Seeking Free Party Goers

[loumason]

I'm a Producer working for the BBC in Bristol. We're making a
documentary programme for BBC3 about the different and diverse ways
British people choose to party. Within this programme I'd love to
include a positive film about free parties and give the people on the
scene a chance to have their say.

Would anyone be able to give me some advice about whether I have any chance of making this film and maybe even put me in touch with people who would be happy to take part? I understand that you may be wary of the media but like I say this film will have a very positive slant on the scene, the parties, and the people who make them happen.

I can be contacted by email on louise.mason@bbc.co.uk or by phone on 01179 742313.

Thanks,
Louise

[DJ FATTMAN]

sounds good m8, at least some 1 wants to show that we r not criminals.

[BioTech]

I understand that you may be wary of the media but like I say this film will have a very positive slant on the scene, the parties, and the people who make them happen.
Too right we are wary.

I'm sorry louise but we really can't believe this will be a positive documentary. We only have your word, which isn't exactly very solid.

I think/hope that most of us have learned that we cannot trust the media. I'm sure you may be a very nice person but your kind (for want of a better word) haven't done much to ever help us over the years.

Besides. Even if it was a positive 'slant' then I don't think getting a lot of public interest is a good thing at the moment. They unjustly hate us enough as it is.

I implore anyone thinking of getting involved with this to stay well away.

[USE]

I know journalism is a twisted institution, totally corrupted by the need for profit, and has a tendancy to maintain the status quo and misrepresent facts and opinions as and when it suits, but it is the main way to communicate on a massive scale, and if we dont contribute to that communication we wont get heard. If we arent heard, we are easy to get rid of,so we need to keep turnin the other cheek to the media, because what else have we got? you cannot deny the medias power is massive, so why not harness that power? i know they all lie and dick us over every time, but if the alternitive is silence and inertia, im with getting dicked............

[Bluebell]

I dont think you will have a chance Louise, people would'nt appreciate being shown on TV - I know I wouldnt, plus I dont think Rig owners or organisers would appreciate the attention considering the relationship between party people and the police at the moment.

As BioTech said stay well away - we dont need 'public interest'

[fRiJ]

Fraid I agree with Bio-Tech and Bluebell here, I only have to point to recent events in my neck of the woods to show that the media as a whole have no intention of showing us party goers in a positive way. There first point of contact is the police and they ensure that they put over the veiw of the police more than the veiw of the people who attend or organise these wonderful events. My experience tells me that you (the media) really arn't intrested in positive stuff except as a filler for the last few seconds of a news broadcast.

[Unregistered]

Lou,

Speaking for myself, I think you'll find it hard to raise much interest. Having observed free party people have a range of experiences in talking to the media (I refer you to two of the more balanced articles I can think of:

http://partyvibe.com/articles/inside_the_secret_raves.htm
http://partyvibe.com/articles/far_from_the_maddening_crowds.htm)

... reports have on the whole tended to be quite negative.

Having said that I think it's shame, although to be expected. Certainly the fact that in television the subject doesn't have any say in how they are portayed is big source of mistrust (Joe public thinks aloud: "So, well, I wonder whether Michael Jackson really is innocent? Hmmm, well I've no way of knowing, but the press certainly make it sound believable enough and he is a wierdo. I guess he must have sex with children then...").

Regardless thanks for putting out some relevant programing such as Tower Block Dreams (http://library.digiguide.com/lib/episodes/214618)...

[globalloon]

why doesn't somebody agree to help, and then give the tv crew the run around the whole night, totally annoying the hell out of them, leading them a merry goose chase, just like the media has been doing to movements for years?

just an idea

[Surrey_Raver]

Because, now u wrote that, they'll know!

[Bluebell]

We would be stooping to their level then........best keeping it for us to know and them to not!

[Unregistered]

I dunno, there are people in all professions who perform badly or take the easy route.
BBC three is trying desperatly to appeal to the 'yoot'. I reckon she's genuine.

[BioTech]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I dunno, there are people in all professions who perform badly or take the easy route.
BBC three is trying desperatly to appeal to the 'yoot'. I reckon she's genuine.
I think she is too. But the problem is that IMO any publicity is bad publicity for us.

The documentary could be very kind to us and highlight the great things that come form the parties.

But there is a tonn of people out there that will be afraid and angry at what we get up to. Wether it be from fear and misunderstanding or just general hatred of people being free and having a good time.

The result will be more pressure on the powers that be to try and shut us down.

[General Lighting]

Looks like Louise has turned up on here as well.... these journos get everywhere ;)

I won't repeat in its entirety what I said on Squatjuice (it wasn't rude or anything but the points have already been made here) but I'm also of the opinion it won't help anyone making this film.

Not the party crews, nor Louise's career; she would be well advised (particularly as she comes across as a genuine person who likes a party or two) to find other subject matter.

Under current BBC policy these sort of programmes are supposed to represent a "balanced view" - that means the Police get their say as well - either as part of the programme or from putting in a formal complaint about it "promoting illegal activity". and we all know what can happen here :(

[General Lighting]

Looks like Louise has turned up on here as well.... these journos get everywhere ;)

I won't repeat in its entirety what I said on Squatjuice (it wasn't rude or anything but the points have already been made here) but I'm also of the opinion it won't help anyone making this film.

Not the party crews, nor Louise's career; she would be well advised (particularly as she comes across as a genuine person who likes a party or two) to find other subject matter.

Under current BBC policy these sort of programmes are supposed to represent a "balanced view" - that means the Police get their say as well - either as part of the programme or from putting in a formal complaint about it "promoting illegal activity". and we all know what can happen here :(

[wanted]

Sorry Lou, I have to agree that the film would stir up loads of grief, but hey a least you had a go, perhaps you should take your film crew to a Mcfestival like reading or Glasto and film the very 'Positive' money makers at the acceptable end of the scale! point out to the masses the irony of MEAN FIDDLER running the party in a POW camp!

'eagles may sore high, but weasels don't grt caught in airplane engines' XXX

[General Lighting]

I will at least congratulate Louise for having the decency to ask us first = many journos would have just taken the lazy option and got stock footage from the Police of a rave being stopped or evidence gathering footage :(

[BioTech]

Thats true. Thanks for that courtesy Louise.

Sorry we can't help but you must understand why.

[General Lighting]

If Louise is still reading here and wants to know further why she had such a "hostile" response (or others want to know why we are wary of the media) - well it looks that another producer from her own employers has already spoilt things. The following came from Squatjuice


right, i was watching sum program about the crack problem in this country, well, London in particular on my m8s satelite tv. was on BBC 3 or 4.

they went to a squat party with a camera and filmed it all, the kids, the dealers and, of course, the crack smokers.

whilst the reporter was distancing middle england from the 'horrors' of illegal goings on, i distinctly remember himsaying something like, this is just 1 party, on a saturday night, and there are loads of these, every weekend.

not good!


worse still this journo has now thoroughly fucked things up for any positive minded person wanting to make a video in London; they will be viewed, unsurprisingly, with suspicion....

[Unregistered]

BBC 3 doing a thing on the Underground scene, no chance!

Anyone that agrees to this is a fucking sell out!

[General Lighting]

the BBC have been taking underground ideas and regulating them / watering them down and bringing them within the system since before I was born!

Radio 1 (the BBC's first "yoof" channel) was only formed after they had got the Government to shut down the pirate radio stations of the 1960s counterculture (the ones on boats)

[BioTech]

Funny you should mention that. There is one parked about 20 yards in front of me, I could hit it with a stone.

....a pirate radio boat that is.

[General Lighting]

Originally posted by BioTech
Funny you should mention that. There is one parked about 20 yards in front of me, I could hit it with a stone.

....a pirate radio boat that is.

Probably Radio Caroline which has been downsized into a 1 month RSL [1] on AM (1 watt ERP TX which will probably only transmit to East Anglia if that unless you wish to monitor the station with the sort of 50m long wire antenna used when wireless sets had valves...

parked? Can only assume then that this vessel is on a trailer as well rather than afloat :(

Although it could even be the BBC doing a "legal pirate" show with people from Caroline?

Just shows what can happen to the underground as the Establishment strikes back.

Ask some older people (40/50+) and many will tell you that Caroline was part of a counterculture movement very similar to the underground party scene.. It was good for a bit but (and I know the former TX engineer who lives in REading) the businessmen from Essex all wanted a piece, there was violence between stations including use of firearms (sounds familiar like UK garage crew?) and the Govt got heavy...

Fair play to them for keeping the original spirit going at least I suppose...

[1] A short term legal radio licence given out by the British Office of Communications (OfCom); after stations shell out loads of money and fill in reams of paperwork. They are supposed to be streamlining this process, and not before time...

[BioTech]

Well. Its moored then. I knew I was technically incorrect but parked sounded nicer. :)

I'm not sure what it is. Hang on one second and i shall go look at the code.....

1224 Am.

Don't think its broadcasting though.

[General Lighting]

Originally posted by BioTech
Well. Its moored then. I knew I was technically incorrect but parked sounded nicer. :)


And there was I thinking - well he's from East Anglia and would definitely be wise to matters nautical :D

Had visions of this boat being on a trailer and being driven along the A14. Glad to see whoevers doing it hasn't sunk that low.

Must be a station for the oldies though, AM would be crap for modern dance music.

[BioTech]

You cheeky so and so.

I'll have you know I took my lilo to the seas by the time I was 4.

[Blaze]

we had some experience with the writing press (I live in Holland, near Amsterdam)
there was a party two weeks ago
http://goa.trance.fotopic.net/c182668.html
and the local press was there as well(it was the opening of the cultural season of a park)
all the press could write about was about the mushrooms that people took (most of the article)
only a little bit about the music, deco and friendly people there

(sorry for my bad english, it is not my native language)

[BioTech]

Your English is outstanding, no need to apologise. (better than some english peoples command of the language in fact!)

Most UK born citizens don't even make the effort to talk other languages (me included) but we expect others to be able to talk ours, which is rather selfish.

Touching on what you have said though: Its a shame it works that way but the drugs issue will sell more papers to the majority of readers who consider themselves 'disgusted' by such behaviour. Where as an article about positive efforts to bring people together and enjoy themselves sadly don't.

[globalloon]

Originally posted by General Lighting


Had visions of this boat being on a trailer and being driven along the A14. Glad to see whoevers doing it hasn't sunk that low.


Now then, I've never set up a broadcast, but i do remember some good ol' boys who used to drive around on a hill/ridge above exeter/torbay etc on sunday evenings in their van, complete with decks and power source broadcasting v good come-down sounds.

I think they had a fixed broadcast (?) antenna and sent a signal to that using some kind of CB or similar devie, so if the OB found the source they wouldn't loose the whole rig.

Bit of a laff

[MKP]

Originally posted by BioTech
Your English is outstanding, no need to apologise. (better than some english peoples command of the language in fact!)

Most UK born citizens don't even make the effort to talk other languages (me included) but we expect others to be able to talk ours, which is rather selfish.

Too true, nice that people on here actually use english, rather than yoof slang, and I'm currently trying to learn German, flying the flag for Britain in Europe!
Ich hoffe, dass Sie ein gutes (?!) Wochenende haben.
Peace

[BioTech]

Originally posted by MKP

Ich hoffe, dass Sie ein gutes (?!) Wochenende haben.
Peace

My weekend was crap actually. Spent it in bed. Ill. :(

Or should I say....

Mein Wochenende war crap wirklich. Verbraucht es im Bett. Krank

[MKP]

didn't mean to infer people on here were closed minded, ill educated yoofs, just the rest of the country. shame to miss a good weekend in bed, i spent it trying to pass this year, we shall se on thursday...
peace

[BioTech]

Originally posted by MKP
didn't mean to infer people on here were closed minded, ill educated yoofs

Didn't for one second think you were mate.

[MKP]

sound. I guess this should be on another thread, but any news on the scottish scene, have heard a few whispers but could do with a number....

[BioTech]

Sorry mate, I don't know a lot about the scottish scene. A good place to ask might be www.squatjuice.com

Its got some good people there if you disregard all the childish squabbles and various cretins.

Be prepared to be accused of being a copper though for your first few posts. Its kind of a tradition.

[globalloon]

you're a pig ain'tcha bio... gonna have you with eggs mon

[breakzhead]

I feel it is generally a good idea and I believe you should go ahead with making this documentary. The people of the UK need to see what really happens and what really doesn't happen. I believe it is the public interest because of the following reasons:

At the weekend I went to a freeparty (of which I do every saturday nite and have done for throughout the last few years of my life). It was at a peaceful location in a forest owned by the forestry commision on Exmoor. The atmosphere was initially peaceful and a nice vibe was present even though the music was enjoyed by few as it was techno. I goto freepartys because I prefer a pleasent atmosphere to a violent, intimading atmosphere that I'd normally find in a pub.

Anyway all was good until the police turned up. Initially four police arrived and told us they were in the process of making a decision on whether to shut the party down. Partygoers did not mind the small police presence and were being friendly to the police. Would you find this on a high street at 2am in the morning?... Even though the partygoers were being friendly the police decided to call more police, then more police then more police. There must have been at least 40 police there by 3am. This was a party consisting of around a hundred (peaceful) people. They then claimed they were going to get dogs (which they threatened to set on us).

This was when the atmosphere changed. The police had changed the atmosphere to an anarchic anti-police state. They stopped the music and suddenly the police was the focus of the attention. Not only did they laugh in our face and told us that each constable was on £20 plus per hour over but they called the police helicopter to survey the area (is this really necessary when the police had checked it out on foot?).

What annoyed me about the whole situation was fundamentally it was a peaceful gathering in a forest, with no houses affected by noise pollution. The police totally over reacted costing us the tax payer a lot of money which is totally unnecessary, they broke the peace- they were the problem. It appears that the police have a total lack of respect for the culture of todays society. I wonder if we was playing music that was acceptable to them would the situation be different?. I am apsolutely sick and tired of the police blowing their budget on something that they know will be a safe nights overtime. However I have found a better way then to verbally or physically assualt them. I take fotos of them with a digital camera and it really annoys them- they cant do anything about some young lad flashing a camera in their face and telling them that they are going be put into a nation wide database on the web of "cuntstables". It really pisses them off, but I tried respecting them and it gets you nowhere. They commonly poke video cameras in our faces and write down our car registrations, then send us letters telling us that we were at an illegal rave. Emm Helpful.

If you need any help whatsoever then please give me a shout. I want to show the UK the smiles the police have when they are rinsing out our police budget on a peaceful hippy gathering. Us ravers are no threat to the public, we are the public. Surely we should be allowed to party in public places? I thought the government wanted to end the binge/ happy hour drinking culture?

[General Lighting]

Originally posted by breakzhead
I feel it is generally a good idea and I believe you should go ahead with making this documentary. The people of the UK need to see what really happens and what really doesn't happen. I believe it is the public interest because of the following reasons:



I understand what you are saying, the problem with the documentary is it will end up "preaching to the converted" and other people (not from the scene) will see but they will not accept nor tolerate.

Just think how many documentaries there have been on ethnic minorities and the positive aspects of their lifestyles; yet racism still persists.

This isn't the first time someone has made documentaries about free parties; even when balanced they don't do us any good.

It wouldn't even do louise any good - the first thing she will probably find if she persists with this film is a letter to her boss from the Operation Hartley cops with a Court Order asking for all untransmitted footage "to assist with detection of criminal activity" - similar things have happened to many film makers over the years who have filmed both commercial and free rave events.

Remember that there are sometimes drugs consumed at parties ;) and drugs are still illegal!

By all means make a video of a good party for your own private use or perhaps showing as projections or at an "alternative cinéma" - but engaging with "mainstream media" is dangerous. The rest of society just isn't ready or happy to see "our culture" in their face on the TV screens.

[Unregistered]

"Just think how many documentaries there have been on ethnic minorities and the positive aspects of their lifestyles; yet racism still persists.

This isn't the first time someone has made documentaries about free parties; even when balanced they don't do us any good. "

True said, Gen, but at the same time, one more shit tv program isn't gonna make things any harder for us at the mo.There is still rascism, but cooperation from the media has shaming rascists into the background.ive been in pubs with black mates in bristol and not got served for ages, got a few comments, but forty years ago, there would have been a sign sayin "no blacks, irish or dogs" and neither of us would have got inside. Eighty years ago, just up the road from the pub there wpould have been four african slaves, in rags and chains on top of podiums for sale. Dont say nothing ever changes, coz it does and it will. with media cooperation, free parties will be legal in five years.

The rave community has always shyed away from the mainsream media and look where its got us- totally alienated from the debate that we started. the media will report our shit wether we like it or not, so i recon its best to have as much say and influence over this as poss. there are too many lazy journo's out there that just want to make another "community shaken by antisocial gatherings" peice, but to lump all journos in this is like throwing your bud out with the stalks. we can use these pricks, they arent that clever, we can take em.

Free Parties are all about freedom - freedom of communication ,thought, and action. if we let the mainsteams' antipathy infect us then we are fuct. we must stay stong and free and defiant.

FIGHT THE POWER... FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE!



By USE
peace love unity respect

[Blaze]

this story will come out today in the amsterdam weekly, this is a free magazine for arts and entertainment in and arround amsterdam

I think this is a well balanced story and grasps the excitment of doing free(illegal) party's

================================================== ===========

Where’s the party at?

There are various charms one could distinguish regarding an illegal outdoor house party. Finding out where the party is, for example. It usually starts with an announcement on a well hidden internet site. Further details about ‘where exactly’ and ‘how to get there’ you’ll receive only just before the party is ready for take off. Then, when you know where to go by mail or 06 number, you are overwhelmed by this mystic feeling of belonging to a group most of the people don’t know about. You share a little secret that will unfold itself during the night. So forget your lipstick and expensive night clothes. All you need is a backpack, filled with beer, good spirit and some xtc-pills if you like, cause we’re going on a trip.

This story begins with the well hidden illegal party site of Zirk. ‘Drive towards the Academic Medic Centrum and then keep going straight’ were the instructions. I got of at Metro station Holendrecht and cycle through an office park. The place is as deserted as well, an office park after 5 o’ clock, but the day has been beautiful and the sun just started setting giving even the ugliest high buildings a golden glow. There’s a party to go underneath the A9 Highway. The place looks over the Ouderkerker lake and I can only imagine how surrealistic the sight must be: people dancing on psychedelic beats with a concrete tunnel behind their backs and the endlessly flat Dutch landscape stretching out front of them while the sky is changing from orange to pink. Annoying thing, or maybe just another charm, about illegal house parties is they are always hard to find. Time is wasted while cycling in the opposite direction of the party and back. It’s almost dark when I get there but the view still is surrealistic. About hundred fifty people are jumping up and down underneath a bridge in nowhere land while cars above their heads are heading for Amstelveen or further. There’s a concrete ramp you can clime, up to the ceiling of the bridge. People sit on it overviewing the party or just lay down, being up with the ferries with their eyes closed. From the top of the ramp red and yellow lights shine into the audience of psychedelic lovers dominated by dreadlocks, batiks, fluorescing rainbow kids and a guy with black wings on his back. At the opposite side of the ramp a dj sends his mystical trance beats out in the open. A big piece of plastic attached to the side of the bridge waives in the wind.
“This is gooood,” sighs a guy next to me. What is? I ask. “Parties in the open. It gives you the feeling of freedom. And everybody is just nice to each other,” he says. He is Robert (25). Together with his friend Sasha (24) he is a regular visitor of Zirk’s parties although they both don’t look like it in their average jeans and T-shirts. “That’s the good thing says Robert. “It doesn’t matter. I have a job in sales and go to parties like Sensation too. Normally I would never run into a neo-hippie kind of crowd but here we talk and have a good time.” Sasha: “Looks are not important, no security guys that spoil your fun and cheep drinks.” They assure me it has nothing to do with the pill they dropped earlier on. “Hey, it helps but it’s just the whole atmosphere.”

The scenery
Ever since the dawn of human nation, people have been partying out in the open. It’s probably only the last fifteen years of mankind they do so with a sound system. In Amsterdam there about five party organisations with names from outer space like: Psyon, Alienmeeting, Psychedelic Sceneries, Empathy and 9 Lives of Hofmann that are active in the open. Most of them play psychedelic trance or psy-trance on their parties. “A couple of years ago there were also a lot of outdoor techno parties but since techno became less popular, that scene died a little,” says Dirk (39), the man behind Zirk. At the moment Dirk is the most active organiser in the illegal party scene. On the very regular basis of once every three weeks (or two in the summer) you can visit one of his feasts in and around Amsterdam. Locations vary from old cargo boats to tunnels to bridges and surrealistic industrial zone’s like the Westelijk Havengebied.

There he stands, Dirk, enjoying the people having a good time on his party. With his
xxx ft tall, red Hally Hansen jacket and thick glasses he for sure stands out in the crowd of dancing hippies. “I like to cheer up the everyday grey places in and around Amsterdam,” he says about his motivation to turn bridges and tunnels into a better place for one night. “It’s such a kick to throw illegal parties. Finding the right location, getting people over and just have a good time in the middle of nowhere. The entrance is free and the little money I make I put in the next one right away.”
All of a sudden the police is knocking at the door. I follow Dirk as he walks towards the officers, just a little away from the party. “The neighbours have been complaining about the music,” says one officer. “Not possible,” answers Dirk friendly. I went to all the farms in the region, telling them to call my number in case they were disturbed. The officer for a moment doesn’t know what to say and starts calling his superiors. Why not party with us,” asks a guy to the female officer. “Not my kind of music,” she mutters. “I prefer more mainstream artists.”
When the officer hangs up, more discussion follows. Dirk obviously has done this before. But so did the officer. It’s ‘we have the right to party in the open’ versus ‘I understand but if other people are bothered by it, we have to stop it.’ Eventually even the mayor of Ouderkerk is called out of bed. He decides party time is over. The music goes down and Dirk explains the situation. The police are cursed all along the party scene but no-one makes a big fuss. It’s around 22:45 and people hurry to try and catch the last metro back to the city or stay help cleaning up the spot. I choose the first.

Dirk’s Domain
“Bad luck,” says Dirk about the party couple of days later. “But the police are also part of the fun. As long as they don’t come too early, that is. Best thing is when you can convince them the party should go on.” We’re sitting in Dirk’s house at Borneo Island in the east of Amsterdam. The whole house buries signs of his activities in the weekend. Piles of left over beer are stapled in the kitchen. In various cupboards you find alien heads made of rubber mattresses. On the balcony lies a plastic tube construction, forming the molecule of the MDMA crystal when put together properly.
Dirk is a fulltime website developer by profession but Zirk needs a lot of attention too. Luckily for Dirk, he’s the kind of guy that can spin more Chinese saucers on various sticks that the average man. Besides that he has a steady crew of four people to run the Zirk show with him. “Arranging dj’s and finding equipment isn’t the hardest thing. People will come to you automatically. Most important is a good sound system, a good spot and no police to ruin the party. A place has to be outside of town where no-one can hear you and you have to be careful with water because it can transport sound for miles away,” says Bart, the Belgian sound technician. “Another rule is you never throw a party on the same place twice. People want to be surprised. That’s a big part of the fun.”
On Zirk’s website you can win a price of 25 Euro’s if you can find a good spot. There is more information. A behaviour code for example, starting with ‘leave your attitude at the door’ and ending with: ‘keep the place as clean as possible’. “We always leave the place cleaner than we found it,” says Hylke, the person involved with the bar and cleaning up after the party. Even cigarette buns are picked up from the ground. Hylke: “A lot of people only use the tobacco to roll a joint. All the filters we collect to use it for mattress filling.”
There are also instructions on how to deal with the police. Dirk: “I always try to let them feel they are in charge. Telling them up forehand I will stop when they say so. It will give us the highest chance of being able to continue and they won’t fine me if we can’t. I don’t have a political message. The only message I got is a good night doesn’t need to be expensive.”
It’s hard to imagine Dirk only started operating in the partyscene two years ago. “I used to live in Nieuwegein with a wife and two kids. After my divorce, I attended my first house party, Sensation, at the age of 38. I was impressed by the house party organisation. The logistics, logo’s and the reaction of the crowd. It all seemed very mystical to me. That’s what I want to do, I decided. Thing is, if you’ve never worked within the organised party scene, you don’t get hired so I began organising them myself.”
Zirk’s next party will be the party after the Legalise street rave, an annual Dutch demonstration for the legalisation of drugs. Soundsystems from all over Holland come together and will make a tour trough the city, ending at a big field at the Papaverweg where the party will go on until 11 at night. “The cops will be very sharp because they know all the soundsystems will go and search a good spot around Amsterdam to continue their party. So we have to be very careful we’re not followed.” The deal with Dirk is I go with him while searching for a new spot after the legalise party. Excellent!

The past of illegal parties
Dirk’s favourite party is the one he gave in a side tunnel of the Piet Hein tunnel underneath the A 10. “Workers came there in the morning and couldn’t believe what they saw,” laughs Dirk. However he wasn’t the first to do so. “We squatted that tunnel for the first time in ’91,” says Ilja xxx, one of the founders of party-organisation Multigroove. The now legal party organisation was one of the pioneers in the first illegal house parties ever. “Illegal parties were hot back then,” Ilja recalls. “House just started to be known and didn’t have a steady place in society jet. Television stations like VPRO and Vara were making documentaries of the scene. In the beginning there weren’t any differences in house styles but our music was known to be pretty rough. Gabbers,we were called, coming from the people in the scene calling each other Gappies, which means buddies in Dutch. The Gabbers became known for their bald heads and trainer suits later but back then they still had long hair and just dressed weird.”
According to Ilja the police didn’t do much about illegal parties back then. “They just didn’t know what this whole bleep bleep music was about,” he grins. “At a certain point we squatted a building in Sloterdijk and threw a party every Saturday. For 13 months the police let it happen until one night in May ’93 they did an inval with the military police. We all got thrown in jail. I did three weeks.” The police used Multigroove as a clear signal: no more illegal house parties. What made them so severe? “I think they formed a policy how to deal with the parties and were also shocked by the amount of drugs used in the scene,” says Ilja. “The use of drugs wasn’t that common yet in everyday nightlife, so I guess they had the feeling to do something about it.”
Afterwards house became more mainstream and accepted in the regular nightlife. With the coming up of well-organised parties the need for illegal ones became less. Well, at least in the gabber, hardcore and techno scene. Ilja: “My customers aren’t interested in illegal houseparties anymore. They want to be well taken care of. Clean toilets, cold beer. If I don’t take care of a good wardrobe they slaughter my party on the internet.”
For Psy-trance, it’s a bit different. “Reason why the Psy-trance scene still likes to throw they parties outdoor might have to do with the music,” says Dr. Vinni of 9 Lives of Hofmann, one of the pioneers in organising psy-trance parties. “Psychedelic trance calls up the ancient ritual of people dancing together into other realities. Best environment to reach a certain atmosphere is outdoors. The music also attracts the kind of crowd that enjoys the primitive way and doesn’t want to spend lots of money. Instead of the Multigroove parties, the psy-parties in general are not commercial at all.”
In the 6 years he’s been organising parties, he has seen a lot of them. “One of the best parties is the annual F of Kali party, organised by Doof records. The music, the soundsystem, black drops - black cloths painted with fluorescent paint - It’s all good. Only thing lacking maybe is a proper chill-out room and a Chai-shop with nice bites and tea.” According to Vinni a lot of outdoor psy-parties nowadays lack the psy-trance essentials. “I might sound like an old man but psy-trance parties used to be a very visual and spiritual happening in the past. I have the feeling people are less interested in decoration and good music. Most of them just want the freedom to use drugs. Now I like my drugs too but people also use more speed instead of psychedelics. That’s not necessarily bad, but it changes the vibe of a party.”

Where’s the party at, part II
If it comes to the use of drugs, it got more common for sure. About 2000 people from all over Holland came to Amsterdam to participate in the Legalise street Rave. That a lot of drugs, including alcohol, are abused is also a fact that becomes painfully clear when the Legalise party at the Papaverweg stops around 18:00 because people got into fights, ruining the party for the others. Dirk calls me up. Did I hear the bad news? I’m telling him I’m looking at some military policeman with sticks and helmets on, entering the partyzone as we speak. He already moved over to plan B and started building up the after party a little sooner.
I bike home, get myself some new instructions through the internet and find it right away this time. The party takes place underneath a railroad near the Sloterplas. There are two bridges next to each other. One for Dirk’s soundsystem and one for the Back-a-wall soundsystem from Medenblik that spins reggae tunes. Two girls in Indian dresses sell candles from their van and there is a fruit cocktail bar this time too. “No, No, it’s really easy to find,” a guy next to me says trough the telephone. A train passes over our heads as the night falls and the crowd starts to party again. “I’d rather am between people that use drugs instead of alcohol,” says Heidi who came with the Back-a-wall soundsystem when I ask her about what she thinks about people taking drugs. “Alcohol makes people more aggressive. Drugs can do that to but the people here know how to use it well,” is her opinion. “Hey, weren’t you also at the last party,” a guy with slightly curled hair asks. It’s Robert again. “The only bad thing about drugs is it costs so much time,” he ads to the discussion. “I’m probably going to skip a night but I have to work on Monday again. I guess I should stop using it at a certain point though. I don’t want to end up like some of those wasted people you see walking around here too.”
Around one thirty the police arrives again. The same procedure as last one unfolds itself. Dirk has a plan C though. He arranged a nice spot for the third party that night in the Westelijk havengebied. Whoever has got a car is more than welcome to party on. Me and the photographer decide to go home to get some sleep and catch up with the crowd at the after after party five hours later.

It’s hard to get out of bed but it’s worth it. When we arrive at eight in the morning, about seventy people are still jumping up and down in front of Zirk’s sound system. The place in the middle of an industrial zone looks out over the water with huge windmills in the distance. People are sitting at a little campfire, letting their socks dry on some wooden sticks while others clime on an old boat that lies in the water. Dirk is getting a massage in a tent from his Columbian girlfriend. “Ah, this is all I need,” he says. “I guess I’m in my second youth. Or maybe it’s my first.” Robert comes by to thank him for the great party before he bounces off again. Little white envelopes with substances that keep you awake go from hand to hand while the sun is shining and the weather is sweet. This time the police stay away and people continue partying as if there is no tomorrow.



Sound of the police
“When you are selling drinks and you ask for entrance at the door, there is a commercial purpose served. If you don’t have a licence to do so, you could say there is an illegal party going on. Even if you don’t make a profit,” says Remco Gerritsen spokesman of the Amsterdam police force. That doesn’t mean a party always have to end. “It depends on the circumstances,” Gerritsen says. “When it’s raining complaints of people in the neighbourhood or when there is a danger in the form of a campfire or people taking to much alcohol and drugs we close the party as well.” According to the illegal party-organisations the police close more parties compared to few years ago. “Quite possible,” is Gerritsen’s comment. “We are more severe in general when it comes to telling civilians what their responsibilities are. Policies became more strict but I’m sure there are parties taking place the police will never know about.”

[binge]

Long....... but interesting.

It shows the difference between the OB in Holland, and our own here. But then it has always been a more relaxed place.....

I don't agree with media attention. We all know we are doing something illegal, better to be smarter, less noticable, than to start waving our hands in the air saying; 'look at us, we're not that bad.'

By now the majority of people either accept parties, or not. No-one will be able to change their mind. At the end of the day, how are you gonna stop any documentary from showing people completely off their face? No matter how good their intentions are?

On a completely unrelated point; USE, what happened to Native Beats at the Brighton party on sat? I was looking forward to checking out the visual set-up.

Peace,

Binge.

[USE]

I dunno- these media types, turn up onna website, get our hopes up, start a big old debate- then vanish! i even emailed her and she didn't have the courtesy to reply. what a jip. still, shows she wasn't comitted or at least is easily scared. I do hope freeparties get through better than they did the first time round, but we haven't had the Sun or the Mail whipping up public anger and directing it at us, which is a welcome change. there's even been some decent reporting from the likes of guardian and independant, so things are looking up.

If she was gonna do another hatchet job like towerblock dreams, where they blatantly edited footage to present a onesided negative stereotype of urban culture, using my favorite MC, Skinnyman as cannon fodder. he's still pissed off about it. as anyone would. that wasnt a real sentance, or maybe it was two. its too late. my brain dunt werk nuw mow

[General Lighting]

Originally posted by USE
I dunno- these media types, turn up onna website, get our hopes up, start a big old debate- then vanish! i even emailed her and she didn't have the courtesy to reply. what a jip. still, shows she wasn't comitted or at least is easily scared.


She also posted the request on SJ; I dread to think what sort of other things people may have sent to her (possibly even threats to her and her crew had she attended a party, there are several people on that board who even threatened "normal" photographers/video makers!).

I felt she was geniune and good-intentioned, but a young freelancer just does not not have the industry clout to put our view across to the media.

Above her will be other, more senior producers and editors, who could either re-edit her stuff to give a different angle or would happily respond to the Police if the project broadcast anything that could be of use to them. (remember 80% of TV documentaaries are about crime, and journos can't use scanners any more to find out about juicy incidents now the cops have airwave!)

Media jobs are hard to get and harder to keep. She probably studied hard and competed against hundreds to get that job. If she was given the choice of "protecting her sources" against "protecting her career", how do you know which one she would choose?

I'm not totally against working with the conventional media industry, but it is dangerous if not handled properly. The Exodus collective had one of the best "spin doctors" in the form of Glenn Jenkins, but a misjudgement in taking part in a "reality" TV show put thousands of funds of funding at risk, led to much negative publicity and maybe even helped along the collectives eventual demise.


I feel the only way we could have a chance would be to create our own content from street level - perhaps even more with stuff like music videos, arty things that can be given more of a positive spin than the and deliver the whole package in a similar form to Channel E or Rapture. FFS if the grime scene can get it together and get airtime why the fuck can't we?

[USE]

The weird thing is that her email account has been closed. i sent an email to the bbc asking what the deal was, but my email is being rubbish, so i dont know if they replyed (bit early anyway).

It would be a blatantly good idea to devise our own documentary - i know several post-grad media students, who are well sound and would probably be well up for helping do interveiws, editing etc. what we need is to collate a wide selection of freeparty videos from different crews, then intertwine interveiws with organisers, contributers, ravers, police and locals. Im sure that theres enough footage knockin about, its just a question of getting it together.

not only is it well hard to get people to copy footage and give it to you coz of lazines,, people generally want control of their own footage (f d's). i think i'll start a new post...

[General Lighting]

Louise was a freelancer; in common with most contractors in public sector organisations she would have been provided with a "branded" e-mail address which would have been closed down when her contract ended.

IIRC The project wasn't a rave documentary per se but something about how people celebrated and raves would only have been a 5 min segment of the project (23/28 mins as trailers often bite into a half-hour slot)

[sambo303]

I say keep mum

Even if a prog went out as unbiased as u like, the headlines the next day would be screaming about rugs/breaking + entering/youths disturbing tax payers etc.

There's no point. Best policy is to keep quiet, keep to ourselves, we will never be understood...fact.

[Unregistered]

got to agree. . . .I havent worked for the past 6 years to get in a position to actually start change quietly from within . . to be exposed by BBC . .ITV or any of that poo. . sell anybody anywhere anytime. . dont take the bait . .all you will do is save police time on capturing faces. .on video . . no all bad bad bad. .human bait . . ego. .envy. .money. .don't go their freind. . unless you are tempted. .

[Acid]

Srry lou, I hope noboddy will be a portal to free parties for you for this documentry. I learned and experienced that the media can't be trusted in this matter. Besides, its better that not much people know about partying this way, otherwise the underground music could be in danger.

I prefer to keep it underground and not notify a lot af people with it.

Besides I think that nobody from these parties will guide you. If they will do it Tell them first to think about the consequenses.

Have a good time searching for nothing! I hope!

Cya

[legion23]

Under current BBC policy these sort of programmes are supposed to represent a "balanced view" - that means the Police get their say as well - either as part of the programme or from putting in a formal complaint about it "promoting illegal activity". and we all know what can happen here :(

True, but the complaint would only affect the film crew/producers/TV channel, as the law are gonna try to stop the party whether its filmed or not. As it is at the moment, the fuckers have it all their way with any news report emphasising the illegality of the party, the supposed damage to the environment, the availability of drugs, etc. etc. Under BBC policy, Louise would have to show things from our point of view (which she claims she wants to do anyway).

Not being naive, but I think more exposure might help blow some myths that middle England believe about the party scene out of the water, i.e. that we're an army of drug-addled degenerate criminals just waiting for the opportunity to take over their land and destroy their property, ravishing their daughters along the way (OK, the drug-addled degenerate bit might be true - speaking for myself - but the rest is bollocks). Depending on the scope of her project, Louise might be better off seeking permission to use footage filmed by partygoers themselves. Better yet, take a look at stuff like Network23's 'World Traveller Adventures' dvd to show what a positive impact soundsystems have had outside the UK since the CJA (I'm thinking of the Desert Storm mission to Sarejevo in particular) - a bit dated, but still relevant.

Having said all that, I certainly wouldn't want my face appearing on any program like this. Happened to me once before when I fell down the K-hole at a party in near Hereford a couple of years back and woke up with a fucking police chopper (and camera) hovering right above me - my parents saw me all over the fucking news and weren't too impressed. Don't think it would have done me any favours if I'd given an interview in that state!!

[General Lighting]

Not being naive, but I think more exposure might help blow some myths that middle England believe about the party scene out of the water, i.e. that we're an army of drug-addled degenerate criminals just waiting for the opportunity to take over their land and destroy their property, ravishing their daughters along the way (OK, the drug-addled degenerate bit might be true - speaking for myself - but the rest is bollocks). Depending on the scope of her project, Louise might be better off seeking permission to use footage filmed by partygoers themselves. Better yet, take a look at stuff like Network23's 'World Traveller Adventures' dvd to show what a positive impact soundsystems have had outside the UK since the CJA (I'm thinking of the Desert Storm mission to Sarejevo in particular) - a bit dated, but still relevant.


in the end though she didn't use the rave idea (it was going to be only 5 minutes in a 28 min programme anyway, and it seemed she (rightly) decided it was too much hassle for both her and the ravers to carry on.

I understand what you say, but much of the media are inherently hostile to unlicensed raves and its dangerous playing the spin game unless you have the same amount of power and resources.

The problem is also that she was a freelancer on a short term contract, and its very easy for those with more power to lean on people like her as she's always fighting for new work and jobs without a permanent job she needs to please her bosses (who may not be as sympathetic as she wanted to be).

The other bigger problem is the mainstream media is extremely negative.

Lets say for instance that there was a change of heart and World Traveller Adventures was TX'd on channel 5 in peak viewing time despite a flood of complaints to C5 duty office and Ofcom about "encouraging illegal behaviour" from the Daily Mail lobby.

Now as you say that film is rather old. Allegedly, a number of people featured on it since become addicted to class A drugs, and aren't doing much postive nowadays. A rival TV channel like ITV or C4 - would simply find these people, expose them, and pay their former friends to take part in a hatchet job programme.....

OTOH do I think there could be a media outlet for something like a ravers version of "channel U" (the low budget grime channel)- not rave footage for legal reasons but music videos, animations, short films and other stuff from people on the scene - a bit like a pirate station on the telly.. Afrter all if the grime scene is being allowed airtime (and it is the most dysfunctional form of urban music I have ever come across), why shouldn't more positive forms of rave culture get media exposure?

[legion23]

OTOH do I think there could be a media outlet for something like a ravers version of "channel U" (the low budget grime channel)- not rave footage for legal reasons but music videos, animations, short films and other stuff from people on the scene - a bit like a pirate station on the telly.. Afrter all if the grime scene is being allowed airtime (and it is the most dysfunctional form of urban music I have ever come across), why shouldn't more positive forms of rave culture get media exposure?

Quality idea - I hope someone with a bit more motivation/influence than me picks up on it. At the very least, it would stick it to cunts like Rupert Murdoch who seem intent on instituting some sort of Daily Mail-esque hegemony throughout our media (it is OURS, after all!).

Didn't know about the 'downfall' of the Network23 crew, but hardly surprising given the state of some of them on the video!

[General Lighting]

Quality idea - I hope someone with a bit more motivation/influence than me picks up on it. At the very least, it would stick it to cunts like Rupert Murdoch who seem intent on instituting some sort of Daily Mail-esque hegemony throughout our media (it is OURS, after all!).

its the technology which should be swinging it our way - particularly fast computers which can do video editing, streaming media, broadband internet and the convergence of television and computers.


Didn't know about the 'downfall' of the Network23 crew, but hardly surprising given the state of some of them on the video!

N23 as a whole still exists AFAIK and is still doing good stuff - it would be stronger than a few people going down and I thought the idea was that anyone who had something to contribute to join or leave as they pleased.

It was only a few individuals from the old spiral days who are alleged to have gone down the wrong tracks; and that news only comes from rumours spread on other messageboards; but thats still something a researcher with malice in their mind could investigate further. there are plenty of angry, bitter people on the urban music scene who can be convinced to stich up former friends it seems...

but that is one big thing holding us back and making it difficult to show the postive site ; the legacy of uncontrolled hedonism leading to dysfunctional behaviour and/or addiction. when you look on our drugs forum and see that over a quarter of people have tried heroin and the harrowing stories of addiction, you can see where the antis get a lot of their arguments from...

[M-tek]

I think it will be very difficult 2 portray this sub-culture without shocking people...I mean I was shocked when i went 2 my first party in a warehouse,m everyone a ghostly white colour snorting k or coke desperately to stay awake just for a bit longer, a couple of bloke still dancing full on like psychos and I saw kids younger than me, school kids, bowling round with wide angry eyes with something to prove...just a normal party but to outsiders it would be shocking but no doubt interesting the thing is Ive learnt like everyone that theyre only like that on the outside...That night I left my mobile phone in the toilet and would u believe I got it returned to me in the post the very next week! Journalists would have to get involved properly to understand but it wouldn't work to just go in there with a load of cameras...Anyway one of things that makes it so much fun is the secrecy, the underground element and the danger. Sometimes you can just imagine someone pullin out a knife on u cause the thought is so conceivable it adds to it...but imagine iof everyone went to parties and listened to acid techno it just wouldnt be the same....

[SWD]

Oh would that be the same media that shot us down in the early 90s!!

[USE]

Oh would that be the same media that shot us down in the early 90s!!
when different people were reporting, different people were organising raves, different people were going to em, the laws were different, the culture was different, the parties were different.

appart from that, exactly the same...

[mattelephant]

anyone know where i can get a copy of world traveller adventures? worth the money? the trailers definately look good

[Dr Bunsen]

They're on Amazon I think and I personally found them very worthwhile but a bit dated!

[General Lighting]

even if the rave scene has progressed', its still the same bastards (or worse ones) running the media ! they'd still shoot us down