Ravescene Magazeen

Original article published on the now dead website www.oldskoolreview.co.uk which I discovered via Rendezvous Projects. It can still be found in it’s original format on Wayback Machine. Published dates taken from a post on the rolldabeats forum. All images & cover scans are my own.

Note, issues 18 & 26 were never released hence the existence of 19A and 27A.

Article First Published – September 2009

Many of you will remember Ravescene Magazine. It was in a folded A4 format, on white paper with a mix of black and purple/mauve/red print. It was packed full of all the latest goings on in London Town, and featured interviews and reviews of all kinds. I used to get my copy in the post as I lived in Grimsby at the time. It was what kept me in touch with what was at that time the hub of the scene. Trying to get hold of early copies these days is a hard task indeed.

We caught up with Gwen Howells, the lady behind Ravescene Magazine and Double Dipped, the night she used to host alongside the magazine…………

How would you describe yourself as a youth before you discovered the rave scene?

How did you get into raving /clubbing and when would this have been?

Issue 5
13th December 1991

Can you tell us a bit about the first raves/events you attended?

What gave you the initial impetus to start Ravescene? Was it purely your idea, or was it a group project?

Can you tell us a little bit about the first issue? What was it like trying to organize advertising, features, event coverage etc?

How did you promote the first issue? And where and when did you sell it?

Talk us through issue 2. At what point did you decide that it might be a project worth continuing with?

What were the highlights of the first year in print? Did you continue running it from the same place, and how did you manage the typeset/printing process?

How long did it run for, and what was the plan? Was it just a run it until you get fed up kind of project?

Issue 48
4th February 1994

There must have been a few heavy moments…………discuss……..

Worst moments?

Best moments?

DJ’s

Venues & Top Nights

Top PA’s

Call Yourself A Raver? Ravescene Year Book 1993
Call Yourself A Raver? Ravescene Year Book 1993

Can you explain what you did afterwards, and what your thoughts were on the music and the way it changed over the years?

And a big shout out to……..

Ravescene Magazeen – Safe as house!

The Information Centre

A 16 page free black & white A5 magazine, published in December 1994. The intro text indicates there was a promo copy that came out in September, and the rear page suggests a 2nd issue was planned. I’ve not seen either.

Issue 1 features interviews with Nookie & Stevie Hyper D.

In the Magazines master list thread on rolldabeats, there is some extra info relating to the promo copy;

It’s titled ‘Underground’, took me some time to decipher that because the lettering used is awful. Doesn’t have an issue number or given date other than stating “THE PROMO ISSUE”, but inside clarifies it’s a promo for a forthcoming I.C. magazine 

It’s A5 in black & white, with a photo of Jason J on the cover, and looks like is from Sept 1994, referencing the (legal) launch of Don FM on the 27/08/94

Little other details apart from seeming to be centred around someone called Phabby J and forthcoming title is short for “(I)nformation (C)entre” due late in October


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