Tales From A Disappearing City
Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the early 80’s. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and throughout Europe and beyond and has an eclectic and seriously deep collection of music built up over time that reflects an appreciation of all elements of the London groove. Neil currently runs Presence Unknown, a vinyl and digital label dedicated to releasing music influenced by his love of Electro, Acid House and Rave. He also does a fortnightly radio show live from Planet Wax record store in New Cross where his aim as always is to play you some amazing music that you have never heard before.
Tales From A Disappearing City
Episode 30 - Free Party: A Folk History. Spiral Tribe, Bedlam, DIY and other underground tales - special guest - Aaron Trinder
In this episode we take a deep-dive into Britain's underground festival counterculture with filmmaker Aaron Trinder, creator of the groundbreaking documentary "Free Party: A Folk History." Aaron reveals how the free festival culture of the 60s and 70s collided with the explosive rave scene of the late 80s and 90s, creating a movement so powerful that the government literally rewrote the law to stop it. From the legendary Castlemorton Common Festival of 1992 - a 50,000-strong gathering that triggered the Criminal Justice Act - to the chaotic Spiral Tribe NYE party at the Roundhouse, Aaron shares stories from the frontlines of cultural warfare and his 7-year DIY odyssey to preserve these forgotten histories.
Aaron's grassroots filmmaking journey, battling music licensing and mainstream media, mirrors the same DIY spirit that built the free party movement. Shaped by childhood experiences in West London squats and punk venues, he brings an insider's perspective that no academic could replicate. The film explores how the Criminal Justice Act wasn't just about noise complaints but was a direct assault on the radical idea that people could gather freely without corporate or state control.
"This film is a unique look at a much-underrepresented moment in cultural history. It was the last great unifying youth movement before the digital age, one that challenged the authorities, connected environmental awareness with music, and questioned laws on land rights and trespass. With new laws criminalising trespass and protest across Europe, the story is more relevant than ever."
Director - Aaron Trinder
Links to show your support
https://youtu.be/YGy_lDDqO9E?si=5iZLuBeaApQvH4nA
https://freepartydoc.info/
https://www.instagram.com/freepartydocumentary/
https://www.facebook.com/aaron.trinder.5/
https://alanlodge.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/tashuk
https://www.youtube.com/@ControlledWeirdness
https://open.spotify.com/artist/20nC7cQni8ZrvRC2REZjOI
https://www.instagram.com/controlledweirdness/
https://controlledweirdness.bandcamp.com/
Theme song is Controlled Weirdness - Drifting in the Streets
https://open.spotify.com/track/7GJfmYy4RjMyLIg9nffukt
Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the mid 80’s when he first began to go to nightclubs, gigs, and illegal parties. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and throu...
