free parties are phat =)

yea….there great an i love em..but dont expect to much info at first not being funny but your new here so it may take a while for people to open up a bit but if your realy lookin for some info hang about get known an you may get some results..good idea realy doing a reasurch project on free partys gives you a good excuse to get out an party again…:wink:

I wont give you any info on partys going on themselves.
But i will send you an e-mail containing what i believe free partys are all about, and how they differ from other types of events!
i will also ask a few of my mates for their opinions!
I’d like to help as it seems your going to be wrinting this more from our point of few, unlike the media who are normally pretty biast with what they say(in the wrong way for us)!

Safety first RBP

over here when i was into hardcore parting free parties or secret parties was called outlaws and out of all the parties i ever went to the outlaw parties(thats what they was called here) were sum of the best times i ever had. man i miss them days.

free parties mean PLUR

i go to free parties to break into peoples cars and take there stuff, nah free partys are about fun

i go to free partys with my friend and he pretends to sit on a chair then i pretennd to kick away the invisible chair and then he falls over .. then we laugh at peoples faces :weee:

Here’s a rant I wrote a while back in reaction to a house of commons debate on raves, hope it helps:

Dear Mr Croaker,

After reading a transcript of the debate on ‘Illegal Raves’- raised on the 19th July- that was posted on the internet, I feel that I need to respond to some of the points raised. Within this issue it is important to include the views of all members of the community- including those who choose to attend these gatherings, as we are also members of society; indeed, are often voting members and future voting members of the constituency in question.

There are some very fundamental misconceptions within the speech on the 19th July. The first being that the ‘Raves’, or Free parties as I prefer to call them are growing in number. It is general knowledge that there has been a free party in East Anglia most weekends for at least the last 7 years. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they have actually diminished in number since the hey-day of 2003, when there was a guarantee of at least two large gatherings each weekend in the summer.

The next misconception, and probably the most important, is that the parties are run solely for profit. It is a sad reflection of a capitalist society that the reasons for this movement are seen to be based on monetary concerns alone. The view that “Unlicensed music events are hugely profitable to the organisers”, is very wide of the mark. More often than not, the costs involved in organising and setting up a party are far greater than any amounts raised at the event itself. I’m sure that the Norfolk police force has had contact with many organisers over the years, and would be hard pushed to find anyone that has managed to “get-rich-quick”. Most parties rely on donations, willingly given by the attendees, just to break even. When you include the huge costs of actually buying equipment such as speakers, amps, etc; and that of hunting down and buying the actual music for the events, the amount of money needed runs into the thousands, often more.

Party goers and organisers are not naïve children. Or, if they are they learn very fast. They are aware of the CJA and the consequences of the updated Anti-Social Behaviour Act. They understand that they are risking court action, fines and even jail time in extreme circumstances if convicted. On top of this, by holding an event, they are risking thousands of pounds worth of sound and lightning equipment; as confiscation, and destruction of rigs have become a very real possibility.

So why, in the light of all the possible outcomes mentioned above; in the very real risk to careers, family life and the possibility of criminal records, do people choose to hold these events, week after week. I seriously doubt it is for monetary gains. Personally, I would summarise the reasons as follows:

• Escapism
• Money
• Passion

Escapism may seem a strange point to put down. However, it does sum up nicely some reasons that free parties are so popular. Firstly, it is escape from the ‘norms’ of society. In this I am unfortunately referring to the binge-drinking, violent, yob behaviour that is endemic in town and city centres across the country. Anyone who has ventured out into their local town centre on a sat night knows that it can be a war zone. The “first-class licensed music venues in Norfolk” that the cabinet member refers to are more often than not horrible places to attend. Who would wish to spend time in a place where the whole point seems to be to down as many pints as possible, and get in a fight with the first person to bump into you or catch your eye? I know this may be the extreme end of the spectrum, but is more often than not the experience to be had when going out in a town centre. It has been said many times by those police officers who attend the Norfolk free parties (not the ones in riot gear I should add!) that the people who attend the gatherings are much more cooperative and generally nicer to deal with than the ones in the town centres- some have even said they prefer to police ‘raves’!!!

However, escapism can be a more positive reason. In today’s society there is little time for entertainment. People have to work hard in order to provide a safe and secure life for themselves and their families, or looking after children and loved ones. When living in rural areas such as Norfolk and Suffolk, if you do not wish to join the city-centre ‘Ere-we-go’ lifestyle on a Saturday night there are precious little options left. Over the last 17 years, dance music, and the free party scene has become an important part of the cultural identity of Britain’s youth. It is not hard to see why. When faced with the choice, which would you prefer to do: go to a dark, dingy club to listen to uninspiring, generic, mass- produced, over-played pop music, where even eye contact is an invitation to be punched. Or would you prefer to be dancing in the open air of Thetford forest, with the wind in your face and the sunrise pouring through the trees, surrounded by smiley, happy people who look out for each other, listening to music that constantly pushes boundaries and connects you to the people and nature around you?

Secondly, money is an important consideration, although not for those reasons mentioned in the cabinet members speech. Both organising, and attending any ‘legal’ event nowadays costs a great deal of money. I’m sure the concert in Thetford forest that Mr Fraser refers to was amazing. Having attended many of these concerts I know how good they are. Unfortunately, most young people do not have tens of thousands of pounds in order to stage such events. Even a small, simple event will need a large amount of cash input in order to obtain the necessary licenses, health and safety certificates, hiring of venues, etc. Again, considering the free time and disposable cash available to young people, jumping through hoop after hoop does not seem worth the while. Although most people do not actually wish to hold events, even attending clubs can be an expensive evening, with high door prices and expensive drinks. Add to that often aggressive door staff, and evenings out do not become particularly appealing. In short, should those people with less money be denied the right to enjoy life? To let their hair down or create something that gives other people joy?

The final, and most important point, is passion. At the end of the day it is passion that moves people to create, and attend, such gatherings. The British youth of today are unique in human history. We do not have a World War to worry about, there is no depression to be angry at. For the lucky majority we have a roof over our head, and enough food to eat. We are healthy, safe, clean and comfortable. In fact, looked at from this way, we are the epitome of life on this planet. We are very lucky. We also know that it will not stay this way. What with war on terrorism, climate change, id cards, etc, etc we know that the future looks bleak, our civil liberties will be more and more reduced and our lives observed and monitored at all times.

So while we can we celebrate. We channel our passion into creating and attending free parties. There is something tribal, almost primeval about dancing in the open air, to the beat that we love, that enflames the soul. It is one of mankind’s most basic instincts- to dance to a beat, to celebrate life. The free party movement in the UK is all about choice. Choosing our right to come together, to look after each other, to dance to the music we choose for as long, and as loud as we want. This is why we take the risks we do, and also why there are the inevitable confrontations with authority. Passion drives us forward.

Before descending any further into overly emotional speeches. There are further points raised in the commons debate by Mr Fraser that need addressing. Please note that I am aware of the massive generalisations that I am drawing in this letter, both of ‘ravers’ and wider society. Most ravers understand, and greatly regret the impacts that free parties have on the wider community. However, it is also important to understand that these negative impacts are often exacerbated by the actions of the police force as they attempt to stop these events happening. The dearest wish of any free party organiser is to be left alone. This is why any organiser worth their salt will make every attempt to find the most isolated, out of the way party site. However, often access to these sites will be restricted by the police, forcing free parties to be set up in less than perfect locations, nearer to houses that then cause disturbance. I know this has happened on at least one occasion this year, and an effort was made to keep the music levels down as a result.

The other point raised is one of litter. Any person, or indeed, any police officer, who has been in attendance at a party in Norfolk knows that if left to their own devices, ALL litter will be removed from the site, (and often recycled). When a party is shut down by riot police, although often attempts are made to clear litter; police will threaten those clearing with arrest if they attempt to clear it up, or eject people so forcefully there is little time to do anything. This causes the environmental impact that is so often used to put free parties down. It is obviously a political tactic by the police, but it is really annoying to be branded with this iron, as most people who attend free parties are the complete opposite!

I have written this letter in order to provide the point of view of someone who attends these gatherings. I feel it is important that the reasons for free parties be properly understood. I am also extremely worried about the proposals put forward by Mr Fraser to “make attendance at a rave an offence?”. That is a slippery slope. If attending a rave becomes a criminal offence, how much further is it to making attendance at a protest march an offence? Or for that matter, any event which the government of the time deems to be subversive in any way. If the BNP were ever to gain power, would then attendance at a mosque be a criminal offence? The world has seen this situation before.

I agree that it is not right that parties cause criminal damage. The examples of people chasing pigs, and destruction to SSSIs or crops are unacceptable. However, rather than simply criminalise the events that lead to these actions, a more positive course of action would be to provide areas that are designated isolated enough to be used for these events. How many derelict airfields are there in the East Anglian region? Also, access to a database of SSSIs would mean organisers can pick locations carefully, thus minimising disturbance. As with so many things in this world, exchange of information and cooperation would be a whole lot more beneficial than simply smothering something that you do not understand.

However, this is Britain. I know that this is wishful thinking. Heavier legalisation will not be far away, more parties will get stopped, and yet another source of passion and inspiration will be killed off in our society. And because this is Britain, and I do not wish to be branded a criminal because of the life I choose, I choose to remain anonymous.

Sincerely,

A. Raver