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feedback! let's hear it from you Here's your chance to post up your thoughts about the scene, and tell us about the avin' it clubs and the raging rip-offs - or just blather on in a (hopefully) entertaining manner. Listed below are the best of the recent comments we've received. Also check out the archive or feel free to fire off your own thoughts here Your comments... I'm from Los Angeles, where the scene has really started to go down the tubes. Fortunately, I went to a VERY small gathering last weekend that reaffirmed my dying faith. Support the small promoters who are still in it for the love of the rave, not the profit. That is the only way to bring the scene back. Or better yet, get together some friends and cash and throw your own. I've been trying to make connections myself. Anybody with me? Nikki [email protected] I have attended over 50 illegal warehouse parties over the last 4 years from promoters like Insanity, Mainline, Virus, Underground Sounds, Ardvark etc etc. To venues from Hackney Wick to Uxbridge in Middlesex and have had some fucking blinding nights out, but sadly they have come to a bitter end. I haven't been to a techno party for about 8 months now and am having serious withdrawels. The reason being is I used to call United Systems (0208 959 7525) after 10pm on a saturday night but now it just rings. I have tried the number on the front page to this web site but still no joy. Please if there is a way to get in touch with the people still doing them then please let me know. I could write a column on the quality of the organisation, from drug takers (where I have hands on experience) to the rig even checking out toilet facilities???? Please Please Please let me know of a way I can get back in touch. Yours KeV I am a Spanish student studying in UK. i must say a big thank you to all the crew that make squat parties in London possible. You brighten up my life... and everyone elses life. I look ahead to the parties at the week-end... Full of people that love life and drugs and music!!!! The best squat was the open air one in Canning Town. We could see the Millennium Dome on the left, and the new modern building straight ahead. (can't remember the name)Then in the morning the Docklands light rail with people going to work... the tourists in the site seeing buses looking over like saying, 'What the fuck??', and early morning joggers not believing what they saw. I stayed there until late Sunday... it was fantastic. The only fucked up thing was that the Drum&Bass did not come on until 4am, but when it did it was the dogs bullox!!! It was on a pirate radio station the next day. man it was good. I love all the fanatic raving kids. Keep on raving... life is beautiful. Peace. Natalia Did you know the Christie Whitman, the "Great" Governer of New Jersey just signed in a law that states if you are caught with more than two rolls on your person, it is automatically intent and 20 years. What kind of bullshit is that? That's just a severe as acid. Especially for a drug which was used by phycologists a few years back. Well, I say fuck it. It won't help. There will still always be drugs, no matter how many laws there are. Better to legalize them all, test them all so people don't die and tax them to make cash. purple fingaz 
Hasn't rave culture just turned into a warped capitalist system? OK some of the raves may be free, but what about the drugs. Does everyone work at the raves for free? I don't think so. The dress code, the social appearance norms and the hierarchy of 'I do more drugs than u' and 'I'm more crusty than you' has turned what used to be a real alternative culture into a mini- capitalist self obsessed movement. Add this to the increase of violence, bad drugs and fucked up people - haven't we just created another form of hell? kath [email protected] All over the newpapers here in Toronto Canada, parties are being more poplular...and I do go to for the music but do drugs for a different feeling from the everyday life, a time to get away from it all. I don't do a lot anymore though so I don't think I'm bad or anything. It so shitty though how cops are already roaming around parties and busting people with shit. I know people do party for fun and for the drugs but so what? Anything can kill you right? I've always wanted to go to a part-i in the UK....anywhere in the UK because everything about the UK is the shit! Another thing that is pissing me off too is all the shit they take away from us before we go into the part-i: body glitter, batteries, eye drops (very neccessary), hair gel, stickers, perfume, contact solution. This is all thrown out and taken because of GHB...would I even bother to put that shit in my eye drops ..or put it in hair gel so I can eat it all...yuummy. And the batteries...(for the flash to work on my camera) what can i do with this...HONESTLY...?!?!?! kat [email protected] Wicked site, we are a sound system throwing an ever expanding party in the Bucks area. Six parties down and many more to go!!! We thought your site was great with the news page and that, contact us about maybe hooking up with a few web site links etc... Look out for survivalweb coming to a netscape near you! Great site man, keep up the good work. Free the party and keep it rockin'! The Survival Crew
Tribe of Twat do the best partys, for free unlike Pendragon who charge £25 for a party. As someone who goes to Welsh partys all the time I reakon they are taking the piss charging to get in to a muddy forest in west Wales. There are partys that are just as good but for free. Thank fuck I managed to sneak in wirhout the security seeing me. liefus Thought you'd be interested in the latest crack down on raves and dance parties goin' on down here in New South Wales Australia. The NSW [state] government wants to crack down on organisers who stop the flow of free water or make it impossible to refill bottles of water. Yes, the government intervening in a positive way! Protecting our rights to the necessities of life, like water. rabbi wolfgang Dudes, seriously, you think you've got something to fucking whinge about, try hanging out in the rave scene Down Under! Where we are fortunate enough to pay $36 (that's @$60 U.S.) for a New Years Eve rave where the main DJ is a resident at a shitty little rave bunny club on the Gold Coast. We would give our left tits to have the turnout and quality/quantity of doof (and additives), that you guys take for granted! We're still KEEPING THE FAITH, small house parties, got our own decks set up, and just about everyone we know has a go at dj'ing...even us chicks! Stay Committed to the Part-e. And remember, it's about the people, you, me, your mates and some Joe you don't even know. So...build a fucking bridge, cheer up, and send out those good vibes!!!! :) Shelley @ Kaydee Hey guys!! I have recently moved to London, and after squandering so much money on indifferent clubs I have finally started to break into the free party scene, which is much more my kind of thing -- just being able to wander around toking and generally off my head is a cool thing. Question is, though, are there any regular crews or sound systems or whatever that play stuff that's a little less headfucky than all this really mad techno and gabba that' seems to be what everyone's into. I like the music, but only in little doses! I am interested in finding parties with a concious, acid jazz/trance/acid funk leaning vibe, and that are just as cool as the big techno do's. If not, anyone with a sound system and some CD mixers -- let's meet up and do something! I have plenty of tunes! but I'd rather be there on a pill, grooving, and leave the hassles to someone else. If anyone can help me, why not drop me a line. Email, or ICQ 3562510 Sami In contrast to the many who have used this opportunity to vent their rage about certain aspects of the scene I would like to say a big thank you and pay my respects to all that have made the London squat parties possible, making my world a more colourful place, giving me the faith that there are hundreds of people in the world will actively search for what's important - to be happy - and are not willing to unquestioningly lead a life spelt out for them by the expectations of others. The presence of the parties has given me the desire to live my life to the full and confidence in my own instincts. I always felt when I was younger that something was missing and parties have filled this void, enabling me to meet some of the most intelligent, colourful and truest people that make my life such a nice place to be. If any of you who go to parties were to think of how lucky you are to not be forced into a life of soberness i think you'd agree - okay with the highs come the lows but overall a big thankyou to all those who have opened my mind, made me a much happier person, and given me the knowledge that every saturday night I can go and do whatever Ii want to do with a group of like minded people - who expect more from life - who won't bow down to authority - who believe - massive respect to all the squat party people and crews who still blow my mind even after all this time. thank you. violet
Greetings from the South West of England, home of the original free party vibe! I have to agree with the majority of comments from people on your site. The scene is just not the same as it used to be, either at clubs or parties. I have been promoting a night, Chapter33, for the past 4 years and it has always been a busy and successful night. That is however until the last 6 months.For some reason the scene appears to have been infiltrated by what can only be described as 'beer monsters'. These people are obviously just in the clubs for the extended drinking hours and to attempt to pull. Anyway here's to the future and hopefully to a return to the original vibe. DJ Paul Booker. yeah, we can sit around and bitch about slimy promoters, shite parties, and commercial interests edging their way into the "underground rave scene". OR we can recognize the pattern being repeated here, the need to constantly evolve, and create something new and real. If we are constantly striving to recreate some long gone heyday of "rave culture" and continue to throw parties using the same strategies and technologies of the past we deserve to be usurped by bloated corporate entities. To rip off an Apple advert: 'Think Different(ly)' aaronpeacock Damn those Free Parties, they're messing up my life. Every weekend I say to myself, this time I'm gonna stay home and try to act like a 'normal' person, no drugs, no drink, just sit on my backside and watch TV. But then it happens: some friend calls me and presses me (not very long) into traveling all over Holland in search of a warehouse filled with those lovely lovely sounds. As a result, my blood is filled with all sort of chemicals that aren't supposed to be there and I dance and dance and dance well into sunday and sometimes into monday. I meet lots of people and generally have a great time. How am I gonna have a 'normal' life with all those free parties and acid tekno around? I spend half the week recovering from the weekend. I think I should just forget about having a 'normal' life and just rave till I drop. Next stop: Teknival. Respect to all Dutch soundsystems. Greets from Amsterdam. Ted e-mail: [email protected] Last few years have seen an increase of public interest in rave culture in Russia. I mean rave culture as raves itself, the music, fashion etc. I've spent last yr in Britain which is seemed to be a motherland of rave events and after coming back home to Russia i thought that it would be nice to held a rave party in my home town. And our first ever rave event in my provincial hometown situated far from Moscow was called Urban TakeOVER98 which gathered 2700 people. It was massive. People told me that it was the best party they ever been to. Now we are going to held Urban TakeOVER99. I've read that commercialism is the problem. We have the same problem here - people want to make money out of events and don't care about the music. We do care, because we want people dance to a really funky stuff not to crappy speed garage. I want to tell massive respect to drum'n'bass scene in England which i've heard is currently in crisis. Keep doing somthing different, lads! Then there won't be any speed garage crap. Bite [email protected]
Absolutely wicked site! I am a Progressive/Uplifting & Hard House DJ who has played at most of the main clubs in London, also Scotland, South West England and more. Recently I have found it very hard like others, to obtain loads of work due to the big name phase around at the moment. Instead of bitchin all the time though, people have to adapt and find their own ways to become acknowledged as music is such a part of peoples lives and it affects us on a very personal level. I still go clubbing in various parts of the South of England and there are still many wicked nights to be had if you want to travel. Respect to everybody who loves music and dancing. Keep up the excellent page. DJ Inspiration First time for me staggering around the net on a parental visit and mourning the fact that i missed avin it at SmokeScreen/Hektik site party or BWPT Warehouse party in Leicester on New Year due to the flu. The Usual avinitness was strangely quiet in Nottingham over 98 with a few doos going off here and there the best of the bunch (personally anyway) being James Hoosmile's (Desert spoon!) birthday party even if he seemed pretty stressed about it at the time. Hardly suprising though after getting booted off the first site with 4/500 party people blocked out by the boys in blue. After lots of stress getting a bus sunk up to its axles and trying to pull it out we made it to a second (woodland) site and finally got the rig going at about 7.30 in the morning. Music was provided by some of nottinghams finest including Nussey, James himself Julie and Cotton's cheezy listening set (cut short due to techno fascism) and I myself debuted my live set (Hunched in the back of a sherpa van! I had backache for about a week!) It seems though with the authorities clamping down, more party people are joining the exodus to Europe every summer. And with the state of English weather I'm inclined to join them this year. party on, avit large! spider (Nottingham/leicester parties) [email protected] Club culture ? What club culture ? The club scene in the U. K is dieing at the moment because of the increase of these so called Trendy bars opening up across the country in every major city. These bars are open until 2 am filled with Radio One listeners talking about how they 'had it in Ibiza!' and how cool Jules and Pete "Wrong" are. I am a student in Leeds and who is fed up with the shitty student nights that are dominating this city and it's scene. The locals are now paying inflated prices for drinks and not dancing. I was quite pissed of last year to say the least when Basics, Hard Times and Up yer Ronson all closed down. What's going on ? Have people lost the passion to dance ? Thank god every few months i get the chance to come home and express my true passion, dancing at the 'Loft', Camden Lock, Wednesday nights. This is by no means Slocombe's "Bag" but for followers of any musical taste, with an open mind of course a good time will be had. So make the short trip north of Brixton to Camden on a Wednesday night and fulfill this so called dwindling passion, Dancing. Peace. Daz Butterfield [email protected]
The key to good raving is to keep it fresh and exciting. Take South Africa for example. Here in Johannesburg we have an outstanding rave and club culture. The people are wonderful and every venue is filled with love and caring. Why? Who knows. Maybe it's because the scene is still relatively young here, maybe because there is a small group of dedicated ravers who don't give a fuck about money or politics. Admittedly, big organisations are slowly beginning to muscle their way into our lives. (Ministry of Sound, Mother and I.C.E. to name a few). But hey, that's life. And that's why the rave scene is constantly changing. We adapt and move on and let the Ravebunny teenagers have their fun, safe in the knowledge that we are one step ahead of them. No-one can compete with the thrill of being at the pioneering edge of an entirely new culture. Moral of the story? Don't let big organisations control your (rave) life. Control it yourself. See y'all in S.A. PLUR... Jumba. I'm sad to say that here in Brazil the rave scene is already being touched by big money trying to take its bit. What I hate is people trying to be English around here... I really liked this page talking 'bout what's going on and complaining a lot. And that spiceslap!! You should try rraurl.com.br, but it's in Portuguese...Hope you go on, this page is lovely. Paula [email protected] >> More comments |
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