I read the observer article last week and thought it was complete tosh. There was supposed to be a warehouse party two weeks ago with some excellent irish djs. Tickets went on sale in a music store in town. Picked some up but unfortunately there wasn't enough interest and the gig was cancelled. Says a lot about Dublin when a great party doesn't attract enough punters. Went to one before and it was amazing

Raves are never gone away. They've been out of the media glare alright but still plentiful. There are lots of free teknivals all over Europe and the US, and a few decent soundsystems here who put on decent parties. I was at the Mantua festival in Roscommon the weekend before last, and although technically not free, it still went on for about 5 days. I skidaddled on monday, but i was told it went on until thursday.

nerraw, when you're buying tickets in record shops, then they're not really quite the same thing, are they?... didn't read the article but i'm guessing this is more uk than ireland... was there not a big debacle on the news yesterday with some party in a field and police heavy-handedness?

Cancelling due to 'lack of interest' isn't really in the spirit of the free party scene either. It's part of the risk of running an illegal event; sometimes you'll get a palty turn-out, other times it'll be nuts. It's the nature of the beast.

Palace, the group have been running free illegal parties for years, be it warehouses, beaches or forests. They're fairly respected in ireland and the fact that they got almost every major dj in ireland to play proves that. However, the last big one they did, warehouse along the quays by the point, was broken up by the Gardai, equipment taken and they got a hefty fine in court. The reason they sold tickets was to raise some cash for the party, they are costly to put on. The free party scene still costs money to put on. they used to pass around a bucket in the past for donations. Cancelling because lack of interest is a perfectly fine reason for cancelling it. No-one there, no fun.

I play bongo with some Djs about the city and the illegal rave is very much happening in ireland. There was a gathering on Inis Fox last weekend off the coast of Mayo, i hear it was amazing. Couldn't get to this one myself. You generally only hear about them if you go to lots of dance nights around dublin, well i didnt know about them till i did.

very good... i stand further informed by each of the last two posts... all in all, it sounds like it's gone full circle... rave scene at end of the 80's followed by rise and fall of the dreadful superclubs and reintroduction of the rave scene... would that be about right?

Yup, seems to be spot on Palace. Rave, birth and death of superclub, and now rave. But raves have always been there. The observer article is basically saying that kids as young as 13 or so are going to the free parties.

Well i think that it has always been there,even when the superclubs took off there was always the underground dance scene where people held big dance parties. I just think that the media are starting to highlight it more now. i bet theres still folks dying from taking pills but i havn't seen it in the paper in years, reckon we will hear of some soon if they decide the dance scene needs a bashing.

Alex Petridis is clueless in this subject, the comments posted after the article gives a better and more informed insight into 'rave' than he does. As one comment points out, its fvck all to do with 'outlaw cool' as he suggests. Completely off the mark.

nerraw, you and i must have different experiences of free parties. i've never heard of buying tickets or any association with 'major djs'. not picking a fight of anything, but in the free tekno scene of teknivals, soundsystems and illicet parties the only thing that will stop a rave is cops or s**t weather. if you party for 10 you'll party for 1000. I wouldn't have that much involvement in it in ireland, but my sister is in a tekno collective in San Fransico and i spent some time over there with her. They put on free warehouse parties, tekinvals in the middle of nowhere, all this sort of stuff. I know the Tir na Gasca (sp) crew and others do it here too. It's a big scene right across europe, lots off collectives having free raves all over the place. Throwing a free party is about creating an autonomous zone where people can do whatever they like and everyone is equal. Teknocrusty idealism stuff i know, but that's what they're on about. Petidris was editor of Mixmag for a few years, so he's approaching it form the commercial side, and therefore doesn't have a clue. /lecture

They're broke, want to do parties but need money? So sell some tickets to finance it. I'm with you with the ideals but even krusties need money to finace it When I said major dj, i meant the good techno djs in ireland. Outside ireland, they're pretty unknown. Petidris is clueless, at the end there are links to similar articles where he predicted the end of 'dance' music. a year later he predicts it again.

Fair enough. It's can be pricey runing these affairs, especially after your equipment has been confiscated. next one you hear of pm me details. Meet you some day in a muddy field in the middle of nowhere listening to Dj Aneurysm. i'll be the guy with his head in a bassbin.

Will do

I wonder if police attitudes in the UK towards raves have softened slightly post-criminal justice bill? I remember reading somewhere not so long ago that the met police were attempting to persuade london clubs to change back to playing house music instead of hip-hop due to the rise in gun culture that surrounds hip-hop.

I remember talking to a guy in Galway who's being renting out DJ equipment for years and he said that back in the late 80's & early 90's there were loads of raves around Galway. Initially the cops would confiscate the P.A.'s but were always hired so inevitably the cops would have to return them to the shop that leased them out in the first place. So instead they started confiscating the DJ's records instead. Eventually no DJ's would play at the raves for fair of having their valuable record collections snatched by the cops so the scene died down. Apparently there used to be a room in Mill Street Garda station full of confiscated vinyl.

It ain't illigal, but CPU are putting on an event for the fringe festival that features some of The Godfathers of Rave. Check The Gig announcement forum for more details. Should definately be one to dust down the auld glow sticks!