Fantazia U.K. Promotions — The Second Sight

Catalogue note

Original A4 owner-described two-sided 1992 Fantazia The Second Sight promotional flyer/poster for Friday 21 Feb 1992, 8pm–8am at West Point Exhibition Centre, Clyst St Mary near Exeter. Striking purple-cloud surrealist poster has a fragmented floating face, hand, shadow and pyramid on a grid; information-rich reverse lists 12 DJs including Ellis Dee, Top Buzz, Colin Dale, Donovan 'Bassline' Smith, Slipmatt, DJ Sy, DJ SS, Lomas, Ratty and Worm, four MCs and live Rozalla, Rhythm Section and Fantastic Ibiza, £18 advance booking and substantial national retailer/coach network. A readable original footer 'Flyer Design Alex' matches Phatmedia's exact-event credit 'Alex Design Me'. James Perkins' DJ Mag first-person Fantazia history establishes return to Westpoint after 31 Dec 1991 NYE event. Original Rozalla Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) reached UK #6 in 1991; Donovan Bassline safely mapped to later 'Bad Boy' Smith, not Simon Bassline Smith. Event begins Fri 21 despite later sources sometimes using 22. Original 'est 1989' conflicts with later organisational chronologies. No current TMR owner duplicate; archive significance 9.7/10 Gold Star separate from unknown market value.

Advertised programme: DJs: ELLIS DEE; TOP BUZZ; COLIN DALE; EASY GROOVE; DONOVAN 'BASSLINE' SMITH; SLIPMATT; DJ SY; DJ SS; LOMAS; RATTY; GEMINI; WORM. MCs: ROBBI DEE; ARTFUL DODGER; SAUSAGE MC; PANDI P. Advertised live acts: RHYTHM SECTION ('COMING ON STRONG'); ROZALLA ('EVERYBODY'S FREE'); FANTASTIC IBIZA ('FIRST TIME EVER IN UK', 'HOLD TIGHT HARDCORE'). 12 DJs, 4 MCs, 3 PAs. Donovan 'Bassline' Smith later known as Donovan 'Bad Boy' Smith, NOT Simon 'Bassline' Smith. 'Artful Dodger' as MC is not established as the later UK-garage duo. Performances are advertised, not proven.

Graphic-design significance: Highly sophisticated early UK rave surrealist photo-collage: floating ocular face framed by violet/magenta clouds, tiny pyramid suspended in a white convergence plane and disproportionately large foreground human hand casting a monumental shadow into the drawn perspective grid. Graphic space exemplifies rave motifs of altered perception, surreal futures and computer-generated visual culture. Reverse uses controlled blue/red/black typographic bands to combine dozen DJ bill with headline live acts, extraordinary claimed audiovisual experience, £18 entry, national shops, official coaches and a legible original maker line. 'Flyer Design Alex' and exact-item specialist credit 'Alex Design Me' are exceptional graphic authorship evidence, but not independently resolved to a civil identity or source-illustration rights.

Historical context: Fantazia moved from its April 1991 Coventry Eclipse origin to a high-profile 31 Dec 1991 Westpoint Exhibition Centre New Year rave, as recounted by original promoter James Perkins in DJ Mag, and then returned to Westpoint for The Second Sight in Feb 1992 before the May Summertime and July One Step Beyond expansions. The owner original promises twelve hours, 100,000 square feet of indoor music space, high-powered sound and imaginative lasers/3D projections, all original advertising claims rather than audited technical specifications or crowd counts. The programme joins leading breakbeat/house DJs with chart performer Rozalla, whose Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) peaked UK No.6 in 1991 per Official Charts, and Ellis Dee-associated live production project Rhythm Section, promoting Coming on Strong. On-object Donovan 'Bassline' Smith refers to Donovan later styled 'Bad Boy' Smith, documented by his artist biographies, not unrelated Simon 'Bassline' Smith. Artist Fantastic Ibiza and its claimed UK debut remain unresolved. Retrospectives vary between 21 and 22 Feb; printed Friday 21 is start with overnight ending Saturday 22. Original says Fantazia est. 1989, while historical articles identify first major branded events in 1991, not independently reconciled. Later original-attributed DJ tape compilations exist but not every booked set is documented; one attendee remembers Worm playing yet questions DJ Sy/Slipmatt, so preserve printed bill without asserted absence.

Production note: Full-colour surrealist photographic/computer-collage image front with multicolour practical information reverse. Specific original print process, paper stock, photographer, press location or original print quantity unknown.

Condition note: Original front and reverse photos show bright printed colour, intact margins and legible text with minor perimeter rubbing, gentle upper/right corner softening or bending, faint crease/handling and isolated small scuffs. Dark printed field contains light specks, not all demonstrably deterioration rather than underlying artwork. The small bottom-left original credit is legible. No large ripped fold, detached panel or significant piece loss apparent. Exact paper ageing, prior mounting adhesives or restoration, fibre stability and measured dimensions require in-hand assessment.

Confidence / uncertainty: PHYSICAL: 21 February 1992 (Friday), Westpoint/Clyst St Mary, 8pm–8am, promoter EST 1989 inscription, twelve DJs, four MCs, live Rhythm Section/Rozalla/Fantastic Ibiza, £18 advance and Feb 7 ticket release, original Alex design footer. INDEPENDENT: Phatmedia's exact printed event and 'Alex Design Me', DJ Mag first-person James Perkins, Official Charts Rozalla #6, Mi-Soul and TicketSellers early Donovan Bassline alias, Ellis Dee official Rhythm Section history. PRINTED vs PROVENANCE: 100,000 sq ft, claimed biggest South West venue, 95K rig, successful previous sell-out and first UK Fantastic Ibiza PA all marketing claims. Later 22 Feb date may reflect overnight boundary; original says 21st. Different Fantazia EST 1989 vs historic 1991 start remains documented discrepancy. MC Artful Dodger is not assumed the later garage act; Robbi Dee maps existing Robbie Dee with contextual confidence. Worm/Pandi P/other aliases unresolved. Flyer Alex legal identity and source artwork owner unknown, actual attendance, individual DJ performances, printing states, copy values 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.