Liverpool has opened a rave exhibition — with flyers, film and photographs taken by the dancers themselves

‘Rave On’, an exhibition about the city’s club culture in the ’80s and ’90s, opened at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool. It was billed as a celebration of the legacy of rave culture in Liverpool and was set to run until 9 March.

Mixmag reported on it.

The curator is the writer, curator and DJ Ezra McConachie, with support from the Museum of Youth Culture. The rooms hold photography, memorabilia, flyers and film spanning two decades, from the acid house era to what the organisers call “legendary nights in Quadrant Park”.

Some of the material came not from archives but from the people themselves: a year earlier an open call went out, and punters brought their own pictures. Alongside them hangs the work of Liverpool scene photographer Mark McNulty.

“From early house records played at The State, Bold Street back rooms, Sefton Park raves and the very first Earthbeat,” says McConachie. “Rave On uplifts the stories, emotions and memories of a whole generation of people who lived through this period.”

The exhibition covers 1987 to 1999 and stresses the importance of youth culture to the city, and of the cultural movement that grew alongside the scene.