28 July 2012
1988 I discovered raving, I was just coming out of the indie phase much to my mums delight as I was looking like a Woodstock throw back. The music I had never heard before but I was hooked....there was acid house, hardcore, techno and drum and bass too many genres to mention but if I like a tune I just liked it regardless of genre. A good DJ was a God a bad DJ usually ended up carrying the good DJ's records! Me?....I couldn't DJ so I just danced. Me and my wonderful friend would set off on a Friday, God only knows where we would end up by Sunday. I wore my knee high boots everywhere, they were my dance partners in crime. Somehow I developed my 'rave dancing' I thought I was Lady Miss Kier from Deee-lite......Deee-luded more like. I used to get a lot of attention doing my thing however in hindsight I'm thinking people thought I was just having a turn. I refrained from the white gloves, whistles and glow sticks and the dreaded puffer........the bigger the puffer the cooler you were. My friend however did succumb to the lure of the puffer and went out and got the biggest ORANGE puffer ever! What with my rave dancing and her orange puffer, we were a formidable raving team. Raving wasn't just about dancing in a warehouse or field somewhere, for me it was about the convoy getting there. People would meet in various places much to the disgust of the general public and there would be a silent buzz in the air whilst everyone waited for the nod as to where the rave would be. All of a sudden everyone would be on the move....like the worker bees being summoned by the Queen bee! You would just follow the cars in front, we never really knew where we were going and just hoped the person way in front did! Many a time chunks of the convoy would separate and the car in front would stop and say "why are you following me?...I don't have a clue where we are going" It was like a Benny Hill sketch.... only with cars. I was glad to be part of the old Skool rave scene, I met some weird and wonderful people, went to raves that were like a scene from Mad Max....organisations such as Fantazia, Universe, Raindance and DIY made it an experience I will never forget. But alas I had to hang up my knee highs and put to bed my Lady Miss Kier look as rave dancing to the likes of Shaggy Mr Boombastic and Sinead O Connors Nothing Compares 2 U didn't quite work...and what become of my friends infamous orange puffer I hear you ask?....well it's probably in some rave museum somewhere. Maybe when I get to 50 I will have another mid life crisis and will try to revisit my former raving days....better have the paramedics and Tena Lady on stand by for that one!!!!
So for all you ravers out there PLUR.....Peace, Love, Unity and Respect
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Oops I Did It Again....Raves, Convoys and Lady Miss Kier • Opuss № I