

One of the most important street culture influencers that you’ve never heard of…
Andy Swallow opens up about his life for the very first time in this brand new and exclusive documentary feature from Revelation Films.
In the 70s and 80s, Britain was experiencing a huge cultural and social shift, most of which was observable to the general population, but below the surface the greatest change for young people was at street culture level and one of the most significant drivers of that change: Andy Swallow.
Andy’s rise to notoriety with the authorities began when he co-founded and led West Ham’s hooligan faction ‘The Inter City Firm’ or ‘ICF’ but that was only the start of a long list of accomplishments that have cemented his place in street culture history.
He became the first DJ and party promoter to introduce illegal raves to Britain, going on to attract up to 30,000 people to disused warehouses and open fields, and prompting government action and a change to club licencing rules.
He launched the very first 24-hour pirate radio station – Centreforce 88.3 – dedicated to rave music and broadcast from derelict flats in the East End of London but the success of the station was just the start of Andy’s venture into the music industry. He founded two record labels, worked alongside some of the most successful executives in the industry – Pete Waterman and Simon Cowell – and signed acts that went on to have huge commercial success, namely Craig David, Ms Dynamite and Liberty X.
Four decades later and the once illegal Centreforce is now a legitimate and hugely successful DAB radio station and whilst he enjoys a quieter life abroad, Andy Swallow’s influence is so deeply embedded in just about every corner of working class culture – from football to music and fashion – that his impact as the man who broke all the rules but came out on top will no doubt be spoken about for generations to come.
Includes contributions from Irvine Welsh, Cass Pennant, Carlton Leach and many more…