ABC 4 Corners on the Australian music festival scene

[Tronica]

Hi AusDD folks

I have been approached by the ABC with the following request:

Can you help us? We’re making an exciting documentary about Australia’s dance culture and music festivals! We’re after a raw insight into your world. Festivals have been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons lately and the police approach to drugs isn’t working! So if you’re up for a chat and willing to let us tag along with you and your mates at festivals over summer, GET IN TOUCH! Particularly keen on hanging out with anyone going to Field Day. CALL US OR EMAIL US! (02)83334867 or email [email protected]

I've had a chat with the journalist involved and he is genuinely interesting in exploring this topic, all sides of it. So if you have a story to tell, please contact ABC as per above.

Of course if you end up participating in a documentary, do ensure you are taking the precautions you deem necessary regarding anonymity, remembering that these kinds of media can be posted online forever. Having said that, many people are happy to openly discuss their histories and journeys with drugs and this can work too, but just thought I'd mention the importance of careful consideration of how you are represented, should you get involved.

Thanks,
Monica

 

[Verybuffed]

Excellent work Monica. I hope you get a lot of participants.

The TV special you appeared on last year, Australians on Dtugs, was excellent.

 

[Tronica]

Thanks Verybuffed. I'm glad that ABC is doing this kind of long-piece journalism on drugs and the festival scene. There's a real opportunity here to help push the debate in the right direction. So I hope anyone here who is having a big festival summer and is practicing harm reduction considers contacting 4Corners to get more information about being part of their documentary

 

[Crankinit]

Does anyone on AUDD even go to festivals anymore?

But seriously, it looks like it has the potential to be a good piece, especially if they get some participants who know their HR, hope it works out.

 

[Tronica]

Does anyone on AUDD even go to festivals anymore?

Hehe yeah I know it's not really the preferred scene for most of our members. I think they will get their best opportunities through Hack radio.

 

[Crankinit]

Probably yeah. It's weird, I could have sworn when I started posting here the majority of the community were clubbers, did everyone just grow out of it and there are no young eager pill popping kids to take our place here? Maybe forums aren't as appealing as twitter and tumblr and whatnot to the current batch of late-teens experimenting with drugs for the first time - does this mean they're missing out on the HR message?

 

[spacejunk]

I think the HR message has just expanded to the wide range of drug users out there.
Especially given the MDMA drought in the past few years, when good pills went from common to virtually non-existent.

Not to mention that many of the old guard of BL clubbers are a few years older, probably have more responsibilities like work and families - and therefore don't spend as much time in nightclubs as they may have ~7 years ago.

Just my 2c - frankly it could be any number of things.
I think harm minimisation is vitally important in all drug using communities, but the recent tragedies in festivals has cast the national spotlight back onto "ecstasy", "club drugs" and "dance parties".

It is really encouraging to see that the HR message is getting a stronger voice in the media and public discourse in regard to testing at events and the like - it is a real shame that it takes (presumably) preventable deaths to make that happen.

Good luck Monica, I hope you get a good response, and look forward to seeing the programme.

 

[SixBuckets]

Probably yeah. It's weird, I could have sworn when I started posting here the majority of the community were clubbers, did everyone just grow out of it and there are no young eager pill popping kids to take our place here? Maybe forums aren't as appealing as twitter and tumblr and whatnot to the current batch of late-teens experimenting with drugs for the first time - does this mean they're missing out on the HR message?

I think the format is a huge part of it. Young people use the internet really differently than people in their 30s and 40s. I'd bet money that most people under 25 (and especially teenagers) are going to YouTube with their harm reduction queries, not forums.