MetaPod

"When Ecstasy and Acid House first swept Britain, a group of lives would be changed forever. One Story. Half real life. Half drama. Welcome to Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave."

The emergence of rave culture in the late-1980s meant different things to do different people.

For many, it was the time of their lives - an escape from Margaret Thatcher-era Britain to a brand new form of hedonism, infused with ground-breaking music and a drug that took people on a journey of self-discovery and sense of belonging to something.

But to others, ecstasy ("E") and the social movement that came along with it was an opportunity to make vast sums of money in the form of drug-running and the status gained from organising parties for thousands of young people - both of which were on the wrong side of the law.

And, tragically, some people - at that very moment of escape - lost their lives.

Acid house is not just a tale of warehouse parties, dance music, gangsters, drugs, DJs and a counter-culture to the stiffness of a conservative, British society, is not just one story: it's a collection of biographies from many walks of life.

BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Chris Warburton fronts the 13-episode podcast Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave - detailing, through a combination of documentary and fictional storytelling, a period in cultural history for those who were they and those who observed curiously from afar will never forget.

In this episode of MetaPod, Warburton tells us how the podcast came together, about his encounters with the characters along the way and the wider impact of rave culture on society and those it affected directly.

Show notes:

• Interview with Danny Brocklehurst, creator of the fictional stories on Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave
• Do You Own The Dancefloor – official trailer
• Tony Wilson interview on BBC Radio 6Music
• Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave track list by episode and Graeme Park mix

About Chris Warburton

Chris Warburton is a journalist and presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live. He has also worked on the podcasts End Of Days and Beyond A Reasonable Doubt?

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit metapodshow.substack.com

MetaPod gets into the backstories of the web’s most interesting podcasts to discover the inspiration, challenges, secrets and surprises of the people who present and produce these shows.

Each show has a backstory all of its own – ranging from the passion of a host for a particular subject to a creative desire to tell a fascinating story or shed new light on a topic.

MetaPod co-hosts Wendy Morrill and Kevin May unpack a different podcast by talking to the creator(s) about the show’s origin story and the details surrounding the creative process along the way.

In this episode of MetaPod, you’ll hear a teaser collage of some of the guests interviewed for our first run of episodes. Plus, we tell you more about what to expect from MetaPod.

The MetaPod Preview features clips of:

• Chris Warburton of Ecstasy: The Battle of Rave
• Avery Trufelman of The Cut
• Nick Hilton of The Town That Didn’t Stare
• Halina Rifai of A Sonic Hug
• Mark Thomas of Mark Thomas’ Lockdown Check-up
• Marit Higraff of Death In Ice Valley
• Atze de Vrieze of Weird Hit Wonder

About Wendy Morrill and Kevin May

Wendy is co-host of MetaPod by night and employed by an international travel trade association by day. Her friends and enemies appreciate her love of baking, interest in new and old music and skeptical sense of humor. Before moving to the old Amsterdam, where she currently resides, Wendy lived in the new Amsterdam. She grew up in a different new place called New Hampshire. If you need a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, she can help you.

Kevin has somehow managed to be employed for over 25 years as a journalist, covering everything from crime, politics, media and, since 2005, travel and its intersection with technology. He’s the former Editor-In-Chief of US-based PhocusWire, although he mostly sits at home in the UK. Kevin’s accident rate on a mountain bike is worryingly high for a 40-something who should know better and he’s also spent far too long co-authoring a biography about electronic music pioneers Depeche Mode. Kevin is suspicious of people who do not like Marmite.

Follow MetaPod >>
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit metapodshow.substack.com