The sound of the underground — literally

In 1984, rave and hip hop ruled supreme, but I wasn’t so sure

Dear members — after weeks of ultra serious reporting on Liverpool’s trains; anti-Irish bigotry and the ins and outs of local politics, it is high time for some fun. And who better to turn to than Melissa Blease, a writer who has penned some of our greatest hits? (Think: New Romantics; Paul O’Grady). Melissa has taken a time machine to 1984 to report from the beginning of the rave scene in Liverpool and interrogate her old flatmate on whether or not he charged an entry fee for their basement house parties.  

But before we get there: the former head of Brazil’s Indigenous Protection agency has been indicted in the murder of Wirral-born journalist Dom Phillips, Everton’s exclusivity agreement and more in our news briefing.