Last night in Todmorden, time folded in on itself. The Golden Lion, that eccentric little powerhouse of a venue tucked into the Pennine hills, transformed into a sweat-soaked time capsule of 90s rave euphoria. And leading the charge? None other than Altern 8 — the masked maestros of breakbeat hardcore.
For those who remember, Altern 8 were never just a band. They were a movement. Boiler suits, chemical warfare masks, and basslines that hit like a defibrillator — they were the anarchic heartbeat of early UK rave culture. Seeing them live in 2018, in an intimate pub-turned-rave cave, was something like stepping into a VHS tape filmed at a warehouse party in Stoke-on-Trent circa 1992.
The room was already pulsing when they came on — a motley crowd of acid house veterans, curious twenty-somethings, and locals who’ve never stopped dancing since ’91. Altern 8 didn’t so much take the stage as detonate it. The moment the first kick drum dropped, the place went absolutely nuclear.
Tracks like “Activ-8” and “Infiltrate 202” sent the room into a frenzy. People were climbing on benches, basslines vibrating through pints of Landlord. Altern 8 don’t just play music — they orchestrate chaos, gleefully grinning from behind their masks like rave-era anarchists returned from the future.
And it worked. There was no pretense, no smartphones in the air — just bodies moving, lost in fog, strobe, and that unmistakable old-school energy that’s harder and harder to come by.
The Golden Lion deserves a shout-out too. Where else can you order a pint, then walk upstairs and find yourself in the middle of a DIY rave? The venue has long punched above its weight when it comes to booking legends, but this felt special — like the stars aligned and dropped a Midlands rave explosion right into West Yorkshire.
Altern 8 might be relics from another era, but their sound is anything but dated. Last night, they reminded us that rave was never just about the music. It was about rebellion, joy, and losing yourself with total abandon. And for a few wild hours in Todmorden, that spirit was alive and kicking.
Long live the bass. Long live the masks. Long live Altern 8.
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