Wayne Anthony - Class of ’88: find the warehouse, lose the hitmen, pump the beats

As the wave of MDMA and illegal raves swept through Britain during the Summer of Love, Wayne Anthony took on the task of organising the biggest parties the UK has ever seen. Finding himself wanted simultaneously by the police and underworld gangsters, his blagging skills became legendary.

This is his story, and its all true.

If you were there, this is your story too.

In 1987, Wayne Anthony and two friends established the legendary Genesis raves that were attended by the wide-eyed, loved-up youth of the late Eighties and early Nineties. Wayne and the Genesis team took Acid House to the masses and changed the face of British rave culture. Wayne then promoted a series of events around Europe, released a series of infamous compilation albums under the banner Havin It. Since then Wayne has been involved in Internet start-ups and tech companies. He spent the last ten years at the helm of LSD Magazine, one of Europes biggest street art graffiti networks. He is currently in the process of launching the worlds first dedicated street art graffiti channel from Los Angeles.

I see, said the blind man, without any eyes

Bernice Orenthia Rookwood

July 4 1911February 25 1997

I have no idea how many times in the last 30 years someone has said to me, l wish I had a time machine. They could choose any period in history, but no, its back to the glory days of Acid House.

A whole generation of people my generation have grown old, gracefully or disgracefully, shaped by the life-changing experiences we enjoyed together between 1987 and 1990. When I look into a mirror now, the laughter lines tell their own story but, if I am honest, Acid House still feels like yesterday.

I still see the world the same way as I did three decades ago minus, of course, the MDMA, flashing lights and packed warehouses! If somebody had told me when I took my first yellow pill that I would go on to stage some of the biggest illegal parties in the country, I would never have believed them. I had never arranged so much as a birthday party before the first Genesis in 88.

When I first sat down to write Class of 88 in 1996, I had no idea whether it would ever see the light of day. In all honesty, I wasnt even sure I was up to the task. My English is average at best, and I had never written more than four or five pages in my life. Yet as soon as I put pen to paper, it all made sense.

When I think back to Genesis 88, I feel a great sense of pride. We pushed our boundaries way beyond what we thought they were. There were so many high points. Standing among thousands of people after a magical mystery tour around the South Easts motorway system. Climbing fences, running over railway tracks and rowing boats across canals to reach the secret party locations. Counting large black bags of cash in a back room of a dirty warehouse had its moments as well.

We were tearing down emotional barriers and building new bridges. House music was the catalyst and MDMA the accelerator.

Acid House is 30 years old now far older than me and my partners, Keith Brooks and Andrew Pritchard, were when we started our adventure in 87. We were just 22: three lads from Hackney. Our manor was going through hard times, and to be honest, a lot of people we knew were used to nicking stuff out of warehouses, not taking equipment in!

Yet there we were, the three of us, bolt-croppers in our hands, breaking open doors, embracing the future. If the police turned up when the party was on and they usually did Id pretend to be George Michaels manager, or from EMI or Channel 4. It was too exciting to worry or feel frightened.

The fear came later. Our efforts got noticed by the kind of organised criminal gangs who usually rob Post Offices or banks at gunpoint. They read in the media that we could earn half a million quid in one night but in truth, we were just kids, off our heads on love drugs, holding hands and cuddling each other.

When the gangsters showed up, I found myself strapped to a chair with a hood over my head, cold shotgun barrels against my temple. Organised criminals and Yardie gangs made hay in our lawless, loved-up zones. When three gun-toting Yardies came to rob one of our parties in North London in 89, it was like a scene from Reservoir Dogs.

Of course, ravers had no idea that behind the scenes, party promoters were being robbed, kidnapped or worse. Why would they know? The double life got so stressful that I often found solace in Class A drugs. It helped to blur the lines.

Yet the grief was worth it. The most uplifting part of the entire journey was the togetherness of strangers and seeing people coming together and opening their hearts up to love. It might sound corny, but this is my personal experience. Its the sort of thing that only comes along once in a lifetime, and you never forget it.

Im proud of the Genesis crew and the fact we worked side by side and broke into warehouses with Sunrise, Energy, Biology and a few others. Im also incredibly proud of Class of 88. When I see copies of the original book changing hands on the internet, it means a lot. It also means that it is worth bringing it out again so more people can read our crazy story.

At the end of the first book, 20 years ago, I looked back at my (mis)adventures and asked myself: Would I do it all again? I answered: No fucking chance! Now, I think I spoke too soon. If a time machine could take me back to 1987, I would be on it like a shot.

What is the biggest thing that Acid House and being part of the class of 88 taught me? When humanity dreams big, we can move mountains.

Wayne Anthony, 2018, still loved up and game

Acid House was Made on Earth from the ashes of an Apocalypse Now in a time of Sin, Hedonism and Dance with the Devil. I was standing in The Attic near Curtain Road experiencing The Living Dream. I took the Kaleidoscope from my jet-pack and gazed across the Mutoid Wasteground at Trip City. There she stood in her natural Raw beauty: a Pyramid of Knowledge, a Palace where even Kings and Queens can seek Asylum. An inspiring Loud Noise echoed into the night sky. A Brainstorm took shape. The Project was to travel hundreds of light years away to the period of 2000 AD. The entire human race was High on Hope of recovering the Delirium water decontamination formula. The Future of Planet Westworld depended on the accomplishment of this mission. My journey through the Labyrinth of Dungeons across the Common south of the river was about to be rewarded by seeing the Sunrise for the very first time. With Adrenaline rushing through my veins I immediately felt the Energy and Atmosphere of a New Generation at the peak of an original