It’s understandable that this week, in cold, early February, clubbing may be the furthest thing from your mind. But since December, the days have been getting longer and the temperatures at night are just about reaching double figures; perhaps the time has come for our thoughts to once again turn to those fateful wild nights. Warming things up, The Print Space Gallery on Kingsland Road is presenting Lost In Music, an exhibition of photography documenting the history of club culture across the world.
Lost in Music begins in the late 1970s, when nightclubs were really starting to infiltrate mainstream culture, particularly in the UK. From there, Northern Soul, Disco, Punk, New Romantic and Acid- House club scenes melded into one another on the dance floors and bars of the 1980’s. Photography may not be able to capture the music that blared through every pair of ear drums present, but the ever changing fashions depicted, are loud enough. Safety pins came undone and eyeliner ran, punks danced to reggae, color exploded, and prints distorted before becoming lost in a sea of denim. Our own present-day night out attire is a much diluted blend of all these influences, with clubs aiming to catering for a diverse range music tastes in a single night.
Whether we want to be reminded of them or not, most of our nightclub experiences are recorded on Instagram and Facebook. Before that, party goers captured their moments on polaroid and film cameras, from professional photographers like Derek Ridgers and Dean Chalkey to amateurs writhing around in the crowds. Of latter ‘I was there’ crew, over 50,000 pictures were sent into The Printspace Gallery, the best of these have been selected to feature in the exhibition.
Open from the 5th February, the show will be up for less than a fortnight, so make sure you find time to visit before the 17th!
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