From: dan@wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Dan Parmenter)
Subject: Re: orb vs. mike oldfield
Organization: /home/fsg/dan/.organization
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 17:51:55 GMT

In article <Bx4Is2.8vH@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> mmstahl@mobius03.math 
(michael m. stahl) writes:

   by the way, Mr. C. made the acute comment on a toronto program saying
   that the whole rave scene is over; exploited commercially for profit,
   missing the whole point of a group effort to raise the level of
   the participants minds to a higher plane.  Instead, raves are a macho
   (strike that); raves are a place where macho assholes exude their
   forces on others - too much attitude.  They really aren't underground
   anymore.  The next wave will include more tribal beats.  I believe
   that he hit the head of the nail.  There has to be a restructuring of
   this whole rave scene.  Too many people are in it for the profit and
   to appear kool and alternative/underground.  The music has to progress.

I've been to exactly one rave, Quest in Providence.  I had been
reading about raves for years in various magazines and British
newspapers and so I was delighted to finally participate in something
that at least made the claim of being a rave.  To my mind two things
were immediately apparent: first, I could see why people thought it
was getting a bit commercial.  Having a concession booth selling
official "rave" clothing seems a bit much.  But then I've heard that
there are entire stores for it in San Francisco, so who knows?
Obviously profiteering is going on at every level.  But the second
thing I observed was that for the first time in my life, I didn't
feel completely alienated on a dance floor.  I was overwhelmed by how
*gentle* everyone seemed.  The occasional aggressive Club-MTV
wannabe who did appear from time to time lasted about 10 minutes
before exhaustion kicked in to short circuit his or her little
butt-flexing routine, while the gentle nerds just did their weird
little bug dances for hours on end.  People of every shape and
description seemed to just kind of "groove" on through with very
little regard for posing or aggressive displays.  

In other words, it was a complete refutation of that whole shallow
Studio 54 Disco mentality which wallowed in the cult of personality
and beauty.  It's a not-insignificant fact that the "disco" culture
was primarily associated with coke and alcohol - aggressive and
"macho" drugs that turn people into raging jerks - whereas raving has
more acid and ecstasy associations, though as people are fond of
pointing out, many ravers require no chemical stimulation whatsoever.
At Quest, the most-consumed drugs seemed to be caffeine and nicotine.
What a pleasure to see crowds of people quaffing coca-cola and orange
slice instead of Bud.  The crowd seemed like a bunch of gentle nerds
(in the best possible sense of the word) who work as librarians or
bookstore employees or with computers.

So maybe it's not quite dead yet, or perhaps the cancer has yet to
reach the New England.  I dunno.  I agree that the music has to evolve
too, though I don't see any particular reason it has to necessarily
involve more tribal beats.  Predictions like that are often dictated
by personal tastes.  I'd be happy to hear a whole lot less "hardcore"
for more trancey, hypnotic stuff, but that's just my personal taste.
If there is a "macho" side to raves I wouldn't be surprised if it's
associated with the crowd that loves hardcore exclusively.  But then
if I ran the zoo... 

I predict that the future will see the rise of parallel rave cultures
based on musical preferences.  There are always going to be holdovers
for any type of musical style and those who want to advance will grow
tired of accomodating the sticks in the mud and will simply let them
run their own raves.  

- Dan
--
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| Dan Parmenter       |"I'm waiting for a time, when I can do without these  |
| dan@gnu.ai.mit.edu  | things that make me feel this way all of the time"   |
|                     |                            - Spiritualized           |
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