18.4.12

Arts preview: Kieran Hurley: BEATS @ The Arches, Glasgow AND Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Published by METRO

Tonight (18 April) until Sunday (22 April), Wed/Fri/Sat 9pm, Thur 7pm, Sun 2pm, £11 (concessions £8), The Arches, Glasgow. Tel: 0141 565 1000. www.thearches.co.uk

AND next Wednesday (25 April) until next Saturday (28 April), Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Tel: 0131 228 1404/226 2666. www.traverse.co.uk


We weren’t all ravers in the early 1990s. Hell, I was still pretty wobbly on my feet when acid house was emerging – so I’m way too young to recall how a controversial piece of legislation impacted this generation.

The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994 gave police the power to disperse public gatherings where amplified music ‘characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats’ was played. In short, it made raves illegal.

Tonight, a new monologue piece – written and performed by Kieran Hurley with Arches resident DJ Johnny Whoop – focuses on this clampdown and explores the energy of young crowds.

Part of The Arches’ Behaviour festival that finishes next weekend, Beats enhances our collective memory of this celebrated era through storytelling and techno, and is an absolute must for anyone who’s passionate about music.