Desire — The Payback II

Catalogue note

A complete original two-sided Bonfire Night flyer for Desire — The Payback II at The Rocket, Holloway Road, 5 November 1994 (9pm–6am). Promoted within the 2000AD Productions Desire series, it bills Hype, Slipmatt, Randall, Ellis Dee, Darren Jay, DJ Rap, Kemistry & Storm, Swift & Zinc, MC Rage and Matrix plus four Room 2 DJs headed by Matt Maurice. Its pink romantic photo cover carries MFACT © and reverse names Creative Image designer. £7 advance + £1 booking fee repeats the earlier September Payback's affordability pitch, documented by a contemporary Independent report; an original 1995 interview and five same-date recorded DJ sets add substantial research support. National ticket agents, sound/laser details and venue policies survive.

Advertised programme: MAIN ARENA: Hype; Slipmatt; Randall; Ellis Dee; Darren Jay; Rap (DJ Rap); Chemistry & Storm (canonical Kemistry & Storm); Swift & Zinc (original DJ Swift with DJ Zinc). MCs Rage & Matrix. ROOM 2: Matt Maurice; Neil Turbine; Drew; Funki P. '14 top DJs' is the printed advertised claim.

Graphic-design significance: High-impact romantic pink/red photo-composite with dimensional DESIRE and distressed PAYBACK II typographic layering. Pink reverse with dense lineups and massive PERFORMER/ROOM heading, visible design studio Creative Image and MFACT © imprint. Exact creators and relative maker rights not inferred.

Historical context: Original The Independent 5 Sept 1994 advertises Desire Payback for 10 Sept at The Rocket, 166–220 Holloway Road, reduced £7 admission plus £1 booking fee; Payback II back explicitly calls the original a success and repeats affordability appeal, claiming 14 DJs over nine hours. 1995 The Scene interview of 2000AD promoters Mick and Phil states Desire existed from 1991 and lists resident Hype/Randall in main room and Matt Maurice in second, consistent with this bill. Five indexed 5 Nov recordings document surviving probable tape-pack sound, not unbroken first-hand sound provenance. Original 'Chemistry & Storm' corresponds to Kemistry & Storm authority, Swift and Zinc to DJ Zinc and his original DJ Swift collaborator, not Mampi Swift. N7/N8 historic venue address conflict retained.

Production note: Multi-colour pink photographic image and magenta/black reverse; exact commercial process, stock and finish unknown.

Condition note: Good+ to Very Good- photo assessment: saturated intact print but visible thin horizontal fold/handling crease through front figures and back, minor scuffs, small edge and corner handling. No major tears, holes, paper loss or obvious adhesive. Not mint.

Confidence / uncertainty: Physically verified date, location, price, all major names, two rooms and two imprints; 2000AD promoter association established independently by original contemporary interview. Five tapes are specialist-indexed, not original-master authenticated. Ad claims of sound/visuals and performer attendance not independently verified; no printer, edition size, rarity or market value invented.

Through the flyers

Explore the club-culture timeline to follow advertised dates, places and billed performers across the held flyers.

Event details are drawn from the held object and the qualified catalogue research above. A printed bill establishes an advertised booking, not confirmation that a performer appeared.