Marty getting the drinks in, 2005
Sandinos Bar during the ‘Celtronic’ festival, 2004
“Derry” by David Bowen
Over the past 12 years, since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in Belfast, Northern Ireland by British and Irish governments, a thriving electronic music scene has flourished in the city of Derry, due to the extraordinary efforts of the ‘Deep Fried Funk’ Promotion Team. Their inclusive attitude and passionate love for music and people, has helped to regenerate the music scene, and bring some of the freshest sounds from around the world to the city for the ‘Celtronic’ festival.
Jamie drags on a cigarette past dawn leaving an after-party, 2006
And so, as president Barack Obama, following the most recent anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” on January 30th, hails the latest steps in the ongoing Northern Ireland Peace Deal, it is well worth mentioning that young people have been ahead of the politicians in uniting both sides of the river Foyle. Intimate and compelling events, where an open attitude and a fierce desire to get along regardless of the past, are paving the way for greater understanding across the generations to come.
Bio
Since 1998 my main project has been to document the worldwide electronic music scene as it has evolved from free-parties and illegal raves in the U.K. to one of the highest selling genres of music. Today young people are united around the world by a music which transcends language barriers and borders.
I’ve been visiting Northern Ireland since 2004 to document the revitalization of the music scene there, and this is a continuing project.
Related links:
Editor’s note:
Comments are open for these photographs as per requested by David Bowen… thanks, dah
IMANTS@”probably the most important point made here and highlights the danger in doing a long term project and relying on the initial intent.”———–which is why The Pictures themselves have to be strong enough to stand alone, without reference to the events they document if need be. When pictures can do this they become ‘independent’ of the events they contain. A strong image of the horrors of war is universal in its message, and the power within its frame. It is not relevent only to the theatre in which it was taken.
I believe all categories of picture can fulfill this. A great music shot will always be a great shot, long after the trend has passed, or the musician has died, because it speaks of bigger things than just ’so and so on stage at the forum in feb 1972′.
it’s a good point john.. well put..
i’d add that war did not die out with the birth of mechanized killing.. machine guns..
it evolved and the photographing of it evolved..
mathew brady, and his first ever capture of actual combat, is just as relevant as mcullen during tet
:o)
David I wasn’t referring specifically to any work here, there or anywhere in particular. Just pointing out that some subjects are closely aligned to trends/fashion etc music photography being one of them and exposes itself to be dated by a pretty fickle audience.
Of course good stuff transcends time.
that’s very true.. hope to sell the book to fans of photography much more than fans of the scene..
or rather – i hope to sell the book.. full stop.
photographically one of the things i love is details which become dated..
the outmoded milk carton from the 1980’s in the kitchen of nick wapplingtons ‘living room’..
now it is just a carcass of its former glory, it represents very little, it’s a new generations musak [sic].
That is probably the most important point made here and highlights the danger in doing a long term project… It becomes a thing ahh great stuff that’s what my uncle used to do unless on changes the goal posts
To my mind, a work depicting the carcass of a scene holds just as much artistic possibility as images of a scene at the height of it’s “glory.” Just as photographs of anonymous people can be just as interesting, or more so, than those of Hollywood stars. I agree with John about the necessity of great images standing outside the context of their time, but would add that I think they are much more likely to achieve that if there is a significant artistic vision involved at the time of capture.
nathaniel did start a discussion, which is lacking without his input now..
Good Job. Looking forward to seeing more. A collection of photographs of people from an era or period can only grow in cultural value as time goes on… if you know what i mean.
Hi Dave,
Hopefully this is one of many posts in the future.
Being someone from Derry that was very much a part of the scene since 1996 when oldschool techno was at the forefront, I’ve seen some dramatic changes, not just musically, but atmospherically.
The techno venue in question was burnt out by paramilitaries 20ft in front of a police station, they felt that by destroying the only release for young people they would serve justice for the community.
In the midst of all this DeepFriedFunk began, crazy!
But the city needed it, it’s loyalty to staying well underground and commercially hidden was initially/probably the effect of the overall feeling being felt at the time. This ambiguity helped it maintain it’s lastibility, even now as we enter a new era of dissident paramilitaries playing good cop bad cop again.
The story needed to be told, not through the lens of a local, but someone with a fresh perspective.
Nathaniel wrote “Derry is not a war-zone, it’s like most places in the UK, kids getting wasted on the weekends dancing to repetitive electro beats and alleviating the mundane with whatever drugs they can.”
Does there need to be a certain level of violence before it amounts to a war-zone?
It’s true people are getting wasted, but the beats are as diverse as the ages, the “kids” are starting their own events, keeping up the momentum, giving birth to new electronic playgrounds for the drum & bassers and the dubsteppers of now.
It’s not like most places in the UK, I’m now living in Liverpool photographing for Chibuku, inspired by what Dave has done for Derry, I find it impossible to see a remotely similar party.
It’s a different world.
The image of the guy smoking is one of my favourites, the part of the night no one seems to document, and for me, the core of the reason I loved my nights in Derry.
Emmett
hey emmett
thanks for your perspective..
you know – i don´t think people will understand how different derry is as a place to enjoy music until they actually go there..
utterly inspiring.
hope to see you there later in the year..
d
DERRY WINS ‘EUROPEAN CITY OF CULTURE 2013′
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-10651854
FANTASTIC stuff.. well deserved and congratulations to DFF and the other cultural champions who have turned the place round.. european money on it’s way :ø)