Forums › Rave › Free Parties & Teknivals › OK, so how are we gonna keep the scene alive?
The usual discussions are going on about parties – “they’re not as good as they use to be / too many chavs/too much trouble / cops are hassling us / buildings not good enough ” etc…
As the same time, the level of opposition to parties has become greater than ever before. Zero tolerance, ASBOs, more confiscations and lately civil recovery attempts – a situation where the Police are passing on details to building owners who are then trying to recover the cost of damage to venues via the civil courts from “organisers”
There’s also the constant sceptre of violence.
Iin London it is the usual street gangs you’d expect to find in a city where people are stabbed or beat up for fuck all and even the bull-terriers get mugged (I’m not making this up, one was recently knocked about, locked in a cupboard and had all her pups stolen – poor bitch 🙁 )
but in the outer-london or “bumpkin” parties we are now increasingly seeing people bringing private feuds to parties; and behaviour where people attend parties looking for a fuck and a fight..
And perhaps with hindsight party crews pushed things way beyond what the rest of society will tolerate, particularly when you start adding up the financial costs of trashed buildings, ambulance callouts etc.
My day job often involves checking costs of buildings maintenance amongst other things, I can confirm that people aren’t exaggerating when they say tens of thousands of pounds of damage are caused!
I also found records of a parliament debate which implies the new CJA amendments were fast-tracked in 2004 due to an increase in rave activity in 2002-2003, and locals complaining to their MPs.
so what are we gonna do about it?
To be fair most crews are aware of this.
The better London ones are deploying security in various forms, and although it increases door prices and ends up with the guards regulating the start/finish times it is the only realistic solution to deal with the level of violence on London’s streets today. That said, free parties still remain safer than licensed events, even in London – (there were at least two shootings at licensed NYE events in London this year!)
Out in the provinces people are finally becoming more selective about their venues and picking actual disused buildings rather than “between lets” warehouses – rinsing these is obvious trouble!
but a lot of it is up to those who attend the parties – this means YOU!
We actually need more people to help out with parties – and less slating of the new crews for “not having enough sound” etc!
Sound kit doesn’t grow on trees, its paid for out of peoples own pockets and jobs are becoming harder to get and keep.. big up Aztek, Confusion/ZT, and all the newer crews who have started up and anyone else thinking of starting one – we need you lot!
Furthermore, people who have partied hard over the last couple of years may be taking a break for a bit – the stress is clearly starting to show on some of them, even the younger ones.
Many partygoers don’t see the behind the scenes stress that can happen because of parties, particularly when the authorities become involved ; when crew people get nicked it often does affect their lives at work and their families (home addresses often end up being checked out for bail, employers notified, all sorts of stuff) – most crew people are not master criminals so those close to them are understandably concerned.
you would not however expect non-raving relatives and employers to support an activity seen at the best slightly morally questionable and at the worst criminally anti-social – so the support needs to come from us.
How many people have helped out at a personal level someone from a party crew who has had hassles, even if its just speaking to them and letting them know they have some support.. or perhaps helped them find a home or employment if things get really bad? How many people actually even think about this?
As for behaviour at parties; I shouldn’t need to say this (as its already been mentioned for the last 3 years) but leave the “litten tree” mentality back in your city or town!
Smashing and fighting does nobody any favours, and whilst its possible you may over the months/years meet someone who also likes raving in your town or city and likes you as well, the party itself shouldn’t be a cattle market where you are trying to pull and people feel at risk of harrasment, or people’s drug impaired judgement makes them think they can drive a wedge between a couple.
this sort of thing is bound to eventually kick things off and we don’t want “townie” style violence in parties, without the bouncers it could get really dark.
So perhaps the solution is “less is more?” A return in 2005 to smaller events with about 3 rigs max, held in places which are definitely unused for other purposes and do not cause disruption, and with people attending who are there for the right reasons and can behave appropriately?
TBH I reckon these sort of events are more likely to lead to lasting alliances and friendships than the often rather impersonal multi-riggers, – perhaps this is the way forward….
TBH I reckon these sort of events are more likely to lead to lasting alliances and friendships than the often rather impersonal multi-riggers,and are perhaps the way forward..
Well done again, GL, for saying what a lot of people are already thinking.
The early raves that I attended were often one rig, that may or may not have been put together from several systems. I feel that this helped to provide a single focus and there was probably less fracturing about musical ideas / tastes.
These days everyone wants something different, or so it seems. Surely the one thing we all want is a fucking good time without anybody hassling us… we do have that in common
One good way to have a fucking good time without anyone hassling you is to think about what someone might hassle you about and then do your best not to do that thing near them. but isn’t that just accepting societies rules and doing what ‘they’ want?
It doesn’t have to be…
…finding a decent site is one of the hardest things, but doing so may make the difference between the OB being called right away and all dancing until the sun is well up and then doing it all again.
…keeping schtumm helps too. the infoline really doesn’t need to be all over town by friday night… those that want to find you will (usually), after all, that’s all part of the magic… isn’t it?
…giving something back to the wider community certainly doesn’t do any harm for the image of ‘ravers’. One party I went to in 2004 had gone to the trouble of inviting neighbouring farmers and their kids during the afternoon and putting on some live music and a great big BBQ. By the time things started to really kick off, the neigbours had either wandered off home wishing everyone well, or were starting to get curious about ‘that tea’ everyone was drinking 😉 … I realise that a lot of squats are under more and more pressure, but organising or hosting something for local families during the day can help to boost your ‘standing in the community’
Basically, while much of what we do is in legal grey areas, the ‘us’ and ‘them’ situation created by police, government and media does not need to be a reality… a bit of openess in some respects can help to ease the minds of people who are wary of dance events, while a bit more applied secretivity might help to keep us safe while we walk through the valley of the snide
hmm, a bit confused that… I think what i’m saying is that a bit more inclusive activity can help the cause and that, in fact, the kind of inclusive and safe environment where people feel safe to bring kids etc (like glastonbury in the 70’s and early 80’s) actually discourages wide-boys cos they feel intimidated by the warmth and happiness
it’s not easy and there’s a lot to be done. Ego’s sometimes get in the way of moving forward (by accepting constructive criticism, or not wanting to play different tunes, for example)…
as someone said on SJ recently in response to a thread titles “Raving is alive” …”its alive like a limping one-legged bomb blast victim anaesthetised with ket” 🙁
keep it underground, real and for each other 🙂
oh yes, and Happy New Year
hmm, a bit confused that… I think what i’m saying is that a bit more inclusive activity can help the cause and that, in fact, the kind of inclusive and safe environment where people feel safe to bring kids etc (like glastonbury in the 70’s and early 80’s) actually discourages wide-boys cos they feel intimidated by the warmth and happiness
it’s not easy and there’s a lot to be done. Ego’s sometimes get in the way of moving forward (by accepting constructive criticism, or not wanting to play different tunes, for example)…
as someone said on SJ recently in response to a thread titles “Raving is alive” …”its alive like a limping one-legged bomb blast victim anaesthetised with ket” 🙁
r
i recon the whole urban dance music scene has been in crisis for a while. i only started clubbin in about ’97, when london DnB was goin thru a rebirth. it was well exciting, and you could really feel it in the air. DnB stagnated after that, it seems almost on purpose as a consipirisy by the DnB royalty. they were just well shortt sighted and kept doin the same nights over and over, which isnt healthy at all.
dont know how that really relates, but i think what im saying is that we have to evolve to survive. gettin latched on to stale old dogma’s about having one type of music per rig, volume levels, decoration, who we think are “suitable” to go to raves. the oldskool ravers are all gone and old in the main, so it is up to the new breed of party organisers and party goers, as well as musicians, lighting techs, artists, performers and everyone else who gives a shit; its up to us how the future of parties pans out.
this means having as much vision as the originators did. we cant rest on old laurels. ive been sorting out some sunday afternoons in pub gardens, and a float in a few local parades. there are ways as global said, of being inclusive, trying to present an image that people arent scared of, but embrace. Im not on a bout “selling” your self, just bein aware how easy it is to be intimidating.
we are only gonna have nice parties if we find ourselves a niche in society. i think there must be a way that society can tolerate our scene, where they can just leave us alone in exchange for specific considerations. there will always be dirty underground parties, no matter what the law says, there will always be people who want to push the boundaries and step back outside the law if it ever caught up.
bottom line: less is more: less ego, less prejudice, less preconceptions, less gettin bogged down in the rules of raves. “if it aint broke dont fix it” does not apply to raves, they should be always stiving forward to reach that next level.
hmm, a bit confused that… I think what i’m saying is that a bit more inclusive activity can help the cause and that, in fact, the kind of inclusive and safe environment where people feel safe to bring kids etc (like glastonbury in the 70’s and early 80’s) actually discourages wide-boys cos they feel intimidated by the warmth and happiness
it’s not easy and there’s a lot to be done. Ego’s sometimes get in the way of moving forward (by accepting constructive criticism, or not wanting to play different tunes, for example)…
as someone said on SJ recently in response to a thread titles “Raving is alive” …”its alive like a limping one-legged bomb blast victim anaesthetised with ket” 🙁
r
i recon the whole urban dance music scene has been in crisis for a while. i only started clubbin in about ’97, when london DnB was goin thru a rebirth. it was well exciting, and you could really feel it in the air. DnB stagnated after that, it seems almost on purpose as a consipirisy by the DnB royalty. they were just well shortt sighted and kept doin the same nights over and over, which isnt healthy at all.
dont know how that really relates, but i think what im saying is that we have to evolve to survive. gettin latched on to stale old dogma’s about having one type of music per rig, volume levels, decoration, who we think are “suitable” to go to raves. the oldskool ravers are all gone and old in the main, so it is up to the new breed of party organisers and party goers, as well as musicians, lighting techs, artists, performers and everyone else who gives a shit; its up to us how the future of parties pans out.
this means having as much vision as the originators did. we cant rest on old laurels. ive been sorting out some sunday afternoons in pub gardens, and a float in a few local parades. there are ways as global said, of being inclusive, trying to present an image that people arent scared of, but embrace. Im not on a bout “selling” your self, just bein aware how easy it is to be intimidating.
we are only gonna have nice parties if we find ourselves a niche in society. i think there must be a way that society can tolerate our scene, where they can just leave us alone in exchange for specific considerations. there will always be dirty underground parties, no matter what the law says, there will always be people who want to push the boundaries and step back outside the law if it ever caught up.
bottom line: less is more: less ego, less prejudice, less preconceptions, less gettin bogged down in the rules of raves. “if it aint broke dont fix it” does not apply to raves, they should be always stiving forward to reach that next level.
quite true – the same thing happened in the old-skool days – same as in the mainstream media and some commercial businesses, a cartel has been formed of “name DJs” and promoters, who carve up much of the available legal rave resources and business amongst themselves, whilst pretty much kowtowing to what the old bill tell them to do, inasmuch as “security procedures” are concerned.
in some scenes people are even prepared to use physical force to compete for these lucrative “turfs”, (stuff like organised disruption of events with CS gas discharged into the crowd, even shootings etc etc) of course when this happens the cops clamp down on everything..
we are only gonna have nice parties if we find ourselves a niche in society. i think there must be a way that society can tolerate our scene, where they can just leave us alone in exchange for specific considerations. there will always be dirty underground parties, no matter what the law says, there will always be people who want to push the boundaries and step back outside the law if it ever caught up.
this is definitely the case. Sadly, I get the impression that a minority of people enjoy being a bit “intimidating”, (perhaps due to previous issues they have with society) – others through ignorance do not consider the wider impacts, they need to be addressed otherwise the clampdowns will get worse.
Another issue with an “unregulated” society is that there are those within it who will seek to define their own regulations – and they will sometimes try to enforce these “regulations” with violence or take control of the communal spaces for their own purposes.. this is something people must always be vigilant against.
true – this is something I’ve been saying for many years now, particularly with regard to eventually forming more lasting communities out of those who go raving – whilst short-term hedonism is fun, it can have long term adverse effects and isn’t really that fulfilling..
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Forums › Rave › Free Parties & Teknivals › OK, so how are we gonna keep the scene alive?
