Although raves have been occurring since the early 1980’s, they have recently been gaining an increasing amount of popularity and prominence. The word “rave” comes from the root word resver which means to dream, wander or stray and the British actually used the slang term “rave-up” to refer to wild parties in the 1940’s. Techno music emerged from Europe and quickly gained a dedicated audience within the U.S. and thus began the “ravers movement”
which has been compared to the radical ideals from the sixties decade (hence the raving motto: Peace, Love, and Unity). As for rave clubs, they began in small underground areas but have now taken on an entirely different level, transforming into renowned annual rave dances like “Together as One”, the “Electric Daisy Carnival”, and “Beyond Wonderland”.
When it comes to raves, there is a vast amount of clashing opinions and experiences about the allure and fun factors but also the dangers of raving culture. Many possess the mentality that rave dances are filled with drug users who behave in harmful or strange ways. There are indeed, plenty of people who attend these raves under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, but there is still a good amount of people who go completely sober because they truly respect raving culture and are entirely in love with the music genres of trance and house.
Keep in mind that a large number do go under the influence of drugs such as: ecstasy (stimulant), ephedrine (stimulant), ketamine (hallucinogen), LCD (hallucinogen), magic mushrooms (hallucinogen) and more, because it is extremely important to be aware of your surroundings. Do not share personal items such as cosmetics, water, or food. In fact, because of the dangers of such substances, many raves have banned items like baby pacifiers (which people on ecstasy use to avoid grinding their teeth), Vicks vapor rub (used as an inhaled substance), and light gloves (which some ravers use to give elaborate “light shows”).
Rare and one-time events like people going around and stabbing people with HIV-infected needles, people being trampled to death, or people being drugged or dying from raves maintain the hesitant mentality of ever attending a rave. On the other hand, there is an entire culture involving “candy” or hand-made bracelets, an incredible atmosphere, outrageous costumes, the fun of meeting new people, and of course the most important of all — the music. All in all, whether you should attend a rave or not is entirely a personal choice, but if you do choose to go, here are a couple of tips and some information to keep in mind.
- Buy tickets early. (Tickets will usually go on sale 2-3 months before the event and can be found in participating stores or online websites). Prices will range from $30 up to $300 depending on the longevity of the rave and when you buy them. (Prices will usually increase $5 weekly)
- Go with people you trust and are comfortable with. You will be around a massive crowd of strangers in an open and crowded area so it is essential that you stay with your group at all times.
- Pre-plan. Due to the high amount of people gathered in a single area, cell-phone reception is horrible. You should plan ahead with your group where to meet if a person gets lost, where you will be the majority of the time, etc.
- Stay hydrated. Water bottles are usually not allowed at raves but are sold at the venue. If you do not wish to splurge on multiple bottles, you can invest in purchasing a canteen that some raves provide and refill with no charge.
- Only bring small bags. Only small purses or bags are allowed into the venue and you should use one with zippers that you can keep close to your body to avoid stolen items.
- Be cautious. Always be aware of your surroundings, your group, and your belongings to avoid dangerous encounters.