As I was flying into London, I heard on Radio 1 of an anti-Criminal
Justice Act demonstration taking place the same afternoon at Clapham
Common. I wasted no time after arriving at Heathrow getting to the
scene. I had visions of molotov-throwing rioters turning the place
upside down. What I found was similar to a street fair, kind of a pinko
picnic. It seemed to be organized by a coalition of unionists,
socialists and communists.
There was a good deal of entertainment in
different tents, including Glen Tilbrook and Blue Aeroplanes. But where
was the house music, I wondered? It seemed to follow that a
demonstration against the CJA would include those targeted by the law.
Indeed, there were crusty/traveller type bands (people who look like our
deadheads who are also targeted by the CJA) but the only rave connection
I could find was a guy selling mix tapes. He indicated that
house/techno/jungle was too hot politically, and that people in the UK
were afraid of it. I started to walk off, when I noticed a group
gathered in the distance. As I had hoped, it was a party.
The fellow on the left has written on his face, "Fuck the CJA"
United Systems had set up a sound system on a flat bed truck on the far
end of the park, next to a carnival. The police were gathered in numbers
nearby but chose to do nothing at the time. They were told they could go
to 9 p.m. but no further. The crowd grew as the groove went hardcore.
It was an "old school" type rave sound (though the r-word was never used
I think the whole time I was in England). I appreciated the energy of
the crowd which was otherwise similar in size and vibe to a Sunset. An
MC reminded the crowd that the were defying the CJA ( actually I don't
think so, only if the police captain says they are) and busted lame
rhymes like "hardcore, you know the score" that undoubtedly left others
attending with thoughts of happier times. The sound wasn't that great,
but I actually found the rough edges added to the excitement. The DJ
seemed to be operating from a pirate station in a nearby van.
Speaking of pirates, I found numerous stations playing a variety of dance music up and down the FM dial. I hope we can see more pirates here [in SF, US].
That party wound down at the appointed time, and the day passed without incident. My next few days were devoted to sightseeing in London. On Thursday, out of curiosity I headed out to the original Megatripolis. I was curious about the clubs there, they are a big deal to people. But there is an obsession with fashion that turns me off (as well as other factors mostly related to club-owners greed). Megatripolis wasn't too bad, still pretty commerical, best found in the music. Sort of "handbag trance?". In other words, some trance, mixed with popular commercial trax. There were undoubtedly more underground clubs, more commercial clubs, but I had sated my taste for London clubs. The light show at Heaven sure kicks butt, though! Lasers, video, etc.-a pretty impressive place. Other major hotspots were Ministry of Sound, Club UK and Gardening Club.
Friday, I went horseback riding. Try it once, it's fun. Sure is weird
to look down between your legs and find a huge beast underneath you.
Later that day, I checked out the Raincoats, undoubtedly some of you
remember this great post-punk band.
On May 6th 1995 thousands of party goers from around the world descended on Otmoor Park in Beckley, Oxfordshire England to indulge in a seventeen hour marathon of shamanic celebration of the end of the millennium dance culture with five different music arenas, 16 live acts and 50 international DJ's.
Saturday, I was on a train to the main event, the UK Tribal Gathering by
Universe and festival promoter Mean Fiddler. It was a Big Deal over
there. Why? It seems to be a new direction for the dance music scene by
merging raves with the festival scene, and doing it legal and properly.
As Fraser has pointed out, the tradition of festivals and faires in the
UK goes back to medieval times. The festival system allows rave culture
to graft itself onto the mainstream Anglo-Saxon culture.
I found a long line for the bus to Otmoor Park when I got off the train at Oxford, so I decided to walk. Although I got lost a couple times, after an hour or so I was able to find the right direction. As I crossed the traffic control zone, I met up with some locals who were on there way to TG who accompanied me there. It was another exhausting 2 hours to get to the park, but it was a scenic walk through canola fields and a picturesque village.
Eventually, I beheld the site- 5 huge tents where
some 20,000 people were gathering. As I approached a tent, I found that
it was stiflingly hot in the tents. Sweat was condensing on the ceilings
and dripping down the sides. It was an unusually hot week in England.
The tents were packed, but the Tribal tent seemed to offer the most
comfort and the best sound and music, so I spent most of my time there.
The people were friendly (especially some aussies that were there) but
due to the size I found it a bit impersonal. Wandering around, I found a
tent specializing in Jungle, the other tents were mainly harder forms of
techno and trance with a little house.
Highlights for me were Richie Hawtin's set and 808 State's performance. Groups like the Prodigy and
Orbital played, but since those arenas were steamy, overcrowded zoos, I
backed off from them. Comfort was not a strong point there, as chillers
were forced to sit in the back of the tents, there was no real chill
space provided.
Overall, the party went smoothly as it was
professionally put together and executed (but for this reason lacked
excitement for me). The Brits seem to like the sheer size of it, I found
it a bit overwhelming.
