This is what 30 years of British counterculture looks like
- Text by Khadija Ahmed
- Photography by Matthew Smith
Matthew Smith can pinpoint the moment he decided to become a photographer.
He was sitting in a workshop on politics and communications when a guest lecturer produced some raw footage of the Stonehenge festival in 1985.
The screen flashed with images of police smashing in bus windows, pulling people through the broken glass, abusing and threatening the festival-goers – even pregnant women and children.

At the Mother Free Festival at Bridgwater Bay, 1995.
Latest on Huck
In Bristol, pub singers are keeping an age-old tradition alive
Ballads, backing tracks, beers — Bar closures, karaoke and jukeboxes have eroded a form of live music that was once an evening staple, but on the fringes of the southwest’s biggest city, a committed circuit remains.
Written by: Fred Dodgson
This new photobook celebrates the long history of queer photography
Calling the Shots — Curated by Zorian Clayton, it features the work of several groundbreaking artists including Robert Mapplethorpe, Sunil Gupta, Zanele Muholi and more.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Krept & Konan: “Being tough is indoctrinated into us”
Daddy Issues — In the latest from our interview column exploring fatherhood and masculinity, UK rap’s most successful double act reflect on loss, being vulnerable in their music, and how having a daughter has got Krept doing things he’d never have imagined.
Written by: Robert Kazandjian
Vibrant polaroids of New York’s ’80s party scene
Camera Girl — After stumbling across a newspaper advert in 1980, Sharon Smith became one of the city’s most prolific nightlife photographers. Her new book revisits the array of stars and characters who frequented its most legendary clubs.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Bad Bunny: “People don’t know basic things about our country”
Reggaeton & Resistance — Topping the charts to kick off 2025, the Latin superstar is using his platform and music to spotlight the Puerto Rican cause on the global stage.
Written by: Catherine Jones
Why London’s queers are flocking to line dance
Stud City — With a global boom in the popularity of country music, a host of new nights attended by LGBTQ+ folk are opening in the UK’s capital. Zoe Paskett went along to find out about the community’s love for the hustle.
Written by: Zoe Paskett