genesis '88

Genesis'88 was a party promotion crew who threw some of the first acid house parties also known as raves in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 1992. It was founded during 1988 during the inception of acid house. First and foremost they were an organisation that staged acid house parties in empty industrial warehouses in London and within the M25 motorway. At that point in time acid house parties were deemed illegal by authorities due to the fact that most promoters of the period gained entrance into buildings by breaking and entering.

Overview and history

Fuelled by the drug MDMA often referred to as ecstacy although rarely available in its pure form as it was in the late 1980s, nightclub goers in London and Manchester were desperate for events that catered to their needs and went on until the early hours of the morning. Genesis88 found empty warehouses in London and transformed them into state-of-the-art dance arenas that consisted of professional lighting rigs, sound systems and colourful decorations. Unbeknownst to the buildings owners the Genesis promoters would wear their best business suits and convince police riot squads that the warehouses were acquired through legitimate channels. To give themselves more credit they would assume official titles such as George Michaels personal manager or project manager for a major record company. Genesis enjoyed a succession of events that saw attendances rise from 300 to 15,000 people. Victims of their own success Genesis were targeted by the UK government and the criminal underworld. Attracted by media articles of huge profits (500,000) being made by such promoters. The Genesis organisers were kidnapped and threatened with death if they didnt comply with the gangsters. They then had to hand over 25% of all profits in return for 24 hour protection. Their plight was shared by other promoters who had also encountered the same terror tactics. This, coupled with the governments label of "Public Enemy No.1", brought about the end of illegal acid house parties. Genesis continued arranging parties until 1992 before deciding to quit staging these events. One of the promoters Wayne Anthony penned a book called Class of 88 - The True Acid House Experience (ISBN 0753502402).