Regular readers of this site will know that for the last three and a half years, I’ve been working on a PhD research project that focuses on the previously hidden history of rave culture (defined as free parties and unlicensed, DIY pay-raves) in East Anglia, one of England’s most rural regions.

I’ve written about the case for research into rural dance music culture, and rural raves specifically, on this site before. I’ve also written a piece for DJ magazine about the wider East Anglian dance music story and presented at academic conferences on the subject.

Next week, the next stage of the research begins, when former and current ravers – pretty much anyone who has attended, DJ’d at or organised a rave in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk since 1989 – can head online and fill in a brief research survey. I’ll be explaining more about the project, why I need ravers to take part, and where this is all heading (aside from my eventual PhD thesis of course) on this website in a few days time.

To promote the research and raise awareness, I’ll be heading over to East Anglia next week. As part of the trip, I’ll be doing a small number of events. They’re all different, but the biggest and arguably most significant of the lot is set to take place on Sunday 13^th April 2025 at the Holloway, an intimate book shop and ‘micro venue’ on St Benedict’s Street (13:00-16:00).

The event is a specially developed talk entitled Uncovering Hidden Histories: A Brief History of Rave Culture in East Anglia. It will feature yours truly talking about what hidden histories are, why existing historical narratives are often misleading (or in some cases wrong), and what we can – and should – be doing about it. I’ll then read from the ‘Afterword’ of the updated and expanded edition of Join The Future, before talking about the history of rave culture in East Anglia – the roots of the rave scene, how it first emerged and how, over time, it became an embedded part of the wider musical culture of East Anglia. Naturally, I’ll also be promoting the PhD research and urging those in attendance to take part.

You can find out more and buy tickets by heading to the event page on the Holloway’s website.