SLAM — Passion, Grace, & Serious Bass

Catalogue note

One original A4 double-sided SLAM club promotional paper titled 'Passion, Grace, & Serious Bass', The Attic, 24 Broadway, Peterborough. The reverse prints Friday 23 August, 9pm till late and £7 in advance but no year; the longstanding UK Rave Flyers Price Guide explicitly dates this exact titled SLAM item to Friday 23 Aug 1991, high-confidence PROVISIONAL attribution. The colourful front shows a dramatic undersea mermaid-like fantasy scene and yellow SLAM logo; the information reverse bills Shades of Rhythm and Cola Boy live, DJ Julz, Nick & Casey, Torchman and house compere MC Screech, with local box offices and special-effects claims. Official Charts shows both live artists had nationally successful 1991 tracks, Cola Boy 7 Ways to Love UK #8 and Shades of Rhythm Sound of Eden #35, whose original chart runs ended the previous week. A 2017 local newspaper identifies SLAM as a historically important Peterborough rave night. No exact TMR duplicate found, nor artist/print-run/modern market value established.

Advertised programme: LIVE ON STAGE: SHADES OF RHYTHM ('Peterborough's No.1') and COLA BOY ('Andy, Peterborough'). DJs: JULZ (N.R.G.; The Attic, Shrine), NICK & CASEY (The Attic, Damn fine), TORCHMAN (Supernova, Camilla's). 'The Attic's own Compere': M.C. SCREECH. These are advertisements, not independently verified performances. Promotional No.1 ranking not independently checked.

Graphic-design significance: Unusually sumptuous rave fantasy imagery: a female mermaid-like figure arches across a pale male figure underwater in a deep-blue surrounding landscape, with winding fish-like tails, floating strands of hair and reflected blue light. Hard-edged yellow SLAM logo and white serif phrase 'PASSION, GRACE, & SERIOUS BASS' create an effective contrast between fantasy-book illustration and club identity. The reverse is functional 1991 club information design with pink LIVE ON STAGE box, blue DJ and special effects dividers, black vertical ATTIC logo, pink £7 price rosette and local ticket shops. Old collector price guide lists this exact event 'PIC NEEDED', so the owner's preservation photos fill a visual reference gap; that does not prove only one original survives. Artist/visual copyright unknown.

Historical context: The independent UK Rave Flyers Price Guide lists both 9 Aug and the exact 'Passion Grace & Serious Bass' 23 Aug 1991 under SLAM at The Attic, establishing the show's original period and context despite absence of a year on this sheet. The 23 Aug 1991 programme pairs two Peterborough-linked nationally charting dance artists: Shades of Rhythm, The Sound of Eden peak UK No.35, and Cola Boy, 7 Ways to Love peak UK No.8, whose original UK chart runs both ended 17 Aug 1991, a week before the show. Official Charts substantiates both. Cola Boy is billed 'Andy, Peterborough'; AllMusic relates the project to Andrew Naughtie, while contemporary July 1991 music press also describes Andrew Midgeley as an alternate working name, a discrepancy not resolved by the flyer. Do not infer that recorded vocalist Janey Lee Grace was present onstage. DJ Julz (The Attic/Shrine), Nick & Casey, and Torchman, with MC Screech, evidence a more local DJ/MC ecosystem. A 2017 Peterborough Telegraph listing recalls SLAM at The Attic and Shock as historically influential East Anglian rave nights. £7 advance admission, unspecified higher door price and printed regional ticket shops provide material social/economic context. The poster advertises effects, platforms and dancers, none independently checked as realised.

Production note: Original full-colour fantasy illustration face, black/blue/pink/yellow programme reverse; specific original offset/screen technique, stock weight and printer unverified.

Condition note: Strong full-colour front and legible reverse, with light edge and corner rubbing/softening, small scuffs/white specks especially near dark illustrated edges, some minor reverse paper surface spots and a faint transverse/left-edge line or crease near the DJ area, plus a small nick/rub on the reverse side. No large tear, missing corner, separated fold or significant image loss apparent. Light speckling in underwater scene could also be part of printed texture. Exact fibre condition, staining/cleaning history, paper grade and dimensions require in-hand review.

Confidence / uncertainty: Physically verified: Friday 23 August (no year), The Attic 24 Broadway Peterborough, 9pm until late, £7 advance and unspecified door premium, live acts, DJ names, MC name, venue affiliations, art and copy condition. Year 1991 independently indexed by exact historic SLAM subtitle and reinforced by charts and calendar; PROVISIONAL since missing from object. Existing TMR Shades of Rhythm organisation, Julz and Torchman People authorities reused; same-name linkage of Julz to 1995 Peterborough artist is contextual, not established civil identity. MC Screech proposed as historical alias with corroborating 1991 tape index, not merged with Screechie D. Nick and Casey remain unresolved names. Cola Boy artist as distinct music project proposed from chart and AllMusic; no unverified individual stage roster. Graphic artist, audience, turnout, dimensions, promoter legal identity, editions and financial market value all unknown.

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.