Decline Of The Scene [Back to HOME page]

I find it peculiar that so many people visit message boards and complain (out of one side of their mouth) about the state of the "scene" in this country, while at the same time (and out of the other side of their mouth) say stuff that is negative or derogatory about Rave Culture. We can't complain about MTV or Clear Channel and the way they shove commercial hip-hop and pop dance down our throats, if we offer no alternative.

Over the course of time, Raves and Rave Culture certainly became diluted and poisoned by people with bad intentions and sinister ideas. They frequently turned into drug obsessed parties with underage kids smoking, snorting and ingesting everything they could get their hands on, with the actual promoters doing the majority of the dealing. This opened up the floodgates for media, police and other public safety officials to get involved and put a BLACK MARK on the entire scene. With this negative publicity, venues became less obtainable and the whole scene self imploded, leaving us in the state we are in today. We all know that negatives arise from ANY LARGE GATHERING of people and there is no question that many aspects of the scene need to be addressed and changed; but a look beyond the periphery reveals that Rave Culture (and the lack of its present existence) leaves a major void in the social fabric that makes up youth culture.

In their purest forms, Raves are a positive outlet for creativity, music and dance. The rave community rests on principles of tolerance and appreciation and many of these influences are important to the constructive growth of young people. Whether you like to look back on it with positive or negative memories, everyone involved in electronic music spent some time in our past at Raves. And a great deal of the ethos involved in the "dance scene" was first demonstrated at Raves and other festivals.

Many of my best friendships and business relationships, were cemented over times spent at parties and I gained a great deal of my understanding of DJing, and the scene in general at these events. To look back now and pretend I didn't have some great times would be ignorant and dishonest. To acknowledge the positive aspects of these experiences and turn my back on them would be a disservice to my history.

Many of the people who are the policy makers and leaders in this country now, were in their teens and early 20s in the 1960s. That would mean that many of them had long hair, participated in protest marches and went to festivals like Woodstock. These people were enjoying the experience of growing up and learning about their world and themselves by attending these events and expressing their individuality. They participated to the behest of the adults of the day, who called them "pot heads and hippies." Jump ahead 30+ years and these same people are trying to make rules to control and eradicate Rave Culture. [b]Does anyone else see the irony in this picture?[/b]

People involved in the scene (as DJs and Producers of electronic music) are having a real hard time playing what we love and making a living doing it. This is due to changes in popular culture, but it is also (in great part) due to the death of Rave Culture. We are faced with trying to play house or trance or techno to crowds of people who have no experience with it and favor the pop culture images and sounds of Jay-Z, Britney and N-Sync; images that they are bombarded by everyday. By the time people are 21, 22, 23…they have already made up their minds about what they like and don't like. If we don't get more people who are 15, 16, 17, 18 listening to and involved in electronic music and culture, I see a very bleak future for the scene in general.

In the bigger picture, I see a very serious social void with the government crackdown on raves and parties. Young people need exposure to diversity to grow and become well-adjusted adults. They need to be free to express their creativity, individuality and learn from these experiences (both good and bad.) Raves will always hold a special place in my heart (and in my past) and I hope the negative behavior of a few, does not result in a whole generation being denies the opportunity to attend these types of events.