:24:04through the musical bloodstream of Britain.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09When it mingled with the sound of Manchester -
0:24:09 > 0:24:13the city of Joy Division, Mark E Smith's Fall,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and the legendary Tony Wilson's Factory Records -
0:24:16 > 0:24:19something magical happened in the cavernous depths
0:24:19 > 0:24:21of an old yacht warehouse.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35For kids like me, who were a bit too young to go clubbing,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38the idea of spending the night raving in a warehouse
0:24:38 > 0:24:40was a distant dream.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42We were miles away from the London Orbital
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and the rave scene down there, but I did once hop in a van
0:24:45 > 0:24:48with a bunch of friends and head to Manchester,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50when we were really, really underage.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53The bouncers spotted this pretty quickly
0:24:53 > 0:24:55and turned us away at the door.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58We spent the night very miserable, sitting outside, in a van,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01missing out on our place in music history.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08I'm about to meet a guy who never got turned away from the
0:25:08 > 0:25:09hallowed doors of The Hacienda.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16And he's treasured an extraordinary item - a sort of tiny TARDIS
0:25:16 > 0:25:19he never keeps far from his person.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22So, Dave, you've got a very special piece of memorabilia for us today.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24What is it?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's a Hacienda membership card that I keep in my wallet.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30It's been signed by lots of people involved with the club.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Oh, my goodness! Look at this.
0:25:33 > 0:25:34This is incredible!
0:25:36 > 0:25:39We have "FAC 51" on here, which was the number of the club.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- Everything was numbered.- The serial number for the club, The Hacienda,
0:25:43 > 0:25:44so they call it FAC 51.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I think the membership was £5.51, membership to join.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50And the thing was, when I went to get my membership,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52they didn't have a laminating machine
0:25:52 > 0:25:55so that meant I was able to keep it in its paper form.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58After that, basically, I was able to start getting people to sign it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It's very delicate, this. I feel like I don't want to...
0:26:01 > 0:26:03- It's 35 years old. - ..handle it too much.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05There's loads of signatures on here.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10The first one I got, at the bottom, underneath the logo, is Tony Wilson.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13He said, "This is going to be worth something one day" as he signed it.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Then a few weeks later, I got Bez to sign it.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19# Hallelujah, hallelujah... #
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- "All the best, Bez."- Mani's given me a smile up there as well.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- That's Mani. There's Ian Brown, I think I can see there.- Ian Brown.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29# Hallelujah, hallelujah... #
0:26:29 > 0:26:31There's photographers on there, DJs, managers,
0:26:31 > 0:26:36I've got the architects, designers. I've got all of New Order on there.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39It goes on both sides. We've got Mark E Smith.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- I actually was... - Oh, God. Look at Mark E Smith!
0:26:42 > 0:26:44That's a scrabbly old signature, isn't it?
0:26:44 > 0:26:49So what was it like then, you know, going to The Hacienda in those days?
0:26:49 > 0:26:51'82 was when I joined. I was 16.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- Awww!- This is me on this side here.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58We'd get on the dance floor and we'd be spinning around,
0:26:58 > 0:26:59pulling each other around on the floor.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02No-one batted an eyelid cos we were the only people in there.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It really felt like it was our place at that time.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09I mean, later on, when it sort of became the acid house scene,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13they brought in these podiums on the side of the dance floor
0:27:13 > 0:27:15which weren't there originally.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Banks of people on the stage and they were all doing the same
0:27:18 > 0:27:21rhythmic dance. All at the same time.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Is it the sort of Bez? The slightly...?
0:27:23 > 0:27:26That's more of an Ian Curtis, actually.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Ian Curtis used to do...
0:27:28 > 0:27:32- But then Bez would be a bit more... - A bit looser?- Yeah, exactly.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36But then, occasionally, amongst them there'd be someone pointing up
0:27:36 > 0:27:38at the DJ, conducting the DJ.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40And they're all wearing baggy clothes.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42There's sweat dripping off them.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45I think it was Wrote For Luck, the Happy Mondays.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47That became the anthem for The Hacienda.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49As soon as that came on,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51people were just freaking out on the dance floor.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53You know, really just going for it.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56MUSIC: Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays
0:27:58 > 0:28:00# And you were wet
0:28:00 > 0:28:02# But you're getting drier
0:28:02 > 0:28:04# You used to speak the truth
0:28:04 > 0:28:07# But now you clever... #
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I mean, what about you personally, being a kid in this place,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15did it broaden your horizons and change your outlook?
0:28:15 > 0:28:19I think I lost a lot of inhibitions. You know, from a 16-year-old
0:28:19 > 0:28:22not being able to dance, not knowing how to,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26to just not caring. Really throwing yourself out there
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and just enjoying the music.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31You know, it was an incredible place to grow into
0:28:31 > 0:28:34a late teen and an early twenty-something.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37To have had that as our club is very special.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52I really like this piece, I've always kept this quite safe.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54It's a build-your-own Hacienda kit.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58It comes on really nice card, and it's all in Hacienda colours.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01And it's got, like, the dance floor and all the different
0:29:01 > 0:29:03bollards that you can make, and the pillars.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07It's even got its own Factory number.
0:29:07 > 0:29:08FAC 86.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15In 1989, Kath moved to Manchester to study
0:29:15 > 0:29:17and she discovered in the city
0:29:17 > 0:29:19a young gay scene, determined to have fun.
0:29:23 > 0:29:29There was a very different landscape in the late '80s for gay people.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34We were dealing with HIV and AIDS.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36We were also dealing with Clause 28,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40which was basically the government saying that they weren't
0:29:40 > 0:29:44going to see homosexuality in a positive light.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46It was illegal to do that.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51And from that came a need to just get away from it and go out
0:29:51 > 0:29:55and forget all your worries and your troubles.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58# My back is against the wall
0:29:58 > 0:30:01# More bills than money... #
0:30:01 > 0:30:05In 1991, Kath went to the opening of a ground-breaking new night
0:30:05 > 0:30:07at The Hacienda.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09This is a flyer.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13One of the flyers that I gave out for the first-ever Flesh, actually.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16I was giving out flyers on the Friday night. Unpaid.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Just for the passion, cos I wanted it to happen.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23I wanted it to be really busy. And, you know, work.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32Almost 1,300 people came through the doors at the first Flesh.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34It might have been on a Wednesday night,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36but it was the North's largest gay club event.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42On Flesh night, it just used to go crazy down there,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44it was such a small space.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48There'd be condensation streaming down all the mirrors in there.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Everywhere around Flesh you'd see every sight you can imagine.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56You know, there'd be fire-eating drag queens,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00there'd be people wearing gimp outfits or leather outfits,
0:31:00 > 0:31:01or completely naked.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03A lot of girls had their tits out.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07A lot of guys would wear drag that didn't normally wear drag.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13But everyone would really, really make an effort.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15# The pressure
0:31:15 > 0:31:18# The pressure Pressure of the world
0:31:18 > 0:31:21# The pressure... #
0:31:22 > 0:31:25The younger me found it really important
0:31:25 > 0:31:28to have social networks and friends
0:31:28 > 0:31:31and have a closeness to people,
0:31:31 > 0:31:32and so, that...
0:31:32 > 0:31:36So the whole club scene suited me very well indeed.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Kath aspired to the DJs she saw on the Manchester gay scene
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and had set up her own night with a mate.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Soon, she got the chance to be on the other side
0:31:48 > 0:31:50of the Hacienda decks herself.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56If you had to pin down one song
0:31:56 > 0:31:58that really had the spirit of Flesh,
0:31:58 > 0:32:03it would probably be Don't Let It Show On Your Face by Adeva.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Still sounds ace. Still sounds brilliant.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11# You're just hanging out there... #
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- What a tune. - # Like atmosphere
0:32:18 > 0:32:19# Never take reflection
0:32:19 > 0:32:21# Come in my direction... #
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Goose bumps! Still.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25How does that work?
0:32:26 > 0:32:28# Never take reflection
0:32:28 > 0:32:30# Come in my direction... #
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Lovely to hear that again.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35I've not played that for ages.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38# Don't let it show on your face... #
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Flesh was out and proud,
0:32:41 > 0:32:42bringing gay clubbing
0:32:42 > 0:32:45to the heart of Manchester's music mainstream.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51But soon the pink pound was being eyed up
0:32:51 > 0:32:53by the rest of the pop industry.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58In the early '90s a new act body-popped their way
0:32:58 > 0:33:00onto the club circuit.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Apparently this lot were booked to play Flesh back in 1992
0:33:03 > 0:33:06for the bargain fee of £50.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12This band were being marketed at gay men and schoolgirls
0:33:12 > 0:33:13at the same time.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Think five cheeky Mancunians with beaming smiles
0:33:18 > 0:33:20and glistening codpieces.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Fame beckoned.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23# Do what you want... #
0:33:24 > 0:33:27This is a limited-edition collector's box
0:33:27 > 0:33:30featuring Take That, and it's an action replay -
0:33:30 > 0:33:31the action movie in you pocket.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34I'm hoping it still works.
0:33:34 > 0:33:35So, you look in...
0:33:35 > 0:33:38BOX WHIRS
0:33:38 > 0:33:41And it plays the Do What You Like video.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43And I remember wearing the batteries out.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47This was before YouTube -
0:33:47 > 0:33:48this was great at the time!
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Victoria Hastings was working her teen job
0:33:54 > 0:33:55at the local shopping centre
0:33:55 > 0:33:58when this shimmying lot entered her life.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Weighs a ton.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09In here I've got so much stuff.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13Mugs, tour programmes from every tour.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16And then this photo here
0:34:16 > 0:34:19is the first photo I ever took of them.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23This is before they got really, really famous,
0:34:23 > 0:34:24when they were at the Metrocentre
0:34:24 > 0:34:27and they were there as part of National Smile Week,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29and they were throwing free toothbrushes out.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31It was busy - you can see that there are people standing above,
0:34:31 > 0:34:33looking down.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35I think there was a gap in the market.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38In the time, you had, like, New Kids On The Block...
0:34:38 > 0:34:42# Step by step Oh, baby... #
0:34:42 > 0:34:44..Bros, a few years before that...
0:34:44 > 0:34:47# You know these are the words that blow my mind... #
0:34:47 > 0:34:49..and then Take That came on the scene
0:34:49 > 0:34:51and they had accents that we could relate to.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- Robbie!- What? - There's somebody here to see you.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56What? I was at work then. Will you let it be?
0:34:56 > 0:34:59# We are not just friends Because I love you... #
0:34:59 > 0:35:04Their dancing wasn't perfect, and they just seemed more real.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- We will make it. - Yeah, we will make it. That's right.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10It's just going to take a lot of hard work, you know, on our behalf.
0:35:10 > 0:35:11We're all prepared to do it,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13we're all going to give it our best shot, aren't we, lads?
0:35:13 > 0:35:15- Definitely.- Take that!
0:35:15 > 0:35:18# Sun... #
0:35:18 > 0:35:20For millions of us,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24there was something refreshing about these irrepressible lads
0:35:24 > 0:35:26who didn't take themselves too seriously.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29# Every time I'm near you... #
0:35:29 > 0:35:31And thanks to the fans,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33they were stacking up the number ones.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Take That's my favourite band.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41They're sexy, they're fit...
0:35:41 > 0:35:43And what else can I say about them?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Not only do they sing, they've got nice arses too, right?
0:35:52 > 0:35:54I think when you're a teenager
0:35:54 > 0:35:56you always feel just a little bit vulnerable,
0:35:56 > 0:35:57you don't want to stand out.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00To be part of something so big and so massive,
0:36:00 > 0:36:03and to feel like you had that family there,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05was really, really lovely.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09# Someday... #
0:36:09 > 0:36:12And Victoria was seduced by a pop factory
0:36:12 > 0:36:14turning out every kind of merch
0:36:14 > 0:36:17for eager fans with pocket money to spend.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19# Forget where you're comin' from... #
0:36:19 > 0:36:23I've got dolls. That's Robbie, I think. That's got to be Gary.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Or Jason. That might be Jason, with the necklace.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28To be fair, if there'd been Take That toilet paper
0:36:28 > 0:36:29I would've bought that.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Anything that was branded.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35Yeah, it was always just about trying to be one step ahead,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37having that Take That ring binder,
0:36:37 > 0:36:38having the Take That pencil case,
0:36:38 > 0:36:40the Take That Filofax.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42You always wanted to be their number-one fan.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44And I do remember at some point actually writing to the fan club
0:36:44 > 0:36:47and saying, "My mum and dad have got a really, really big house,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50"so if you don't want them to stay in a hotel
0:36:50 > 0:36:52"and you just want it to be kept a secret,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54"they can all just come and stay at mine."
0:36:57 > 0:37:00But then there came a day in Victoria's life,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03now seared in her memory...
0:37:03 > 0:37:04# And when you rise in the morning sun... #
0:37:04 > 0:37:05We all know it.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09It's up there with your first kiss and your pet dying,
0:37:09 > 0:37:10in pivotal teen moments.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13We've decided that the time is right,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16we've done all we can do as Take That.
0:37:16 > 0:37:17And from today...
0:37:17 > 0:37:19there's no more.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24When they split up, it was on the news,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27and my gran shouted through, "Victoria, you need to come in."
0:37:27 > 0:37:32And I watched it and I burst into tears. Burst into tears.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37# And it's me you need to show How deep is your love... #
0:37:37 > 0:37:39They were saying that there was a helpline,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41if people wanted to ring the helpline...
0:37:41 > 0:37:43I just can't even put into words,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45I was so, so upset.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48# Cos we're living in a world of fools... #
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Well, I was really devastated at the time,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54and we had to come straight here to see Jason.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56But other fans have started fasting
0:37:56 > 0:37:58and they've said that they won't eat anything
0:37:58 > 0:38:00until the group get back together.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Now as an adult, as a 36-year-old,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05you look back and think, "Oh, well,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08"you know, what is it in relation to having kids or having somebody..."
0:38:08 > 0:38:12But at that time, Take That were my life,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15I just loved everything about them.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18And it was a horrible, horrible, horrible day,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20and a horrible ten years after!
0:38:28 > 0:38:31In the years that Take That fans were spending all their money
0:38:31 > 0:38:33on branded Filofaxes,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35ravers had become the subject of
0:38:35 > 0:38:37a full-blown moral panic,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39under attack from all sides.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42You can't do that.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- We were all enjoying ourselves. - Yeah, we can see that.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48So why aren't you letting it go on?
0:38:51 > 0:38:55I think the most worrying thing about the rave parties
0:38:55 > 0:38:57is the illegal use of drugs at them,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00and I would like to see much firmer action by the government
0:39:00 > 0:39:01on the drugs issue specifically.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06And by '94 the party was over.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Parliament legislated against
0:39:08 > 0:39:11"persons attending or preparing for a rave".
0:39:13 > 0:39:16And listen to this dry and spartan description
0:39:16 > 0:39:20of the life-changing, dynamic, beautiful sound
0:39:20 > 0:39:21that so many of us loved.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25"Music includes sounds wholly or predominantly characterised
0:39:25 > 0:39:29"by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats."
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Got to be honest, it sounds like everything I actually like.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39But our demand for repetitive beats was unstoppable.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43We were now freaking out to a raft of new British dance sounds,
0:39:43 > 0:39:47from drum and bass to happy hardcore and jungle.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54And one band of hardcore ravers were now actually so big
0:39:54 > 0:39:57they were appearing in every teen's favourite pop mag.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Like any self-respecting fan,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04my Bible was Smash Hits.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Therefore it was crucially important
0:40:07 > 0:40:11that I obtained a copy of the compilation The Best Of 1991,
0:40:11 > 0:40:13put together by the Smash Hits staff.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15I got it on cassette, took it home,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19slipped it into my pastel-coloured ghetto blaster
0:40:19 > 0:40:20and had a good listen.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23And it was there that I found this really weird song,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25it was nestling improbably
0:40:25 > 0:40:28between Amy Grant's one memorable hit, Baby Baby...
0:40:28 > 0:40:30# Stop for a minute
0:40:30 > 0:40:33# Baby, they're so glad you're mine... #
0:40:33 > 0:40:36..and DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's Summertime,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38which, to be fair, is a deathless banger to this day.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43# Summer, summer Summertime
0:40:43 > 0:40:44I was familiar with the hook,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47because that appeared to be taken from a public information film
0:40:47 > 0:40:49that as a child I'd found terrifying,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51warning us about stranger-danger.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53There was a cat in it,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and it was by a band who called themselves Prodigy.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01MUSIC: Charly (Alley Cat Mix) by Prodigy
0:41:06 > 0:41:08We're looking at the kids who are going out raving,
0:41:08 > 0:41:10you know, giving them what they want.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14When they see all of us,
0:41:14 > 0:41:15they just see four people that,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17ten minutes ago, before they got on stage,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21were in the crowd, sort of dancing around and having a laugh.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30In 1993, Prodigy were on the verge
0:41:30 > 0:41:33of dominating dance music in the mainstream.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39But they went back to their roots for one last rave-inspired night.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45I'm at the former legendary nightclub Limelight,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48meeting with Jo Wieczorek, who was so addicted to the music
0:41:48 > 0:41:51he had gone from raver to club promoter.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53He has some very rare footage
0:41:53 > 0:41:56from the most epic party of his life.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00These are the original tapes, as it were,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02that I took way back then,
0:42:02 > 0:42:07and this is the original footage from Prodigy
0:42:07 > 0:42:10when they played at Bagley's, October 1993.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Oh, man.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15MUSIC: Out Of Space by Prodigy
0:42:15 > 0:42:18I remember that very, very well indeed.
0:42:18 > 0:42:19- I know that one.- Yeah.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23The first beat of that tune, it erupted.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29HE SHOUTS
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Can you see this long hair?
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Looks like a mane, doesn't it? Goes right down his back.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- Quite kind of metal, isn't it, really?- Tell me.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45They were starting to be really, really well established,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48they were bringing out albums.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50You know, they'd already crossed over,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53but they came back and done a rave-oriented show for us.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56And, you know what - even now, goose bumps listening to that.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58- I've got them, actually!- Seeing it.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02And, you know, being there, it was just incredible, mate.
0:43:02 > 0:43:03No better feeling.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06What you've captured here is such a hard thing to capture.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09It's such an ephemeral thing, it's a moment, isn't it?
0:43:09 > 0:43:11It's a feeling, being in a room,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14- sharing an experience with people, what the music meant.- Unbelievable.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16You know, sitting here now,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19I really do wish that those nights were next week, tomorrow,
0:43:19 > 0:43:21you know, happening right now,
0:43:21 > 0:43:23because they are moments of your life.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26You'll never, ever be able to repeat that -
0:43:26 > 0:43:27I hope so, but I doubt it.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33# He's a 20th-century boy... #
0:43:33 > 0:43:36That spirit of togetherness was also animating the fans
0:43:36 > 0:43:38of a new version of British music
0:43:38 > 0:43:41that looked back for inspiration.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44# Trying not to be sick again... #
0:43:44 > 0:43:47But with sing-along lyrics that spoke to our common experiences -
0:43:47 > 0:43:49going out on the weekend, telly,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52and being rudely awakened by the dustman.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55# On a seamless line
0:43:55 > 0:43:59# He's hanging on for dear life... #
0:43:59 > 0:44:01So we got the bus here
0:44:01 > 0:44:03and walked up that hill over there,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07and the queue was snaking around the block,
0:44:07 > 0:44:09but it was so exciting.
0:44:12 > 0:44:17In '94, Hannah got to see her Britpop favourites, Blur,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20and that night she discovered a whole new style.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25I was only 17, and it was my first Blur gig
0:44:25 > 0:44:28and they were my favourite band.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31I remember distinctly there was a guy standing over there
0:44:31 > 0:44:34who was wearing brown flared cords
0:44:34 > 0:44:36and a vintage anorak
0:44:36 > 0:44:38and some really cool Adidas trainers,
0:44:38 > 0:44:39and I just thought,
0:44:39 > 0:44:42"You are the most amazing person I've ever seen in my life."
0:44:44 > 0:44:47CROWD CHEERS
0:44:50 > 0:44:53# She says there's ants in the carpet
0:44:53 > 0:44:56# The dirty little monsters
0:44:56 > 0:44:58# Eating all the morsels
0:44:58 > 0:45:02# Just picking up the rubbish
0:45:02 > 0:45:04# Give her effervescence
0:45:04 > 0:45:07# She needs a little sparkle
0:45:07 > 0:45:10# Good morning TV
0:45:10 > 0:45:12# You're looking so healthy... #
0:45:12 > 0:45:14I've never topped this gig,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17this is still my favourite ever gig I've ever been to.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20It was just amazing.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24# We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight
0:45:24 > 0:45:27# End of the century
0:45:27 > 0:45:29# Ohh, it's nothing special... #
0:45:29 > 0:45:33This is my ticket to the Blur gig at Alexandra Palace.
0:45:34 > 0:45:40This child's towelling top is the top I wore to this gig.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42I was a lot smaller then.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46And then these are my first pair of Adidas Superstar trainers,
0:45:46 > 0:45:49or "shell toes", as I used to call them,
0:45:49 > 0:45:53which I loved so much the first day I bought them that I slept
0:45:53 > 0:45:55with them next to my head, next to my pillow.
0:45:55 > 0:46:00Oh, I love these shoes. I think I met my husband in these.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03# Looking for girls who are boys
0:46:03 > 0:46:05# Who like boys to be girls
0:46:05 > 0:46:06# Who do boys like they're girls
0:46:06 > 0:46:08# Who do girls like they're boys
0:46:08 > 0:46:10# Always should be... #
0:46:10 > 0:46:15That's me wearing a tank top. I'm wearing a tank top today.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17And I don't wear glasses.
0:46:17 > 0:46:22My glasses were just shades and I poked out the sunglasses bits.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26Everything had been very American in terms of popular culture
0:46:26 > 0:46:29in the early '90s, and I'd previously been
0:46:29 > 0:46:32really into Michael Jackson.
0:46:32 > 0:46:37To have something that was from my country and felt like it had
0:46:37 > 0:46:40roots in stuff that I understood much better,
0:46:40 > 0:46:44it just seemed like it made so much more sense than
0:46:44 > 0:46:46any other music I'd listened to previously.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57MUSIC: Connection by Elastica
0:47:02 > 0:47:04There was a whole indie girl fashion.
0:47:04 > 0:47:10Yeah, it was very tomboy-like, but that suited a lot of us really well.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12I've never liked wearing girlie clothes,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16I don't wear heels ever, I'm still wearing towelling today
0:47:16 > 0:47:19and Adidas shell toes and I'm 39 now, so...
0:47:19 > 0:47:23Maybe that's quite sad, but... I still enjoy it, so...
0:47:24 > 0:47:26# Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
0:47:26 > 0:47:28# Yeah, yeah, yeah
0:47:30 > 0:47:32# I'm in heaven... #
0:47:32 > 0:47:35Like Hannah, I too fell in love with a music that was tailor-made
0:47:35 > 0:47:37for those women who weren't into the whole
0:47:37 > 0:47:40"boys wear blue, girls wear pink" thing.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43My chosen music was led by a bunch of spirited feminists
0:47:43 > 0:47:46taking their inspiration from grunge.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48# What happened then?
0:47:48 > 0:47:49# I asked him...
0:47:49 > 0:47:51# Is this your car? #
0:47:51 > 0:47:56The music that first caught my ear in the '90s was riot grrrl.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59It's not the best-known genre of the decade.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Britpop is a household name, riot grrrl isn't,
0:48:01 > 0:48:05but the influence that the music had was absolutely huge.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08The music was political, it was forward-looking,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10it was adventurous, it was opinionated,
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and for a teenage music fan like me,
0:48:12 > 0:48:17it was the very first time I'd heard music that felt like it was mine.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21# I don't wanna be a boy, I wanna be a girl
0:48:21 > 0:48:24# I wanna do things that'll make your hair curl... #
0:48:24 > 0:48:28In 1996, a riot grrrl-inspired band called Shampoo
0:48:28 > 0:48:30released an album called Girl Power.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33# I wanna go out, I wanna go out
0:48:33 > 0:48:35- # I wanna party - Yeah! #
0:48:37 > 0:48:39It was a slogan that was to be taken up by
0:48:39 > 0:48:40a very different type of band,
0:48:40 > 0:48:44one whose message to girls everywhere was to get out there
0:48:44 > 0:48:49and tell everyone what they really, really wanted.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51- ALL:- # Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
0:48:51 > 0:48:53# So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
0:48:53 > 0:48:56# I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
0:48:56 > 0:48:58# So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
0:48:58 > 0:49:00# I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna
0:49:00 > 0:49:03# I really, really, really wanna Zig-a-zig-ah... #
0:49:03 > 0:49:06I'm Annalie and I was Baby Spice.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08I'm Ellie and I was Ginger.
0:49:08 > 0:49:09ANNALIE LAUGHS
0:49:09 > 0:49:11I'm Becky and I was Scary Spice.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14I'm Lizzie and I was Posh.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19For some, the Spice Girls were plastic pop,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21but these school friends have unearthed
0:49:21 > 0:49:23a home video that shows how primary school girls were
0:49:23 > 0:49:26"zig-a-zig-ah"-ing up and down the country.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28- ALL:- # Slam your body down and wind it all around. #
0:49:28 > 0:49:30There had been things like girls singing together,
0:49:30 > 0:49:34like Bananarama and Pointer Sisters and all that sort of thing before,
0:49:34 > 0:49:37but Spice Girls was different because they were
0:49:37 > 0:49:39younger and they were loud about it.
0:49:39 > 0:49:40- SO loud.- They were loud and proud.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43And they looked just like us, didn't they?
0:49:43 > 0:49:45- ALL:- # If you want to be my lover, you have got to give
0:49:45 > 0:49:47# You've got to give
0:49:47 > 0:49:50# Taking is too easy but that's the way it is... #
0:49:50 > 0:49:53I think a lot of the time women in pop are supposed to be pretty
0:49:53 > 0:49:56and quiet, or not too opinionated, but they were,
0:49:56 > 0:49:58they always made a thing of being really opinionated...
0:49:58 > 0:50:00- Brash.- Yeah.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02# You gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta
0:50:02 > 0:50:04# You gotta slam-slam-slam! #
0:50:04 > 0:50:06- It was always playful, wasn't it? - That's the thing.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09- They never took themselves too seriously.- No.
0:50:09 > 0:50:10# Slam your body down and... #
0:50:10 > 0:50:12# Zig-a-zig-ah... #
0:50:12 > 0:50:14INSTRUMENTAL SECTION
0:50:19 > 0:50:21# If you wanna be my lover! #
0:50:21 > 0:50:23Nailed it. Wahey!
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Aww, I love us.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29Hello, what do you call yourselves?
0:50:29 > 0:50:32- ALL:- Spicettes.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36The Spice Girls spawned a nation of Mini-Me's.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39I've got girl power because I don't care how the rest of
0:50:39 > 0:50:41the world sees me, I follow me own instincts.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45# Giving you everything, all that joy can bring... #
0:50:45 > 0:50:47- Girl power.- Girl power.
0:50:47 > 0:50:48Girl power.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54In Amy's pink plastic box are the memories
0:50:54 > 0:50:56of a young girl's infatuation.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04OK, so this is all my Spice Girls memorabilia. From when I was
0:51:04 > 0:51:08about 10, 11 years old I literally had everything Spice Girls,
0:51:08 > 0:51:12including a Spice Girls bedroom,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15so I've still got the bed set here.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17I was so chuffed when I got that,
0:51:17 > 0:51:19cos I'd begged my mum for ages and ages.
0:51:21 > 0:51:26I don't know if you'll be able to see, but that's me dressed as Geri.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29And that's my little sister.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33And then from that point, it was my ambition to properly
0:51:33 > 0:51:38look like Geri, and that's when the Union Jack dress was purchased.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42I think it is an exact replica of it, it's got
0:51:42 > 0:51:46the big Union Jack on the front, it's got the peace sign on the back.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52SHE LAUGHS
0:51:52 > 0:51:56That's proof, if ever there was, that I was a Spice Girls fan.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59# The race is on to get out of the bottom... #
0:51:59 > 0:52:02My mum always says I was just this ball of energy when
0:52:02 > 0:52:07I was a kid, and when the Spice Girls came along, they were just
0:52:07 > 0:52:11so cheeky and so outspoken, but they got away with it.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16They were all great friends and they were, like,
0:52:16 > 0:52:17this force of girl power,
0:52:17 > 0:52:21and it was something that was then translated through young girls
0:52:21 > 0:52:24that would have that with their friends
0:52:24 > 0:52:25in the '90s as well, I think.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27# You have got to
0:52:27 > 0:52:29# Swing it, shake it, move it, make it... #
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Through the Spice Girls, it was just like an instant connection
0:52:32 > 0:52:36with the rest of the girls in my peer group at school.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39It was something we could all chat about, we could all sing
0:52:39 > 0:52:41their songs and we'd do the dances
0:52:41 > 0:52:43and dance in the playground at school,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46so, for me, I found the Spice Girls and I found a group of friends
0:52:46 > 0:52:50as well, which was a really great thing to be a part of at the time.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57# You have got to reach on up... #
0:52:57 > 0:53:01It's just nice to have it to go back to and remember who you are
0:53:01 > 0:53:05and where you came from and what those influences were, and just...
0:53:07 > 0:53:11Just...girl power.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21The Spice Girls were a curiously British mashup of
0:53:21 > 0:53:23glittery pop and sparky feminism -
0:53:23 > 0:53:26minidresses and trackie bottoms.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28They were utterly manufactured,
0:53:28 > 0:53:31but they were also genuinely inspirational.
0:53:35 > 0:53:40By 1996, we were well and truly loved up with British pop music.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44That summer, one in 20 of us applied for tickets to see
0:53:44 > 0:53:47Britpop's biggest band play at Knebworth.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49- Mad for it!- Best group. - I'm mad for it!
0:53:51 > 0:53:52In just a few years,
0:53:52 > 0:53:55Oasis had become as big as any band since the '60s.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01They would even go on to win over the politicians.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10- Hello.- Hiya.- How are you? - I'm good, thank you.
0:54:10 > 0:54:11'Before he was an Oasis fan,
0:54:11 > 0:54:13'Craig Gill was the drummer of
0:54:13 > 0:54:14'Madchester band the Inspiral Carpets,
0:54:14 > 0:54:18'and he played a crucial part in the band's history.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22'He has a precious piece of memorabilia to prove it.'
0:54:25 > 0:54:27Thanks for bringing your bag of tricks to see me, Craig -
0:54:27 > 0:54:31- what's in it? - I've got a poster here.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34Basically, originally, Oasis were called The Rain.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Then Noel started taking the mickey out of his brother, saying,
0:54:37 > 0:54:40"You can't be called The Rain, you're from Manchester."
0:54:40 > 0:54:43And they shared a bedroom, and they had a few Inspiral Carpets posters
0:54:43 > 0:54:47on the wall, and one of the posters was our tour dates from 1991.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54So there it is, the Inspiral Carpets poster, and there,
0:54:54 > 0:54:55right down at the bottom there...
0:54:55 > 0:54:56- Oh!- ..Sunday 28th April,
0:54:56 > 0:55:00Swindon Oasis, which is a leisure centre there.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03- Brilliant.- And Liam said to Noel, "What about Oasis?"
0:55:03 > 0:55:07And Noel said, "It's still rubbish, but it's better than The Rain."
0:55:07 > 0:55:10And history was made. This is great.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12So I'm right in thinking that Noel was
0:55:12 > 0:55:14a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets?
0:55:14 > 0:55:17Yes, Noel came down to audition to be our singer initially,
0:55:17 > 0:55:18he was a friend of mine.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21He turned up late for the audition and started laughing at the lyrics.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23LAUREN LAUGHS
0:55:23 > 0:55:25Said he could do better, you know.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27So we said, "Look, you've not got the job as our singer,
0:55:27 > 0:55:29"but you can come and be our roadie."
0:55:29 > 0:55:33# Slip inside the eye of your mind
0:55:33 > 0:55:38# Don't you know you might find... #
0:55:38 > 0:55:42Four years later, Noel was a stratospheric rock star.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45# You said that you'd never been
0:55:45 > 0:55:49# But all the things that you've seen
0:55:49 > 0:55:51# Will slowly fade away... #
0:55:51 > 0:55:55But only a few were privy to Oasis' first performances,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58and Craig was one of them.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03- I've got what was touted round as the first demo tape, in '92.- Wow.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05We found out they were playing,
0:56:05 > 0:56:08must have been about ten people in the audience,
0:56:08 > 0:56:10and shortly after the gig, he was in our office,
0:56:10 > 0:56:14where he was using our facilities to copy cassettes, and he
0:56:14 > 0:56:18gave me a copy, hand-coloured in with felt tips and highlighter pens.
0:56:18 > 0:56:23Look at that! This is amazing. I think it's almost...
0:56:23 > 0:56:25If it was a bit more on a slant, that's not far off the logo.
0:56:25 > 0:56:26Just put a box round it, yeah.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29So this tape is too precious for us to put into
0:56:29 > 0:56:32a tape deck and play, but what's on it?
0:56:32 > 0:56:36It opens up with Columbia, which back then was an instrumental.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39It kind of fades in, they do a 20-second, 30-second loop
0:56:39 > 0:56:44of the track, it fades out, but you just hear Liam go, "'ello."
0:56:44 > 0:56:47I mean, this isn't the Antiques Roadshow, Craig, but this must
0:56:47 > 0:56:51be worth a fair bit of money - have you ever had it valued or anything?
0:56:51 > 0:56:56- I think it's possibly worth about £5,000.- It's a lot for a C90.- It is.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01MUSIC: Champagne Supernova by Oasis
0:57:08 > 0:57:12When Oasis fans belted out Some Might Say and Wonderwall,
0:57:12 > 0:57:17they were singing songs that brought together so much of this decade.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20From acid house's promises of a better future...
0:57:20 > 0:57:23# How many special people change?
0:57:23 > 0:57:27..to the swaggering good times of Madchester...
0:57:29 > 0:57:32..and the catchy pop that united so many of us.
0:57:32 > 0:57:38# Some day you will find me caught beneath the landslide... #
0:57:38 > 0:57:40By the middle of the '90s,
0:57:40 > 0:57:43we were nearing the end of the century that had given us pop music,
0:57:43 > 0:57:47and for music fans, this was a time of more diversity than ever before.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51# Caught beneath the landslide... #
0:57:51 > 0:57:55By '96, you didn't have to look far to find a music for you.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58# A champagne supernova... #
0:57:58 > 0:58:01Fans had their pick of records on shelves and music experiences
0:58:01 > 0:58:05out there, whether it was a warehouse rave, superclubs,
0:58:05 > 0:58:09your local disco, stadium rock or indie gigs.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14But what all this marvellous mixture had in common was
0:58:14 > 0:58:15the camaraderie at its heart.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19Sounds not for loners but for bonding with your mates,
0:58:19 > 0:58:22or even your enemies.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25For me, it was a really exciting time to be a musician,
0:58:25 > 0:58:28but it was an even more exciting time to be a music fan.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54# How many special people change?
0:58:54 > 0:58:57# How many lives are living strange?
0:58:57 > 0:59:01# Where were you while we were getting high? #