this is something i’ve been thinking a bit about lately… how we live in quite a conservative world, particularly in the West (where my experience is mainly based). (actually, let’s face it, there are plenty of much more conservative places outside of the West too… but the West does do a pretty solid job of imposing its way on the rest of the world).
anyway, i’ve been wondering about how things might have panned out if there hadn’t been a decisive move to outlaw raves from the 90s onwards (looking at the ‘criminal justice bill’ in the UK, which i came into effect from 1994). obviously the UK doesn’t represent the whole world, but it’s a pretty extreme example of outlawing a musical/sub-culture - and presumably it would have helped pave the way for similar laws elsewhere in the world.
(and conversely, Berlin seemingly embracing this movement made the city unique all through the decades that followed… which just helped add to its truly unique history/story).
i think it’s interesting to think about a society that better embraced some of the ideals of the rave/acid-house movement and progressed from those ideals, rather than outlaw the whole thing. obviously the ‘war on drugs’ had already been raging for decades, so the path of the straight world had already been set (and imposed on much of the rest of the world)…
on the other hand, it’s possible the rave scene might have fizzled out naturally…(it had already mutated from acid house into hardcore/jungle, so it was mutating throughout that whole late-80s/90s period) or maybe not… maybe 'ardcore will never die… (or something similar) - i mean, it got big enough that it was felt the need to outlaw it…
apologies this isn’t a more coherent post! but i like to think about alternative timelines, and how things could have been different (it’s good for creative ideas, basically… the idea of ‘art showing a more beautiful world is possible’ or something like that, which seems to have been needed in much of these bleak days/weeks/years lately!)
and i basically think the best of raves/outdoor parties/whatever you call them locally, can really show some of that - humans being creative and having a good time together(through music, video, installation out, outfits, and dance). partying seems to be a more or less uniquely human quality… it seems a bit absurd that we’ve also gone to such an effort to outlaw it (or make it more difficult/dangerous). i think there’s a lot to be said for that ecstatic group release.
anyway… quite rambling!
PS… maybe this should be under ‘Everything Else’ sub?