Reclaim the Streets -1996 M41

[Gullyteen]

Hello gang I'm new here - I have used the search function but got a couple of burning questions that haven't been answered anywhere I've looked. Sorry if this is rehashing stuff that's already been posted. Wanting to do a radio show on RTS, and specifically the 1996 one cos the story I see everywhere about people planting trees is fucking nuts and I love it. The piece I'm doing is kind of leaning more into soundsystem culture and the relationship between protest and party. My curiosity comes from working with soundsystems and being loosely involved in some anarchist actions here in Liverpool - I run a show on Melodic Distraction which is so far just tunes but wanting to get into party/protest history - I've got a pal who's speaking to me about the history of the tune Propaganda and the Brains Kan parties in Norfolk, but want to cover a bunch of different stuff. So I was wondering if anyone knows:

The first tune that got dropped on the day of the M41 RTS? (from the footage I've seen it was an acid techno tune and I'm shite with that, more of a hardcore kid myself)
And what soundsystems might've been involved, what gear they were using - was it suicide bits or anyone's actual pride and joy?

mods feel free to move me/delete me/ask me for more info

Cheers/sorry in advance xx

 

[Winot]

I was there - was so much fun. Can’t help with your questions but good luck

 

[Edie]

I was there it was a memorable day esp the tube from Liverpool St to Shepherds Bush and getting on to the road. And the giant skirts with jackhammers under them. But fuck knows about the technical details I was wasted

 

[spitfire]

This chap is worth talking to, he documented all of it.

Exist To Resist

Exist To Resist, Bristol, United Kingdom. 4,025 likes · 31 were here. We are a rebel artistic alliance making future history from the lessons of the past through creative production and provocative...

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MATTKO (@mattkosnaps) • Instagram photos and videos

4,417 Followers, 4,755 Following, 1,862 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from MATTKO (@mattkosnaps)

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I was there but don't remember much useful. I have a vague idea that London Acid City may have been the first track that was played but then again that may just have been put over a youtube video and my memory is playing tricks on me.

 

[friedaweed]

Welcome to the boards our kid. There are quite a few RTS threads but it takes a bit of digging around the search function and I'm just off to work but here's a few I found. One had some film footage on but I can't recall which one.

Remembering J18 street protests: a few short vids

iirc, Evading Standards was the fake ES put out by the RTS crew yeah we'd somehow ended up with a huge stack of them, so we spent a good hour standing at the top of the steps leading up from kings cross tube giving them out to commuters in the morning rush hour:D iirc evading standards...

www.urban75.net

Reclaim the Streets - what happened??

Sorry for the ignorance. I'm reading No Logo by Naomi Klein and to my massive shock I learnt about the Reclaim the streets movement/parties that were so prolific in the late 90's! I'd never heard ANYTHING about these before?! What happened?! There are documented RTS parties from about 1996...

www.urban75.net

Brixton Reclaim The Streets - 20 years ago! 6th June 1998

Sure was a very different Brixton back then. Feature and videos here: Brixton Reclaim The Streets party – archive photos and video footage, 6th June 1998

www.urban75.net

Welcome to urban anyways.

 

[Pickman's model]

i was there but now my main memories are of the rush to take the road, the rest of it's rather a blur. probably because like Edie i was drinking and that

 

[Gullyteen]

yes the firm thanks so much! will report back if i get details xx

 

[DaveCinzano]

Do Or Die #7 and the McKay-edited collection may be helpful.

Do or Die

libcom.org

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The first tune that got dropped on the day of the M41 RTS? (from the footage I've seen it was an acid techno tune and I'm shite with that, more of a hardcore kid myself)
And what soundsystems might've been involved, what gear they were using - was it suicide bits or anyone's actual pride and joy?

Fairly sure it was "London Acid City", but my memory is not great and it was a very exciting moment.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

By bad luck or good I ended up being one of the first set of non-RTS people to reach the edge of the motorway from the redirection point.

I was told to leg it towards some lorries because the cops were about to arrest the soundsystem people, so about 20 of us ended up running full pelt down an empty motorway - dodging through a line of cops.

When we got to the lorries we looked over our shoulders and saw a huge sea of people coming behind us.

That's when the first tune started, doof doof doof. Fucking incredible.

 

[spitfire]

https://www.youtube.com/user/undercurrentspaulo/videos

 

[spitfire]

Fairly sure it was "London Acid City", but my memory is not great and it was a very exciting moment.

So that's 2 of us, either we saw the same youtube video or that's what happened.

 

[Gullyteen]

Do Or Die #7 and the McKay-edited collection may be helpful.

Do or Die

libcom.org

View attachment 347070

yeah i'm quoting from diy culture already! gotta track down my copy of no logo as well as i'm fairly sure that has a few pages about the broader RTS movement

 

[editor]

Loads here

M41 Motorway Reclaim the Streets report, Shepherd's Bush, 8th June 1996

Reclaim the Streets, M41 Motorway, Shepherd's Bush, 8th June 1996

www.urban75.org

Reclaim the Streets, M41 Motorway, Shepherd's Bush, 8th June 1996

Reclaim the Streets, M41 Motorway, Shepherd's Bush, 8th June 1996

www.urban75.org

 

[Mumbles274]

I think I was there

Hth

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

There were a couple of rigs there, or is my mind totally shot?

(not my pic)

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I was there. That’s all I can tell you

 

[DaveCinzano]

yeah i'm quoting from diy culture already! gotta track down my copy of no logo as well as i'm fairly sure that has a few pages about the broader RTS movement

Don't forget to use Wayback Machine to access the original RTS web pages.

 

[editor]

I've got shitloads of photos that I need to rescan at a high resolution. It was easily one of the best protests I've ever been on.

 

[ska invita]

There were a couple of rigs there, or is my mind totally shot?

i only remember there being one , mainly as i didnt like the music

 

[ska invita]

And what soundsystems might've been involved, what gear they were using - was it suicide bits or anyone's actual pride and joy?

found this "Some McSpotlight volunteers from Bristol accidentally took the credit for one of the sound systems by displaying a banner with our url across the front of the lorry in which it was contained. Apologies to the fine folk who actually provided the tunes ) "

 

[Pickman's model]

i only remember there being one , mainly as i didnt like the music

somehow i've filtered out the music from my memory

 

[ruffneck23]

I think I was there

Hth

Me too...

 

[Mumbles274]

In all seriousness, I've asked my friend I went with if she has pictures. Pretty sure she does.

 

[nogojones]

i only remember there being one , mainly as i didnt like the music

It were the days of acid techno and nothing else. Big multiriggers with 12+ systems knocking out the same stuff.

As for the RTS stuff. I was doing things down here, but generally dodged London.

 

[nogojones]

And welcome Gullyteen. loves the music

 

[ska invita]

It were the days of acid techno and nothing else. Big multiriggers with 12+ systems knocking out the same stuff.

not for me it wasnt!
i know what you mean though

 

[nogojones]

It might be worth checking out squatjuice as well. Not really been there for years, but had a quick search

squatjuice.com - Search

 

[ska invita]

It might be worth checking out squatjuice as well. Not really been there for years, but had a quick search

squatjuice.com - Search

top tip
didnt know it was still running!
for soundsystem questions worth actually asking on there if the search didnt produce anything
though doesnt seem to be a lot of sound chat on there these days

 

[nogojones]

top tip
didnt know it was still running!
for soundsystem questions worth actually asking on there if the search didnt produce anything
though doesnt seem to be a lot of sound chat on there these days

I wasn't sure if it were still up and running. It does seem very quiet on that look.

I'm glad its still there though.