Genesis '88

Fuelled by the drug MDMA (Ecstasy), nightclub goers in London were desperate for events that catered to their needs and went on until the early hours of the morning. Genesis 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. In one reported case, they came face-to-face with the owner of a building and managed to convince him that they had acquired the property legitimately.

Matthew Collin writes in Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House: "From their first party in October 1988 onwards, Genesis developed a prodigious reputation for cracking open huge warehouses and holding illegal raves, week after week, from Aldgate to Hackney, Tottenham to Walthamstow". ^[2]

To give themselves more credit, they would assume official titles such as George Michael’s personal manager or project manager for a major record company. Genesis enjoyed a succession of events that saw attendances rise from 300 to 8,000 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. Wayne Anthony claimed to have been kidnapped and threatened with death if they didn’t comply with the gangsters. They demanded 25% of all profits in return for 24-hour protection. This plight was shared by other promoters who had also encountered the same terror tactics.^[3]

This, coupled with the government's 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 0-7535-0240-2). Genesis founding promoter Andrew Pritchard wrote a memoir about the events titled "Empire of Dirt"- From Raves To Riches: A Story of Identity, Crime, Corruption, and Redemption (ISBN 978-1919372600). The book includes a full catalogue of the original Genesis Party Flyers, which confirms dates of events.

• Sunrise / Back to the Future – another promoter
• List of electronic music festivals
• Breakbeat hardcore
• Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
• Disc jockey
• Electronic music
• Free party
• Hardcore
• House music
• Rave
• Techno music