Party Kids or Just E-tards?
Ravers, some hear the word and automatically think "E," (ecstasy), a bunch of "E-tards" skipping around to fast trance music. Well a rave isn't exactly all that it's hyped up to be in the media it is a gathering or party where people (mostly teenagers and twenty-somethings) come together to listen to music and dance. The predominant type of music heard at a rave is techno or house. This electronic music is played by DJs who use turntables to spin records and a mixer to manipulate sounds. In addition to the sounds, a rave is often visually pleasing as well. Most have strobe lights, while larger parties may have visuals projected on screens, lasers and other lights (used to enhance the experience which is later described).
I myself have attended several raves periodically for the past year or so and have really enjoyed them. I've attended several smaller gatherings often called family raves with an exclusive group of people usually everyone knows one another and is either an underground party in the desert or a small venue. Some of the more exclusive raves I've attended were the annual "Roll Call" which was held this year in a warehouse in Los Angeles and "Something Special" held out in the desert near Big Bear Lake. Some of the smaller parties (more exclusive with guests lists) are free but ever since the scene has exploded so massively and been commercialized large parties are put on where upwards of 10,000 people may attend and these parties may cost between $25-50 a party not to mention if you want V.I.P. I also recently however went to a couple of larger parties called massives one on New Year's called "Together as One" and another just more recently around April called "How Sweet It Is" in Paris, California. Even though I've been apart of the scene I haven't been as much as some of my friends who have totally and completely immersed themselves in rave culture and believe it to be a way of life.
For my type of research methods I chose participant observation as my main method of research because the rave culture is very much about music and the style of dance evoked by the music. Besides participating in the raves I met several people whom I interviewed both formally and informally finding out some of their thoughts on the culture to which they claim to be apart of. One of my subjects eventually became a good friend to which I will call Kelly he is a 17 year old bisexual Caucasian male who has been apart of the scene for about 4 years and attends parties quite often. My second subject was Gabba Girl she was an 18 year old straight Caucasian/Mexican female raving now for about 2-2 _ years. My third subject was Boomer he is one of the older ravers whose been in the scene for quite some time throwing parties as well as promoting for them. He is a 27 year old Gay male who not only promotes for these parties runs an internet website working with the rave scene.
Promoters are the people who organize raves-from small "underground" warehouse parties to those thrown at venues such as fairgrounds where thousands gather to be united by the music. Word of these parties is often spread by phone voicemail, e-mail, web pages, rave calendars (which can be found for most areas of the US and Europe) and flyers.
Raves first started in and around London in the late 1980s and gained an underground following throughout Europe and then the United States, especially in San Francisco. Over the years, the music has changed, and branches such as garage, jungle, drum n' bass, happy core and trance evolved to keep ravers dancing. Many DJs became quite popular over the years and have established a loyal following. Some of the more popular DJs I have heard were Paulina Taylor, Thee-O, Diesel Boy, Alice DeeJay and others.
People at raves are usually racially diverse and made up of people from very different backgrounds. This is because the rave community tends to be very accepting of anyone-young, old, black, white, etc. They form an alternative sort of culture. Two of my subjects that I interviewed were openly gay and accepting of their sexuality. Many ravers dress differently than people in mainstream society. Rave fashion could be the topic of an entire paper. There is a definite sense of individualism within the rave fashion scene-you are likely to see someone in jeans, someone in black vinyl pants, or someone in costume. However, many people fit into a definite "typical raver" mold. For males, baggy pants are the norm. Many people claim that this is because they are easy to dance in, but I offer a different perspective. Baggy pants are not practical. They are not professional. At a distance, they look like pants, but close-up they are absurd. They cannot be worn to work. Baggy pants have long been associated with deviant cultures, from hip-hop, to skateboarding, to snowboarding, to raving. A very tight shirt, no shirt, or a sweatshirt is also common for males. For females, it gets more interesting. The typical rave girl has short hair; (pink or electric blue wigs are popular) it is often in barrettes. She wears a baby doll dress, or pants and a cut off tee shirt. She is often sucking on a pacifier. Infantilism in general is very predominant among ravers. Pacifiers are common, stuffed animals are common, lollipops are common, shirts emblazoned with cartoon characters are common. In a sense, this embodies the culture. It is a regaining of innocence and forgetting about problems for a while. It is a recreation of that time in our lives when play was the most important thing and it didn't matter that mom and dad were fighting or having money problems or that there was a hole in the ozone layer. Outside of a rave, many ravers appear "normal". Many have jobs in technological fields like computer programming such as Boomer. Many are college students like Gabba Girl and Kelly. Raving is not an "all-the-time" culture, as the hippie movement was and is. There are no ravers that simply go from rave to rave and hope to get money by selling tee shirts in the parking lot. (Except for maybe DJs, promoters, and venders who make their living at raves). Rather, raving is a temporary activity separate from the daily lives of these individuals.
When people hear the word rave, they often associate it with drugs. It is true that many rave-goers do use drugs to enhance the experience (but drug use has been seen in most music scenes through the years). Many ravers enjoy these parties sober though, enjoying the music and the atmosphere at face value. Drugs. The big 'D' word. Drugs have been a part of the rave scene since the beginning. Yes, it is possible to go to a rave and not do drugs. Yes, it is possible to be a raver and live a drug-free lifestyle. I myself have yet to try the infamous ecstacy and have met many ravers who go sober. However Kelly admits to the usage of "E", acid, and ketamine as the more frequent of his choices. Boomer admits to using all that Kelly has and more. Where as Gabba Girl has only done "E" and acid a combination of the two drugs simultaneously is referred to as candy-flipping and "E" alone is referred to as "rolling." Nevertheless, one cannot separate the scene from the drug use. It is impossible. Anyone that says otherwise is a liar. Raves are ways of changing the psychological state of a human being bringing them into a different plane of existence. This goes hand-in-hand with psychedelic drugs. At first, acid and occasional marijuana use were the only drugs seen at raves in America. Then, Ecstasy moved in. It became the raver drug of choice. Ecstasy breaks down barriers of communication. It enhances pleasure and sensation. Music become physically pleasurable. Strangers become people to be loved. Ecstasy breaks down egos. It's a perfect fit with the happy family that the rave scene was trying to create. Today, Ecstasy is still popular, and acid is still used by a sizable minority. However, as greed has taken hold within the scene, Ecstasy is no longer pure. It is usually cut with baking powder, or worse, various pesticides and poisons. Nitrous Oxide has become popular. Within the last year or so, hard drugs have moved into the scene, crystal meth, heroin, and even alcohol.
Drugs are a frequent topic of debate among ravers. Some think that drugs should be done away with entirely. Others think that only drugs that increase the vibe should be allowed, namely marijuana, LSD, and ecstasy. Still others think that the rave scene is about personal choice and determining which drugs are good and which drugs are bad is imposing personal morals on others. The fact of the matter is, as the rave scene is appropriated into mainstream society, fewer people are concerned about the vibe, and more concerned about being wasted. This is where the ketamine, the meth, and the heroin come in.
"The actual concept of raves is not new-it is as old as time itself. At the base level, raves are very comparable to American Indian ceremonieswhere music is the key towards pulling oneself into a unique emotional and psychological state." (Weber) This is the basis of rave culture. Ravers believe in PLUR-an acronym that stands for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. They also believe in the positive vibe the music and atmosphere at a rave create. The vibe is how you and those around you feel, and should integrate PLUR. It is a feeling that can't be put into words. The only true way to understand it is to be standing on the dance floor surrounded by hundreds of people as the music builds and keeps you dancing through the night. It is the belief that for one night, a community can be created that does not function for the same reasons that larger society does. "There is a magic moment that can happen at a ravewhen everyone is dancing you experience a feeling of collective organism, and I think people that have had this experience view the world differently afterwardsthe world is not made up of individuals vying for power, but ratherone throbbing thing." (Dotson)
At a rave, no matter who you are, you feel a sense of "connectedness" with all those around you. Your energy becomes part of a greater circle of energy and love. You feel free to be who you have always wanted to be, because nobody is judging you. They're experiencing the exact same rush of happiness and when you leave the rave, you carry that free spirit and high energy out with you. You incorporate it into all facets of life, making things a little bit better.
Raves have allowed me to "touch base" with reality and humanity. Capitalism sucks. People are beautiful. People ought to tell other people that they are beautiful more often. The love and bonding experienced at raves needs to be carried out into the world. We are the visionaries, and it is our job to slowly change society. There was a women's movement, a sexual revolution, and many other giant steps made by previous generations. It is now time for the next revolution, to realize the beauty of humanity. Help extend our experiences outside of the rave subculture. All it takes is a smile to start with, maybe a hug. PLUR!!!
Bibliography:
Internet:
1. Web Pilots Corp.
http://www.webpilots.com/musicandmovies/rave/culture/index2.phtml
2. DJ Vision: http://users.dhp.com/~culture/tropen.html
3. www.candykids.com
4. DJ Toys: http://www.djtoys.com/raves
5. Rave Index: www.raveindex.com
Movie:
1. Groove
Interviews:
1. Kelly X.-Interviews several occasions at several parties
(Together as One-Jan.1, 01' and How Sweet It Is-April 21, 2001)
2. Gabba Girl-chatted on candykids.com met at How Sweet It Is
3. Boomer-met through friends formal interview at friends home April 30, 2001 and How Sweet It Is