Shout Out! UK Pirate Radio in the 1980s, ICA

Step back in time to the glory years of 1980s bouffant hair, shoulder pads and funk beats at the ICA's new exhibition Shout Out! UK Pirate Radio in the 1980s. This nostalgic archival show takes a look back at the short-lived, but crucially important tower block pirate radio movement which took over the airwaves. These renegade stations created a musical phenomenon in soul, funk, jazz, reggae and hip-hop which celebrated black culture and hugely influenced the contemporary rave scene. The house and jungle scenes that we know today also have a lot to thank pirate radio for.
What were the Pirate Radio stations?
Dozens of stations popped up from the roofs of tower blocks during the 1980s, an era defined by Margaret Thatcher, in a bid to escape racial discrimination and economic marginalisation. Radio stations like Kiss 94.5 FM, Horizon, Radio Invicta and Dread Broadcasting Corporation (DBC) empowered musical communities that felt ignored by commercial stations. They also focused on a single music genre - a first in UK broadcasting. Some of these outlawed stations were forced to broadcast only at weekends as the authorities were more likely to crackdown on broadcasting 7 days a week.
This ICA exhibition tracks the history of several pirates stations and spotlights their legacy in contemporary music and broadcasting today. Lovers of Blondie, the Police and Lionel Richie won't want to miss this celebration of all things 80s.