I see what you mean about the attraction of the “underground” nature of finding venues, but the problem I see (having been involved for a while) is todays crews are making the same mistakes as happened a few years ago – not all venues are well chosen, there are “security problems” such as people getting stuff robbed from cars, there is still too much rubbish allowed to build up and only 80% of it is cleared.
Bear in mind the same areas/regions within a 30 mile radius seem to have been rinsed for about 7 years or more, so the backlash from the locals is inevitable.
funkydan wrote:
they should accept us more into society such as football is and they proberly cause alot more trouble with all the fights and gang fights aswell plus you will have the all the drunks in the street singing shit songs.
unfortunately this level of “acceptance” has already happened.
Football was actually once an “underground” activity, played between entire villages (and often resulting in brawls and even murders!) – but today, how many times do you see signs saying “no ball games”, and even young kids are discouraged from playing football other than in certain tolerated areas!
Over the years (particularly in the last 30 years) it has been heavily nannied, regulated and controlled to become the heavily commercialised game of soccer that we now know today.
I’m not into football much but my cousins are and they always go to Portman Road when they can to support the Tractor Boys, it is fucking expensive because the ticket prices include the cost of the cops and there are loads of cops (with riot gear on standby) in case hooligans kick off.
If you want to start your own local team I think you (or the ground where you have your games) have to have paperwork and insurance and stuff like that once it goes above a certain level and it all costs money.
On another note though I don’t see why Forestry can’t designate some areas of Thetford Forest for raves as a trial, seeing that various ageing rock stars are allowed to hold concerts there and it doesn’t seem to damage the wildlife.
There probably would be conditions attached such as finish times, stewarding and limitations on numbers (to stop the travellers trying to make a site of the place) but if we are honest with ourselves there are some serious risks with the current “free for all” situation.
I’m not originally a “bumpkin” raver but from the city areas of London and the South East, and I saw “free parties” degenerate in those areas due to gangs and bad attitudes taking over. In London parties they now need security anyway and even then it doesn’t solve the problems.
East Anglia is a paradise compared to what I was used to but even so there are little shits going around nicking stuff, and a few nasty incidents where people bring their jealousy or domestic arguments to parties. If it takes a bit of co-ordinated “stewarding” to deal with this I don’t see it as a big loss of freedom. Nor do I see a problem with a bit more organisation and discipline amongst “free” party crews, if they expect to be able to be allowed to use a piece of land for a lot lower than its market costs.
