A few questions from a Newbie - 2006/06/01 11:31I`m new to this Rave thing and am 32yrs old. I`m not even sure it`s rave I`m even into. I picked up some of the Webster Hall Transworld CD`s and really like them. Is that the type of music they play at raves? Would I be out of place if I went to a rave? Are there any in Raves in NJ coming up that I`d be welcome to? And last but not least, can I go to a Rave and have a blast without doing drugs? About the drugs part... I`ve never done any drugs, and feel that if I try the X, I`d get addicted which is not good because I hear that it can skrew my life up. I`m a big boy and can think for myself, but is X really that harmful? One last thing. I have been told that when I dance, I look like a stick with a foot. Would I be the laughing stock if I were to go to a rave and try to have a good time? What`s the general attitude from the rave goers as far as people like me not knowing what the hell I`m doing? So there you have it, I hope to hear from someone. Thanks for your answers!
Re:A few questions from a Newbie - 2006/06/01 16:00~The raves are NOT the music......the music is a very big part of it, yes, but after being at a rave, you will never hear the music the same way. ~Depends, really. There are so many genres. ~Check http://www.hyperreal.org/raves/ ~Absolutely. The drugs can help change your prespective about it in a really positive manner, but I wouldn`t suggest it if you`re totally unexperienced...then again, some of the most fun I`ve had was just letting go of everything, and going with what I felt. Also, realize that many ravers have stopped doing drugs altogether, and go now only because of the music...many of them got into raves because of drugs, and then realized that raves were so much more. If you can enjoy the music for what it is, however, I wouldn`t worry about anything. ~It`s not really harmful IF you get real MDMA, but this isn`t really the newgroup to go into that. Go to www.dancesafe.com , or ask on alt.drugs.ecstasy ~Probably not as bad as me.... ~Absolutely not. ~As long as you smile, you should be good to go. It really depends, I guess, on your attitude, if you only want to dance, whay type of music is being played, the area, etc. ~Matthias "My mind is glowing..."
Re:A few questions from a Newbie - 2006/06/01 21:50cater to different genres of electronic music. You may find that there is a rave that is packed full of Jungle DJs in which case the CDs you picked up wouldn`t do you much good. However, if you find a rave that has DJs that specialize in Hard Trance or Progressive Trance, then your CDs will probably help you out. Check out the NG alt.music.trance for some suggestions of some other tracks/artists that may interest you. You can also check out the NGs alt.music.breakbeat; alt.music.house; alt.music.jungle; and alt.music.progressive-house. are very accepting and open-minded. We were all *newbies* at some point...if it were that horrible our first times we would`ve never returned! will be fortunate to have you as part of their event. As far as raves in NJ/NY area, try www.raversonly.com;www.eastcoastparties.com;www.usraves.com Those should keep you going for a while. Absolutely, positively. Please don`t buy in to the media hype, which at times seems to be coming to fruition, that raves are only about drugs. There are people who choose to go to raves and remain completely sober. There are people who go to raves and occassionally choose to partake in mind-expanding/altering substances. And there are people who go to raves just because they feel as though it gives them the *right* to partake in mind-expanding/altering substances. These people, IMHO, are the same ones that attend a reggae concert just to smoke marijuana or a Phish concert for the acid. To them it doesn`t matter what music you play - Captain and Tennille could be up there playing - as long as they feel it is a *drug accepted* venue they will do what they want. Wow...you`re ready to start WW3 aren`t you? Well...I have done an extensive amount of research on the topic of MDMA (Ecstasy) both used recrecationally and in psycotherapy. I will only tell you what I have read, discovered, and researched through interviews with medical professionals (I am *not* a medical professional, nor do I play one on this forum). MDMA is not a physically addictive drug; although it is classified as a methanphetamine and most MA`s are physically addictive or cause a physical dependence. As far as screwing your life up? Sure too much of anything can screw your life up. I got *addicted* to my career a couple of years ago and my fiance couldn`t handle the fact that I isolated myself around my work and ended up leaving me, which in turn caused me to lose my apartment, fall into debt, and drop out of the Master`s program at my university. I`m not advocating the use of drugs but I`m not narrow-minded enough to think that all drugs are bad. Is Ecstasy harmful? There is scientific evidence to suggest that heavy MDMA *abuse* (weekly, bi-weekly use) may lead to some neurological degeneration. There has been no evidence to suggest that moderate/slight MDMA use is harmful. Please, I implore you, do not take the previous two sentences and run with them thinking that because there has been no evidence thus far, that you will be invulnerable. There are many other factors to consider when discussing MDMA. I urge you to post to the NG alt.drugs.ecstasy and ask some questions there prior to taking Ecstasy. kidding...just get out there, let the music infect you, and move. I can kind of equate it to the premise of speaking in tongues (not that I believe in it, but the premise fits here). There`s a religion (and you`ll have to forgive me for forgetting which one) that believes that while in service God just begins to speak through them and others claim to be able to understand what they`re saying and translate it. To draw a parallel here, just imagine the music is God and your feet are mouths...just let the music talk through you feet and move as you see fit. I have to admit that this was something I couldn`t do when I first started dancing at clubs 6 years ago. But I began to realize that I don`t sit around and watch other people dance and mock them or make fun of them and neither did anyone I was with so I realized I was just being very paranoid! you`re doing is you. You`ll find your groove...just have faith in the music!
Re:A few questions from a Newbie - 2006/06/02 03:34There are many types of `techno` music, and the type(s) played depend on the rave you go to. Transworld CDs and a lot of trance in general tends to be a little more pop or catchy, i guess, than other types such as maybe jungle or breaks..The crowd of people that attend a jungle party tend to be different from those who go to a party that plays trance or house...so you before heading out to a rave try to find out what will be played. At raves you will notic that there is a really wide variety of people, and a wide variety of ages. Most of the people are between 15-25, but anyone is welcome, and it is a cool thing to see an older face in the crowd. The people are very accepting and open minded so if you go into it with the same attitude, it`s all good. If you think that you would feel uncomfortabe and you have a few friends (who are open minded) that might like to come, then bring them. If you go by yourself, the people are for the most part very friendly and it is very easy to strike up a convo with someone. About the dancing...Im a horrible dancer. The first rave I went to I spent the first hour sitting and watching everyone else, afraid to dance..but then I realized that no one cared how they or anyone else looked. I started just trying to copy some other moves that other people were doing and had some trouble getting into it, but after a few hours I, my friends, and everyone else were just jumping around all crazy, and even if you looked like the biggest moron it was still cool. Everyone is kinda in their own world. So just be free and get into the music and lose urself..cuz thats what its all about. I live in NY, so I don`t really know of any locals in New Jersey, but if you are able to get into NYC, some of the best parties are there. Check out www.us-raves.com , www.hyperreal.org , and www.ravelinks.com for listings of upcoming events. Also, some local promotor`s websites are www.sympty.com , www.stuckonearth.com , and www.blackkat.org . If you go to their websites you can join their mailing lists and they will email you whenever they have a rave coming up. Personally, I don`t do drugs at raves and I would *strongly* urge you not to the first time you go, because it would cloud your perception of what it is really like. If you had a good time and decided to go to another one, and went sober, your experience would be much different and you might not feel like you could be able to have as much fun (not that it is necesarily more fun on drugs..you can go sober and have the greatest natural high if you let go enough) The media has distorted the meaning of raves and has made everyone think that its just a place to go to rebel and get fucked up. Tons of kids hear this and since it sounds all badass, they decide they will go. These new party go-ers then think the real reason for raves is to do drugs, and start to prove the media right. Drugs are definatly a huge part of raves, but they aren`t the main reason that they exist. If you have an interest in trying E, then by all means try it, but if it just seems like you should do it because everyone else there does and that its a mandatory thing, then you might want to re-think about using. ...hope that was helpful
Re:A few questions from a Newbie - 2006/06/02 09:56To anyone who took the time to reply, Thanks a lot. I`ve been checking out a few of these sites and with the help from all of you, have found what I was looking for. Your answers were very insightfull and so far, no flames!
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Would I be the laughing stock if I were to go to a rave and try to have a good time? What`s the general attitude from the rave goers as far as people like me not knowing what the hell I`m doing? 
