Belfast Punk: Warzone Centre 1997-2003
Ricky Adam

The Warzone Collective began in 1984 in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland when a few local punks decided to consolidate their efforts and get their own venue, practice and social space. In 1986 the Collective opened its first premises in Belfast called Giros. It provided a vegetarian cafe, practice space, screen printing facilities, etc. Over time the space soon became a focal point for anarchists, punks and other forward thinking individuals. In 1991 the Collective moved to a larger and more ambitious venue, which is where all of the photographs in this book were taken. Over the years thousands of people passed through Giros’ doors and were exposed to some amazing bands, and new ideas. A strong D.I.Y. ethic defined the way gigs and events were organised. Over time, a recording studio, screen printing and photographic dark room facilities were set up, along with a vegetarian cafe. It didn’t have an alcohol license – Giros was an all ages venue. The ‘Warzone Centre’ or ‘The Centre’ as it was called by some, became the counter-cultural alternative hub for the greater Belfast area and beyond. Bands from all over the world came here to play. It soon became infamous as being one of the most credible venues in Europe for D.I.Y. punk. The photographs in this book were taken sporadically over the years somewhere between 1997 – 2003. A small window of time considering the Warzone Collective opened its first venue in 1986. Towards the end of 2003 the Centre closed for a number of different reasons, leaving a huge gap in radical Belfast culture. In 2011, the Warzone Centre reopened after an 8 year hiatus, in a different venue on the opposite side of town. It is still going strong today.

Ricky Adam was born in Bangor, Northern Ireland in 1974. He has been involved in the D.I.Y. punk community for many years and has been Co-Editor/Photographer for ‘DIG BMX’ magazine for over 20 years. He has spent years playing in bands and traveling all over the world taking photographs. Adam is rarely without a camera and over the years has built up a unique series of photographs. His work has been featured in many worldwide publications/record labels, some of which include: DIG BMX magazine, The Independent, Juxtapoz, Obey, Maximum Rock N’Roll, British Journal of Photography, Upper Playground, Hamburger Eyes, Dischord Records, Burning Heart Records. His work has also been exhibited in art shows throughout the world.¹

Damiani was founded in May 2004 as the new publishing branch of the printing company, Grafiche Damiani, in Bologna. Damiani was set up in the 1950s to specialise in art and photography lithographic printing. Besides the projects concerning the unpublished activity by leading figures from the art and photography world, Damiani also constitutes an observatory of the new generations of international artists and of social phenomena, which meet with the solid architecture of accurately edited books, creating real art objects. Damiani’s current list of books cover a large range of subjects, including photography, architecture, design, reportage, pop culture, fashion, collecting and sports.²