bigG
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Future of Raving - 2006/07/17 06:55
We`ve had a rash of terribly poor turn-outs for events in the midwest lately. Less than 100 showed for an Adam X party, only 3k at Live on the Decks (a three-day, multi-headliner orgy). Local parties, traditionally the quiet solution, are getting creamed with turnouts in the double digits. Even our clubs aren`t getting the attendance they need to support the names their bringing in.
All this has lead me to question where we`re heading.
On the one hand, electronic music is higher than it`s ever been. With legitimate "star" status given to Moby, up-and-comers like Dirty Vegas, and "bubblegum techno" like DJ Sammy receiving public attention, it seems like mainstream acceptance is just around the corner. On the other hand, the purist underground seems to be suffering immensely.
Perhaps the answer is as simple as the economy. The Big Crash hit and people have a lot less money. They are unwilling to lay out $20 for a party that might get busted or a headliner that might not show or a promoter that might skip town. Has the "no promises" karma finally bit raves in the ass? Likewise, maybe "big name" DJs aren`t as "big name" anymore and not drawing their weight in admission. If one hundred kids each pay $10 to see a DJ that costs over $1000 to book, the numbers just won`t work out however you massage them.
Or maybe it`s the combination of governmental interference, media demonization, and the increased power to local authorities in "war time". The pressure against raves as a scapegoat for everything from America`s drug problem (and therefore terrorism) to decaying morality has reached its full power and raves have buckled. Recent legislation introduced in the House and Senate will be the nail in the coffin.
Or, quite possibly, the party has run out of steam. What was once cutting-edge and creative has stagnated. The genres have splintered so fantastically that not enough people listen to any one thing enough to make the idea of "community" work out. Going to a party comes with a wealth of guarantees, from state-of-the-art lighting and sound to a easy access to water/food/parking, that has pushed "raving" beyond a counter-culture into an industry--full of sales reps, booking agents, and artist management companies. The "corporate" overhead has collapsed on what was once just an abandoned warehouse full of people dancing.
Unable to wallow in doom-saying for too long, I`m trying to navigate a way out of this despicable mire. Am I worried that raves will fade and perish, only to live on in memory? No, not one bit. To compare the electronic experience to pogs and slap bracelets is, quite honestly, offensive. We *will* survive this. But we will survive this because we *choose* to and because we *decide* our new path.
So, where to for raves?
I watched some clips from the VMAs last night (that would be the MTV Video Music Awards). They made me sick. I can remember, a decade ago, when music was everywhere and it was innovative, compelling, and populist. Punk shows in parking lots, people spitting rhymes at bus stops, drum circles in the forest... What do we have now? Pop-processed princesses manufactured into stardom through some socio-industrial assembly line which churns out bands aimed squarely at our wallets. No one who makes music in that world is even slightly unattractive.
Well *I* say, bring back the ugly. Bring back the pain and the questions. Bring back the REAL LIFE that we all have to live every day. Music is a lexicon of emotions that we use to translate our very strange and personal lives into a language that we can use to speak with others. Looking around a room filled with humans being moved by the same chords or dancing to the same rhythm, we realize that we are *not* alone. Forget family, friends, or faith. We are not alone because we all share one profoundly effective common experience.
What I propose for raves is the following: Forget everything you know about them. Forget the ultra-bright lasers and the security pat-downs. Forget the concept of "headliner" and the crossover frequency on the subs. Forget the differences between speed garage and 2-step. Forget why vinyl sounds better than CDs and that you have to call an infoline. Forget the artist contracts and the glossy flyers. Forget that they go all night and forget all the bright clothing. Forget that they`re called "raves".
What`s left? Music? People? Fine, start from there. What do you want them to be? What does the world need? Hope? Hate? A political movement? Something fun to do on the weekends? A reminder of why we`re alive? An escape from being reminded? Add your ingredients, one at a time. Reconstruct, reevaluate, reaffirm. Find people who you think need to be a part of it all. Invite them to add their experiences.
Music. People. Start from there.
The world is a big place, but small enough to make a difference when we try. A human life is long, but short enough that we cannot waste it. The booming 4:4 beat is a countdown timer ticking toward our inevitable end. We`ve spent enough time following the rules we`ve made for ourselves. Now, as we look around and things are far from perfect, we must question those rules and question ourselves, before the clock stops and the music ends.
Our movement is not fabricated by a commercial agenda. It exists outside of CD stores, under the radio waves, and behind clever billboards. We are composed of individuals who are bound together by their love of electronic music. Let`s remember that and let`s act as a community to reignite this scene. It is of the utmost importance that we retain the courage to put forward the music that is *more* than a mere shadow dancing on the wall, but holds the key element of human experience: life.
Whoever you are, wherever you are, band together with like-minded individuals and put together an event that speaks to what *you* want the electronic music culture to be. Pick a day, talk to some friends, and go. It`s not hard unless you make it hard. It`s not great, unless you make it great. Fill the sky with our music and with hope for a way of life that will not fade, not perish, and most importantly not be quieted.
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