Reflection#2:
House is a Feeling
Reflection#2: House is a Feeling explores the musical & cultural revolution in Coventry from the late 1980’s to 1992, from the birth of an illegal dance movement to the UK’s first 24-hour licensed dance club, The Eclipse.
The season features 3 documentary short films, and a series of 6 in-depth radio documentaries which document the impact and legacy of electronic dance music and emerging youth cultures at a time of heightened social injustice, racism and violence, culminating in a musical and social revolution that put Coventry on the map.
A new movement is born; young people want to be free to dance until the early hours without a dress code. The music is different; it’s not Pop, it’s Acid, it’s House Music and everyone is welcome. No barriers, whether you’re black or white, rich or poor - no rules and no alcohol and yet it’s still legal. Dancing all night was against the law.
“This is a historical documentation of one of the most important cultural movements of the 20th century and maps the journey of a youth revolution that took over the world. The amazing thing was this was brought together by black, brown and white street kids who had nothing but each other”
Films
Illegal: Fight for the Right to Dance
Coventry, Britain’s very own motor city in the heartlands of the industrial Midlands, experiences a “Motown moment” in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s: in electronic music. This cultural movement would set the foundation for the multi-billion pound worldwide dance music industry we see today.
This film tells the story of the creation of a social and musical revolution, conceived by disaffected inner-city youth with Coventry at the epicentre. The movement provided an open-minded, reconciliatory space against the backdrop of the climate of violence and racism which dominated Britain’s streets in the 1980’s.
Young people written off by society stopped fighting and started dancing and invented something to be proud of…
“An honest and uncompromising documentation focused on the working-class heroes of this unsung Midlands city. Illegal: Fight for the Right to Dance tells of how a radical shift in support from the government led the “Acid Squad” to help engineer the U.Ks first legal events, ultimately leading to the birth of a legal Amnesia House and the legendary Eclipse nightclub.”
Amnesia House at Sky Blue Connexion
This film is the story of how, in 1990, the West Midlands Police “Acid Squad” contacted Amnesia House to ask them to stop holding illegal raves. With chaos on the roads as 1000's of ravers formed convoys leading to the events, and recognising they were losing a battle to control the ever more popular illegal events, the police offered to work with Amnesia House to stage the U.K's 1st all-night legal warehouse rave. The Police and Fire Services introduced Amnesia to the Sky Blue Connexion leisure centre, where the first legal warehouse rave took place with the help of solicitor David Bates.
Amnesia House’s Mickey Lynas created the 'Members Bill', which meant that, as an Amnesia House member you were legally able to attend, with the raves classed as private parties. It also meant that no entertainment license was needed as no alcohol was on sale. This was revolutionary development gave young people, for the very 1st time, the freedom to legally attend an all-night rave.
The Sky Blue Connexion in Coventry was the venue and the 1st event took place on Saturday 9th June 1990. History was made…
The Eclipse Part 1
I Go Out On Friday Night, And I Come Home On Saturday Morning.
The U.K's 1st 24hr licensed venue opened on 13th October 1990 A.D in Coventry: The Eclipse, the world's first dance music super-club.
This film tells the story of the origins of The Eclipse in a decrepit old Bingo hall, beneath Coventry’s ring road on Lower Ford Street. Building on the foundations established by Amnesia House at the Sky Blue Connexion, the Eclipse became a musical melting-pot with DJ’s such as Sasha, Carl Cox, Grooverider often hosted in the same nights alongside local talents like Parks & Wilson, Doc Scott and many more. The club attracted ravers from across the length and breadth of the country, as Coventry situated itself at the epicentre of an explosive new cultural and musical youth movement.
“Whitewashed from dance music history...until now. This is the real British underground dance music history.”
Radio documentaries
Reflection#2: Illegal - Fight for the Right to Dance (Part 1)
Welcome to episode 1 of Reflection#2: House is a Feeling, the second season of the Reflection trilogy. Legendary Amnesia House M.C Man Parris hosts this full-length radio documentary, looking at the birth of an illegal dance movement in Coventry in the late 1980's pioneered by working class youth in the city.
Open your mind to a view from the streets, as we revisit Thatcher's Britain… The future is bleak!
Duration: 40mins20sec
Reflection#2: Illegal - Fight for the Right to Dance (Part 2)
Welcome to episode 2 of Reflection#2: House is a Feeling, the second season of the Reflection trilogy. Legendary M.C Man Parris hosts this full-length radio documentary, set in Coventry in 1989. House music and ecstasy are changing youth culture forever, and the underground dance scene in Coventry is not escaping the police's attention.
Open your mind, as we go back in time!
Duration: 50mins23sec
Reflection#2: Amnesia House at the Sky Blue Connection (Part 1)
Welcome to episode 3 of Reflection#2: House is a Feeling, the second season of the Reflection trilogy. Hosted by legendary M.C Man Parris, this full-length radio documentary tells the story of the UK's first ever legal warehouse party. It's spring 1990, the illegal rave scene is growing in cities around the country, and the infamous Acid Squad are closing down parties in London, but they're losing a cat-and-mouse battle in Coventry...
Duration: 41mins00sec
Reflection#2: Amnesia House at the Sky Blue Connection (Part 2)
Welcome to episode 4 of Reflection#2: House is a Feeling, the second season of the Reflection trilogy. This in-depth radio documentary hosted by legendary M.C Man Parris tells the story of the Amnesia House's first ever legal warehouse parties at the Sky Blue Connection in Coventry. History was being made.
Open your mind, it's summer 1990...
Duration: 37mins19sec
The Eclipse (Part 1)
Welcome to episode 5 of Reflection#2: House is a Feeling, the second season of the Reflection trilogy. Hosted by legendary M.C Man Parris, this in-depth radio documentary tells the story of the birth of the UK's first 24-hour licensed dance club, The Eclipse, beneath the ring-road on Coventry's Lower Ford St.
The Eclipse: I go out on Friday night, and I come back on Saturday morning...
Duration: 48mins58sec
The Eclipse (Part 2)
Welcome to the final episode of Reflection#2: House is a Feeling, the second season of the Reflection trilogy. Hosted by legendary M.C Man Parris, this in-depth radio documentary continues the story of the UK's first super club, The Eclipse. It's October 1991, and underground dance culture is becoming a legal, all-night entertainment industry, and following the blueprint of the Eclipse, clubs are springing up around the country using the same formula of DJ's and live PA's. Meanwhile, back at the Eclipse DJ Sasha is refusing to return to the club, as ravers are demanding a harder sound.
Duration: 31mins57sec
