Tales From A Disappearing City - Episode 30 - special guest - Aaron Trinder

Подробнее о видео

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.

01:05 - Introduction
04:15 - Aaron's countercultural childhood in Kilburn, West London
15:45 - On stage at the Roundhouse as a 7 Year Old Punk with 999
26:21 - Early music influences, 1980s youth culture tribes & political climate
35:43 - Rock Against Racism - Victoria Park
54:35 - Psychedelic awakening. First acid trip at Glastonbury Tor (1988)
1:02:25 - Early rave parties
1:04:04 - Club Dog at The George Robey in Finsbury Park
1:13:15 - Glastonbury 1990 - Travellers field
1:36:14 - Spiral Tribe at the Camden Roundhouse (Xmas and NYE 1991)
1:58:47 - Starting to make a Free Party film, the impact of Castlemorton (1992)
2:10:43 - Media Backlash, Criminal Justice Act, Spiral Tribe arrest and trial
2:23:21 - The importance and legacy of the film
2:27:18 - Alan "Tash" Lodge - Photographer and archivist of traveller culture and free festivals
2:33:43 - Challenges of being an independent DIY film maker
2:55:11 - Documentary’s impact & future. Closing Thoughts

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







As ever if you appreciate the podcast then please subscribe to the channel and like the videos. This really helps spread the tales and stories to new audiences and will help us grow and expand.

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 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 show on Planet Wax radio where his aim as always is to play you some amazing music that you have never heard before.



youtube.com/@ControlledWeirdness