A new work has gone up in Union St next to the Fagin and Artful Dodger portraits from page 67. Its by the same artist that did those, Trafford Parsons.
Its not Mark Wahlberg
, the smiley face on the cap is a clue.
Its one of the founding fathers of the acid house and rave music scene in UK, Danny Rampling. Rampling went to Ibiza in 1987 for a week with some others, including fellow DJ legend Paul Oakenfold. That trip, which was apparently for Oakenfold's birthday, was a historic event for music in the UK. Upon their return both set up some of the founding rave club nights in London. Rampling set of Shoom, a club night in a basement gym on Thrale Street, just a few streets away from this artwork. Paul Oakenfold set up a night at the Project Club in Streatham. More info:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...don-club-that-kicked-off-rave-culture-195865/
Both featured on the recent BBC series called 'Can you feel it - How dance music changed the world'. Fellow legendary DJ Carl Cox also played at both, I think he even supplied the sound system for Shoom. The series was in 3 parts, part 1 was an interesting history lesson, and the 3rd part featured the hideous, soulless, sterile EDM movement, but the 2nd episode was gold for my generation, the hands in the air rave generation of the late 80's and early 90's. I cannot see it showing on iplayer but I found it on Youtube.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxsnVD5J-_0&t=2714s
Oakenfold visits and talks about the site of his old Project Club in Streatham from 24-26 mins in the above clip. In it he says the building should have a plaque it was that important. The building today is just a Workspace building, and I'm sure most of the occupants have no idea of the buildings place in UK music history. I went along today to have a look. As he says there is no trace of its former history.
And I went to find the location of the old Shoom club near Southwark bridge too. I found it, after all these years it is still a gym.
Again there is nothing to indicate the history. I agree with Paul Oakenfold, both places are worthy of a plaque, but also I love how such plain looking buildings hold some amazing secrets, just waiting to be discovered if you scratch beneath the surface. I've been past the building in Streatham 100's of times, and Thrale St is just by major cycle super highway, CS7, which I've been along 1000's of times, and I've been completely oblivious. It's amazing what you learn from just cycling about
But then I might be, umm, barking up the wrong tree, given that I was trying so hard not to get lost. Urban driving is not my forte. I have it in my head that the dog was white, longhaired-ish and on an older building in a much more built-up area.
