From: pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com (Pete Ashdown)
Subject: Re: Heffalump Hunt Rave review
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:13:26 GMT

bsanders@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Barry Sanders) writes:

>What, exactly, is 'rave gear', oh gurus of the temporary dance establishment.

I just had Pooh wearing a silly floppy hat and a T-shirt with our production
logo on it.  I actually video-grabbed the picture from Pooh in his nightshirt
and cap.

>Could this be one of those Brion Gysin contraptions with the slowly rotating
>light-shuttering assembly that's supposed to induce alpha wave production in
>the brain??  Or is it more complex than that.

Well, the version I bought is the locally made "Shaman" from Alphalabs.  It
has LEDs in a pair of black goggles with sound generation that is output to
earphones.  The beat frequency of the sound is matched to the LEDs.  It was
$200.  For more info on this stuff, contact the mind machine's mailing list
at:  MIND-L@ASYLUM.SF.CA.US

>Are these the ropes/bracelets/necklaces and wands filled with synthetic 
>biolumenase that you see at carnivals, fairs, riots and funerals?

Yes.  They cost about $1 for everything.  We sell them for $2, which is a buck
cheaper than suggested.  What a bargain basement.

>>Our friend who rents us our sound system loaned me a Denon 2000 CD deck for
>                                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>How much $$$, and will it automatically beat-mix?  Time stretch/compress?

I just bought one yesterday (well, provided my credit goes through today, but
there isn't any reason for it not to).  I got mine for about $900.  Yes, it
does +/-8% speed.  No, it doesn't automatically beat mix.  You can search and
position down to a millisecond and beat mixing is done the same way you would
with turn-tables.  It also has a "CUE" function, which is like a very fast
seek on the CD.  It is almost like having a sampler with unlimited length.  I
was doing sampler effects directly off of CD that would be practically
impossible with vinyl.

>Very strange.  I feel certain that the Locals  here would be on our butts so
>fast we wouldn't know what hit us.  Plus, the industrial section of Champaign-
>Urbana is like one square block.  Not much chance of isolation here.

What about an outdoor space?  Two of our raves were held in the center of
downtown and we still weren't bothered by the police because it looked like a
normal party.

>>though at about 3:30 when someone took mascara and wrote "bitch" and "fuck"
>Damn, people are stupid.  Next time, filter out the 13-yr-olds.

About 10% of the crowd is under 21, and the kids we let in are rather mature.
In other words, they come to dance, not to find free beer.  We suspect that
the culprit was one of the local drag queens that showed up later.  These
bastards give new meaning to the word "bitch".

>This brings me to my biggest question:  How does anyone keep from going broke
>having these raves?  Doesn't it cost a fortune to rent everything, to say 
>nothing of the liability one would assume if someone got hurt badly, blew-up
>the building or stole your equipment?  It seems like the potential losses are
>great, and the potential gains are few.  Of course, anyone who's ever had a 
>party knows that :-)  It does sound like a lot of fun, and a lot of work.

We lost $200 on the very first rave we threw.  The other two, we barely broke
even and that was after we considered our own "donations" for music, food, and
misc.  Heffalump was the only one where we have pulled a small profit.  We've
only had to buy liability insurance once, and that was for the first one as
well.  It was $300 for $1,000,000 coverage, but it was a complete waste.
GENERALLY SPEAKING (I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV) there isn't a
problem with liability.  The crowd we get is very friendly, happy, and
cooperative.  This is mainly why we advertise to the mailing list only now.
If people give you their address, they want to come to the rave to rave.  Not
get drunk, cause problems, or write "bitch" & "fuck" all over the bathroom
walls.  Naturally there will be exceptions, but we have yet to encounter them,
knock on wood.  A few people have gotten sick and hurt, but they blamed
themselves.  I just about fell down the stairs and the roof several times
during Heffalump, we should have had it lit better, but alas, I'm still alive
(I'm sorry the rave is over, the DJ just fell off the roof).
-- 
	   "What state is Salt Lake City in?" - Ticketmaster Agent

DISCLAIMER: My writings have NOTHING to do with my employer.  Keep it that way.
Pete Ashdown    pashdown@slack.sim.es.com    ...uunet!slack.sim.es.com!pashdown
Newsgroups: alt.rave