On 5 and 6 August 1989, JOY took place at Stand Lees Farm in Ashworth Valley, near Rochdale. The event became one of the key outdoor gatherings in the early northern acid house scene, drawing thousands to a rural site at a time when rave culture was still moving largely outside established venues and official approval.

The event was organised by Anthony and Christopher Donnelly, who later founded the fashion label Gio-Goi. Rochdale Council attempted to stop it through a last-minute injunction, and DJ Mike Pickering was served with a restraining order after being billed to appear without his knowledge. JOY was also partly filmed for Tony Wilson’s The Other Side of Midnight, with DJs including Paul Oakenfold, Paul “Trouble” Anderson, Jon DaSilva and Laurent Garnier connected to the event.

Peter J Walsh photographed JOY from inside the crowd. His images capture the atmosphere and immediacy of one of the earliest outdoor raves before rave culture was absorbed into the mainstream. Walsh’s archive is an important documention of the acid house and rave scene in the UK.