Class of '88

by Wayne Anthony

  If you want my advice, for what it’s worth, don’t do it. Knowledge and wisdom are fucking power, man. Don’t let the oppressors win: keep a strong but flexible drug-free mind. Should we be afraid? I’m scared shitless. The drug may have enhanced my life in different ways but never gave me anything worth losing my mind for. If I knew then what I know now, would I have steered clear of the drug? Well, who knows?

  Perhaps at some time in the future our descendants will be able to travel back in time and change life as we know it. But, until such a thing becomes possible, I just hope my future is not going to be viewed from the inside of a padded cell. That would be a sad fucking day, man. By medical calculations, the shit will hit the fan within the next five years and from then on it may well be loony tunes for millions of people.

  Of course, my mental state feels almost stable now but the meter is running. We’ve been suckers, fucking guinea pigs in an experiment that grew out of control. Drug abuse has definitely affected my mind (I’m sure you’ve already gathered that) in a number of ways and, to be quite honest with you and myself, the symptoms are similar to those predicted by doctors for years.

  The most obvious side effect is hallucinations. I have them daily. Never anything too dramatic: they range from movement in shadows to spiders the size of my hand running across the floor and under my bed or chair. Recently, I’ve also started seeing small flying objects that are not really there. I can’t quite make out what they are, because the visions happen too fast.

  Depression is another symptom suffered by Ecstasy users. It usually starts on the second day after taking a tablet. Fortunately, through optimism, it is something I have shrugged off so far. I try hard not to succumb to depression, but I can feel its dark presence within my head and could quite easily go down that road.

  It’s like walking a tightrope between sanity and insanity. Nearly everyone I questioned about the side effects of taking so-called ‘designer drugs’ told me that they personally know at least one person who has suffered a mental breakdown due to chemical abuse. Some cases are chronic, leaving the user with a deranged mind and possibly committed to a mental institution. Once admitted to hospital, they are given other synthetic drugs to speed them, in theory, towards recovery – or maintain them in a trance-like state. A mental shutdown usually occurs without early warning and can happen to anyone who participates in drug rituals. From the strongest of us to the weakest, we are all vulnerable. Yet, with all this knowledge, we still indulge.

  A close friend of mine, Gurkan, was one of the first people in England to die from Ecstasy-related symptoms. He had taken Ecstasy on several occasions, including various excursions to Ibiza. He took a pill while out one night and danced non-stop for six hours, then went home as normal. He didn’t wake up the next day. Although we were very unhappy, none of us even thought of giving up the drug. The adrenaline rush of the tablet completely blinded us to the perils of what we were doing.

  Because of my views on the world, some of my friends think I’m paranoid. I disagree and say I’m switched on. People try to understand only what’s happening on the surface of today’s society because it’s easier for them to grasp, but once you get into depth – the only way to discover the truth – your opinions are brushed off as the ramblings of someone suffering the symptoms of paranoia. Ever since the Western world’s conquerors invaded faraway lands, we have been conditioned to think in certain patterns. In 1997, we encountered numerous numbers of devices every day that maintained and built on this conditioning. It depends on how deep you want to go, and how open-minded you really are, but paranoid? Fuck that shit! I still know what time it is.

  I’m trying to repair the damage caused by drug abuse by rebuilding and reconditioning my mind with worldly knowledge, spiritualism, self-healing, internal love and personal development. Writing about my experiences is helping me to confront the past and make way for the future. My inner conflicts will continue for some time to come, and that is the price I am paying for having led such a hedonistic lifestyle. I guess I should think myself lucky to have pulled through thus far with my mind and health intact. The world of drugs is not one I recommend to anyone: it’s like playing Russian roulette with your mind, and the minds of those who love and care for you. The experience I gained during those special years is now documented, and I hope it will be of value to the people who read this book and understand where I’m coming from.

  Throughout this book I’ve made what could be regarded as political statements. I’d like to make it clear that I do not support any of the current political parties. My opinions reflect the way I feel and think about such subjects. As the old saying goes, a promise is a comfort to a fool, so what’s the point? Most of these parties are the same. Their policies may differ but, at the death of it, all politicians follow the old-school code of honour. It’s the same across the globe and nothing less than a miracle will change these firmly established beliefs and deceptions. We need to grow with the rest of the world, not segregate British people by keeping the fallacy of English superiority alive and kicking. Time waits for no one and, the longer we retain a stiff upper lip, the further away a dream of multicultural harmony will drift.

  Like most drugs, E was formulated with the intent of aiding the human race in some way. Recently the authorities have been in a state of denial while a plague of badly formed and pressed tablets have flooded the market. People are going to use Ecstasy whatever happens, and a good idea might be for the authorities to interact with those in other countries who have a greater understanding of the subject. In the Netherlands you can find living proof of the interaction between people in the corridors of power and those in the streets. They have realised that the drug cannot be stamped out and are doing their best to prevent a catastrophe by reducing the chances of badly made tablets reaching their commercial market. It doesn’t end there, either: at most dance parties you’ll find a room or area where punters can test pills they’re about to purchase for MDMA content. The procedure provides immediate results in the form of a list of chemicals present in the sample. Germany has followed suit and has decriminalised drug testing at parties, even though Ecstasy is as illegal in both of these countries as it is in the rest of the world. Compromise on the part of their governments allows the drug testing to continue and in turn helps save lives.

  Unfortunately, I can’t believe Britain would ever adopt such a radical and intelligent scheme, or allow an independent, non-profit organisation to take on this responsibility. I know that would never happen here. My intention is merely to highlight the possible interaction between governments and drug users, and the fact that such liaisons can lead to solutions. A recent survey conducted by MTV, carried out across the continent, revealed startling findings. 44% of people in Europe have tried some kind of mind-altering stimulant in their lifetime. Apparently, a higher proportion of people take Ecstasy in the UK than in any other European state. But, elsewhere, although governments strongly oppose drugs, measures are taken to help combat the threat to human safety.

  Obviously testing alone doesn’t ensure that your biological system won’t reject the drug. No one knows about that until it’s too late. And a history of dropping pills for years without harm does not exclude the user from danger as, nowadays, so-called Ecstasy is often pressed with a number of other chemicals thrown into the mix. The government tells us that the Netherlands is the UK’s biggest supply source, and I’ve spoken to people in the ’Dam who tell me the UK is the destination for all the shit tablets. Many buyers in the UK have no desire for clean, quality Es. They simply want a pill that sends them crazy. Pills are manufactured to cause maximum headfuck, and it’s not just down to dealers: it’s exactly what the current market craves. In 1988 the quest was not for a complete headlock but a mild, light feeling of happiness and empathy. Now it’s all about how many you’ve necked or how intense your buzz is.

  Of course the most effective course of action would be for people to stop using the drug, full stop. But, assuming th
at’s unlikely, it is essential that any measures the authorities plan to prevent further death and injury need to be researched and implemented as soon as possible.

  Recently it has been reported that an increase in heroin addiction can be attributed to Ecstasy users who have turned to the drug as a way of coming down from E. Are they nuts?!? This theory is bound to add strength to anti-Ecstasy campaigns, and is an exaggeration of the truth – and the biggest load of bollocks I’ve heard for a while. Here we have two completely separate worlds. A tiny, tiny percentage of Ecstasy users may take smack. But I don’t know any who do, and I think it remains a myth.

  Epilogue

  So eventually, and inevitably, our exciting adventure organising large-scale events had drawn to a close. Looking back on 1989 and the things we went through brings both a smile and a frown to my face. During that period I was kidnapped twice and admitted to hospital on two occasions suffering from yuppie flu (or rather, extreme substance abuse). We had had a few guns stuck in our faces, earned and spent near on a mil and abused a colossal quantity of class As. Unfortunately, we were surrounded by trained killers and had umpteen confrontations with the Old Bill. But we staged some of the most innovative and memorable events in dance-party history. I also met a ton of people, some of whom are my very close friends. Would I do it all again?

  No fucking chance.

  Appendix

  GENESIS PARTY TITLES

  Genesis Chapter I: 10 December 1988

  Genesis Chapter II: 24 December 1988 – The Struggle Continues

  Genesis Sunset: 31 December 1988 – The Future is Now

  Genesis 1989 Sunset – The Fight goes on

  Genesis 1989 Sunset – Against all Odds

  Genesis 1989 Sunset – Hedonism

  Genesis 1989 Sunset – Strength to Strength

  Genesis 1989 – Chapter of Chapters

  Genesis 1989 Biology – Together as one

  Genesis 1989 – The Empire Strikes Back

  Genesis 1989 Pasha – Utopia

  Genesis 1989 Pasha – Fight for the Right

  Genesis 1989 Pasha – No Surrender

  Genesis 1989 Tranquillity – Echoes

  Genesis 1989 – Only Love Conquers Hate

  Genesis 1989 – Live and Let Live

  Genesis 1989 – The Promised Land

  Genesis 1989 – See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil

  Genesis 1989 – Fight for the Right

  Genesis 1989 Biology – Meopham

  Genesis 1989 Biology: 31 December 1989 – Future Power People

  Genesis 1989 – (Same Day as Biology)

  Freedom to Party Demo: 27 January 1990 – Trafalgar Square

  Genesis 1990 – The Warehouse Experience

  Genesis 1990 – The Empire Strikes Back

  Genesis 1992 – The Awakening Genesis 1992 – The Promised Land

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Epub ISBN: 9780753552131

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  Virgin Books, an imprint of Ebury Publishing,

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  Virgin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com

  Copyright © Wayne Anthony 1998

  Foreword copyright © Wayne Anthony 2018

  Cover imagery © Getty Images/Alamy

  Cover design: Two Associates

  Wayne Anthony has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  First published in the United Kingdom by Virgin Books in 1998

  This updated edition published by Virgin Books in 2018

  www.penguin.co.uk

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN 9780753552124