Subcultures
1980s UK Illegal Warehouse Rave
Subcultures
This collection includes footage from a diverse range of scenes and eras including 80s New York Club Kids, Beatniks, King's Road Punks and New Romantics. A particular focus is amateur footage shot by people who belonged to the subcultures; giving a rare insider's view from hanging out on the streets to shopping, drugs and parties.
This is just a small selection from Kinolibrary’s vast archive of rare and remarkable footage. To see more please browse our Youtube channel, or email info@kinolibrary.com
1970s London Reggae Club
Reggae & Ska
Kinolibrary’s stunning Reggae footage ranges from early Rude Boys and Skinheads to later sound system parties across London, showcasing Jamaican and West Indian culture in all its vibrant glory.
Soundsystem
Starting out in 1950s Jamaica with roots in reggae and ska, Soundsystem culture eventually made its way to the UK through the Windrush generation and has remained a pioneering part of reggae and bass music culture until this day.
Northern Soul
Emerging from the 60s Mod scene as a rejection of American pop music of the time; check out our rare Northern Soul footage of teenagers shuffling away at the Wigan casino in wide flares, knit tanks and smart brogues.
1970s London Punks
Punk
Experience one of the best UK punk collections in the world, full of the fashion and fury of this iconic movement. Bands, fans, mayhem and safety pins... London’s Calling! Come and experience it all along The Kings Road and beyond.
Don Letts
Now available exclusively with Kinolibrary, filmmaker Don Letts’s archive is a testament to the cultural exchange between the Reggae and Punk subcultures of London in the 70s and 80s. Armed with a Super 8 camera, Letts toured with The Clash, managed the Slits, and DJed at the Roxy, arguably turning a whole generation of Punks onto Reggae in the process. Including on-stage and backstage footage with artists like Generation X and Billy Idol, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Slits and The Sex Pistols, the collection also features Letts’ travels in Jamaica with John Lydon, encountering icons like U-Roy, The Congos, Prince Far I, Big Youth and Culture.
1960s London Tiles Club
Swinging Sixties
The Swinging 60s was one of the most iconic and creative eras of the 20th Century, and Kinolibrary’s collection encapsulates it in all its glory. Featuring beehive hairdos, miniskirts, and all round hedonism.
Mods & Rockers
The Mod subculture began in the 1960s. These trendy boys and girls listened to modern Jazz, Psychedelic rock and Soul, and aimed to stand out from the crowd. The movement is still popular today. Our collection features footage of Mods on Portobello Road, messing around on Vespas and dancing in Ska and Swinging Sixties clubs.
1960s Beatnik Cafe
Beatniks
In our diverse 60s collection you can find Beatniks and hipsters in cafes reading poetry and smoking, dreaming of being on the road like Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise.
Rock & Roll
Peaking in the mid 1950s, Rock & Roll was an amalgam of black Rhythm and Blues and white Country music. Check out Kinolibrary’s collection containing everything from Elvis Presley to the early Beatles and the Hamburg Skiffle. Our clips of teenagers Rock & Roll dancing will make you wish you were there.
1960s Haight Ashbury Hippies
Hippies
Get stuck into our wonderful collection of hippies roaming the streets of Haight Ashbury, on Esalen retreats and taking psychedelic drugs at festivals and parties.
1970s US Disco Club
Disco
Cheesy dance moves, flares, halter neck shirts, spandex… Kinolibrary’s groovy Disco collection will make you feel like you’re in Saturday Night Fever!
1980s London New Romantics & Blitz Kids
New Romantics & Blitz Kids
Alongside the punks were the New Romantics and Blitz Kids - eccentric and flamboyant - think Duran Duran, glamorous frills, broad shoulders and leather. Check out Kinolibrary’s collection if you want to gawk at these eye-catching fashions.
LGBTQ+ Nightlife and Ballrooms
These collections capture the creativity and pioneering spirit of the LGBTQ+ community from the 1970s to the modern day, taking a peek inside ballrooms and nightclubs alike. The Nelson Sullivan collection delves deep into the New York scene of the 80s — featuring the likes of RuPaul, Lady Bunny and Keith Haring — while other collections offer a retrospective of queer culture, including voguing and ballroom competitions
1980s UK Rave
Rave
Immerse yourself in our show-stopping, high quality Rave collection, a real highlight of Kinolibrary’s archive. Pumping acid house, sweaty dancers and bright neons; follow our ravers as they queue up to dance 'til sunrise at illegal warehouse parties.
1980s Hip Hop Party, B-Boys
Hip Hop
Kinolibrary boasts an awesome Hip Hop collection, featuring everything from the pioneers of the scene, B Boys breakdancing, boomboxes, DJs scratching and rapping, to colourful 80s sports inspired fashion.
2000s London Garage Club
Garage
After the raves of the early 90s, the latter half of the 90s and early 2000s saw the birth of the UK Garage scene. Kinolibrary’s garage collection features footage of Wookie, Mikee B, and young ravers sporting designer clothes. Moschino and Polo at the ready!
Jungle and Drum & Bass
Emerging from the Jungle movement of the early 90s, the Drum and Bass movement was characterised by 160 to 185 beats per minute and fast breakbeats. Rooted in Caribbean culture, the people involved in this movement were breaking the boundaries of other electronic dance music genres.
This is just a small selection from Kinolibrary’s vast archive of rare and remarkable footage. To see more please browse our Youtube channel, or email info@kinolibrary.com
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