Petition to Legalise Free Parties

[Shambles]

Another one of them thar VICE-based threads. They'll be expecting royalties soon. Subject is one that's probably of some interest to a number of people here though so thought it worth a thread.

A PETITION TO LEGALISE FREE PARTIES IN THE UK HAS ALMOST HIT ITS TARGET

Twenty years ago, it suddenly became a lot more difficult to have fun in a field. Inviting more than 20 people to a field was banned, walking towards large gatherings in fields was also banned, and listening to music containing “a succession of repetitive beats” was so banned that Dreadzone wrote a protest song about it.

In fact, the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act – and the amendments within it that targeted free parties (or “free festivals”, depending on who you’re hanging out with) – managed to drive a lot of the more anarchic sound systems out of the UK and into Europe. More recently, it was used to shut down a private birthday barbecue for 15 people.

Kit Morrison, an 18-year-old living in the West Country, recently started an online petition addressed to Theresa May that calls for free parties and free festivals to be decriminalised in the UK. It’s nearing its target of 25,000 signatures, and when it reaches that number, Kit is going to present it to the Home Secretary to see what she has to say.

Obviously, legalising free parties kind of defeats the point. If the police turn up to keep an eye on things – making sure nobody’s doing anything bad, like ketamine or arson – then the rigs basically turn into travelling V Festivals, but with crusties and psytrance instead of Steve Jones and The Saturdays. I wanted to see what Kit thought about that, so I gave him a call.

Linky to the interview

What do y'all think about legalising free parties? Does it defeat the object? Would it ruin them and turn them into commercial bilge? Personally I'm not so sure it would. Yes there would be a shitey overly-commercial not-so-free party industry formed I'd imagine - lots of sponsorship and probably even tickets which rather goes against the whole ethos. However, I don't think it would necessarily all be like that. Free parties existed legally (or at least not specifically illegally) for years before the CJB and its apparent terror at the thought of "music with repetitive beats" (as opposed to music with totally asynchronous beats presumably - I guess Tories are big on free jazz improv) rather went and spoiled the party a bit. Not completely by any means but things did go downhill and has never quite been the same since. As with many a prohibited thing they just got a bit iffier and more expensive.

As such, I'm all in favour of having them legalised. i can live with knock-off commercial versions and don't see why it wouldn't end up much like the festival scene - massive corporate events alongside smaller ones that perhaps have a bit more character and spirit about them.

If you don't fancy the article for some reason but would like to sign the petition then it can be found here.

 

[hexagram]

the free party scene is always something i've wanted to get into more, as I really like the ethos and ideas of the original rave movement, and love the idea of communal music and dancing outside of a strict nightclub environment.

However, I found the only free party i've been too dissapoiting. 90% of the people there were on K and lots of it, no problem with ketamine but surely MDMA is the perfect drug for that sort of thing, very social and loved up. However very few people seemed like talking, everybody was just in there own little ketamine world, not all together as one. Why has K become the most popular free party drug? Idk. Music was a little naff too.

In regards to them being legalized though, i'm not sure. If it made them more popular and less fringey, and brought people together like it did the early 90's, then it's great news. If it means free parties basically become outdoor nightclubs, with bouncers and drug checks, fuck that.

 

[Sammy G]

I'm pretty sure the early nineties scene was full of corporate-sponsored events, y'know? The promoters who were doing it 'for the love of the scene' were very much in the minority. I imagine that legalisation would lead to the same kind of situation, only with the addition of police and other 'safety' measures. Which (to me) just ain't a free party at all.

I was too young for the original 'scene' but I did get dragged to a number of events over subsequent years, and for me the clandestine nature of it all was the main attraction, along with the drugs. It certainly wasn't the fucking music, that's for sure. :D

 

[swampdragon]

However, I found the only free party i've been too dissapoiting. 90% of the people there were on K and lots of it, no problem with ketamine but surely MDMA is the perfect drug for that sort of thing, very social and loved up. However very few people seemed like talking, everybody was just in there own little ketamine world, not all together as one. Why has K become the most popular free party drug? Idk.

Heh, yeah, sounds like some clubs around here (and Boomtown fest to some extent..) Tis a shame.

Technically I support legalisation of parties, but it does feel like the campaign is missing the point, as the parties will happen regardless of the law. I keep getting invites to the bigger ones around here but am always busy. Though I prefer to stick to the smaller pay psy events as there's not as much chance of those being shut down once I've trekked over to them..

 

[ColtDan]

I've been to a few free partys around, a few years ago, was lots of fun, but can be lots of hassle. lots of mdma, meph and and ket at em. massive fire and a rig. driving out in the morning was a sight, the lane partly blocked full of people who didnt leave enough gap to get our motor out, still ketted off their face, lifted their cars across by hand

 

[swampdragon]

Aye.. kids here will pay £50 for a taxi to the middle of nowhere for a party. Can't quite justify that expense.

Though a friend has just said the phrase "mescaline beach party" to me which kind of appeals.

 

[Shambles]

However, I found the only free party i've been too dissapoiting. 90% of the people there were on K and lots of it, no problem with ketamine but surely MDMA is the perfect drug for that sort of thing, very social and loved up. However very few people seemed like talking, everybody was just in there own little ketamine world, not all together as one. Why has K become the most popular free party drug? Idk. Music was a little naff too.

Many of the free parties I've attended have been somewhat disjointed and ketamine has long been the DoC as far as I recall. First one I ever went to was the first time I actually saw people on ketamine (wasn't all that widespread that I recall outside of the free party scene - only knew one fella that had tried it from memory). It was held in a barn in a field somewhere in the middle of nowhere (as expected) and I remember being surprised and impressed at how nicely it had been decorated and generally prettified. Lotsa glow-in-the-dark artwork and various "trippy stuff" hung up with murals and the like. Lots of spirals. I expect some will be able to work out why. It actually looked much as I've seen psytrance clubs done up since really only a bit more on the fly perhaps. Just outside the actual barn there was a massive bonfire surrounded by krusties in various angles in relation to the ground and various levels of lucidity. Took me a while to work out what they were doing but they were cooking up ket over the fire and mostly IMing or IVing it which kinda shocked me at the time cos it's not the kinda thing you expect to see at parties all out in the open and casual like.

The ones I've been to have been of various quality and levels of organisation. Some very clearly thrown together onna shoestring, some with several separate tents all playing different music with stalls and stuff dotted about selling assorted hippy shit, mushrooms, and loads of people selling chai (much of it laced with one thing or another) - almost nearer a mini-festival than a rave. It's like anything - there's good and bad examples and one disappointing experience isn't necessarily representative. There's been some absolutely amazing parties I've been lucky enough to attend.

Drugs are as varied as you'd expect. There is a helluva lotta ketamine about usually but MDMA and LSD (also 2C-B to a slightly lesser extent) are the ol' faithfuls. There always a lot of coke about too but that tends to be kept away from the main area in peoples' tents and cars - selfish drug is coke and those using it tend to want to keep it amongst themselves. Was one fella I used to see at every party I went to - must've been mid-60s if not older. You'd always see him in the psytrance tent off his tits on MDMA with a nitrous cracker in one hand and a bottle of liquid acid in the other giving out freebies of both to anybody within dosing range. Different drugs tend to be associated with the various musical genres and the majority of free parties I've been to in recent years have a few tents each with a kinda rave within a rave inside - very different vibe in each one. You couldn't pay me to spend time in the d&b tent, for example. Full of fish-eyed chavs on ket wanting to stab you up. That may be a slight exaggeration but I tended to stick with the more swirlsome-based tents cos that's where all the best drugs and friendliest people tend to be.

On legalisation, as I said I would expect there to be a load of (as you put it) outdoor clubs and yes that would be a bit shite. Although I'm sure there'd be some decent ones too. I also agree that it does somewhat miss the point - aside from the big commercial raves they were always essentially illegal even if not specified under pre-existing law they tended to get raided a lot. The difference with legalising would be that it's no longer illegal to have more then a handful of people attending to listen to "music with repetitive beats" which is in itself a shitty law which doesn't just affect free parties. There may be a certain romance with what are essentially outlaw parties but it'd also be nice if those organising them had less to worry about in terms of the law. The police can and do know when to turn a blind eye to low-level drug activity as proven by festivals. I'm sure some similar arrangement could be reached with free parties that retained the spirit of the illegal scene but were less likely to be raided, scattered and shut down just when they're getting good.

 

[Sammy G]

It'd certainly be good for organisers to know they weren't running the risk of arrest and confiscation of their equipment, that's for sure.

I'd also like to live in a world where twenty people could congregate on the moors in order to ignore each other and scowl whilst listening to Nico without the worry of spending a night in the cells for their troubles.

 

[Shambles]

Ha! Quite. It seems to me there are wider implications of the law they're trying to get abolished that affect people who may have no interest in the free party scene itself. I see no use or value in this law - it is oppression for the sake of oppression.

 

[Shambles]

Related news in semi-pictorial form.

 

[Allein]

I'm pretty sure the early nineties scene was full of corporate-sponsored events, y'know? The promoters who were doing it 'for the love of the scene' were very much in the minority. I imagine that legalisation would lead to the same kind of situation, only with the addition of police and other 'safety' measures. Which (to me) just ain't a free party at all.

I was too young for the original 'scene' but I did get dragged to a number of events over subsequent years, and for me the clandestine nature of it all was the main attraction, along with the drugs. It certainly wasn't the fucking music, that's for sure. :D

They paid party scene was coming to an end by 1990, free parties started to emerge and when Castle Morton went down it was clear there was a massive underground of people willing to both attend and organise free parties.

Organised 'raves' never came close to the experience of a real party, NYE 1992 I attended a warehouse party run by one sound system and more than 10,000 people turned up, this system continued parties until 2000 the police were powerless to stop that many people.

It shouldn't be illegal to have a party in an old sand quarry or an old barn in the middle of nowhere, there is some basic human rights there. I doubt any legislation would accommodate such things, people just have to take it for themselves and refuse to recognise such ridiculous 'rules', I recall seeing an organiser I knew well being told we were trespassing, he jumped in the air and said 'what about now' :D

 

[Shambles]

What he said

The last point you make is so obvious it's gobsmacking we're in a position we're actually changing the law should be required. How that bill ever got through is beyond me. Actually it isn't even remotely beyond me

 

[Allein]

I'm not into conspiracy theories but it's a tangible example of oppressing people spirituality IMO.

The 'they' are genuinely scared of such gatherings, I witnessed 1000's of people experiencing genuine unity through the freedom of dancing together to repetitive beats, it's been happening for 1000s of years.

The events I attended welcomed all, there was no fashion, no uniform and dancing was just about letting go and expressing yourself, I didnt like clubs in general I'd get hassle for outlandish jumping about in some places. I used to often meet a bloke who liked to wear a Laura Ashley dress with his hobnail boots, no one hassled him and if there were any dodggy muggers and such they would be dealt with by the crowd.

Anarchy ? maybe but people are intrinsically good, I'm not involved anymore but I hope people continue to organise such things, there is little enough togetherness in the world.

 

[rickolasnice]

I don't see how this could ever work.. If they did say ok go ahead.. free parties are legal.. there are hundreds of other laws they could use to shut you down (health and safety, first aiders, licenses, etc etc)

Most of the free parties / squat parties I've been to has been left alone by the police.. a car or two will show up to have a look at what's going on.. they'll hang around for a bit (probably waiting for orders like the bitches they are) before fuckin off..

I've been to a few where a couple of em would just walk around seeing what's going on.. i asked em what they were doing and they said they were making sure everyone was safe (im pretty sure there were balloons going left right and centre at this point.. and i was obviously spannered)..

But I'm still not sure what legalizing free parties would involve?

What's the squat party scene like these days? I didn't go to that many but it seems as though it went from real friendly to becoming a target for gangster wannabe cunts to abuse.. The psytrance ones anyway..

 

[Shambles]

It would involve lifting the ban on public meetings of more than... how many people is it? In my head it's four but that can't be right. I think it said 20 in the article. That in itself is a big deal. Just cos there may be other laws that could potentially be used to close a party down doesn't mean there's no point in aiming to get the most oppressive one of all lifted. Whether or not it is the most oppressive of all is highly debatable but people certainly felt strongly enough about it at the time that it seem strange to see the next generation down thinking it doesn't matter at all...



It mattered a helluva lot to us auld geezers

(and it does to you young 'uns to whether you realise it or not)

Kill, kill, kill the Bill (etc)

This was before Kill Bill had even been invented dontcha know.

 

[Allein]

I'm not familiar with the detail of this proposal but I'm aware one of the main issues existing today is a Public Entertainment License. It is clearly possible to organise a party in a field, Glastonbury for example.

Free parties will never meet the requirements around H&S and security etc. The society we live in isnt geared up to accommodate such things within its restrictive laws.

It's my view that if 10,000 people want to meet up and have a peaceful party whilst respecting other peoples peace and not messing the place up it is morally legal, asking for permission is kinda redundant

 

[Shambles]

It's my view that if 10,000 people want to meet up and have a peaceful party whilst respecting other peoples peace and not messing the place up it is morally legal, asking for permission is kinda redundant

The problem is that it isn't redundant if you wish to avoid prosecution

 

[Allein]

Yeah, fair point.

The people that ran our local sound all got arrested one night so 7000 people pitched up outside the police station :D

I sense that these days parties are smaller and the police more willing to shut them down and arrest people.

They tried to procecute our organisers but the police failed to nail anyone for actually organising, one by one people went to the station and cliamed to be responsible, I don't belive they suceeded at all.

It's hard to get those numbers to turn up and its the numbers that count in terms of the police being able to shut it down, there would alwasy be a good few hundred left at the end to tidy up and escort the sound system off site. I'm not sure that kinda community is still around today.

 

[Shambles]

No idea how many turn up to the parties sometimes to be found out and up in them thar hills around these parts. Is a fuckload though. To be fair, they do actually charge admission. To be more fair, they don't charge that hard and it's mostly noobs that pay and they put on a belter of a show which must cost a frikkin fortune so don't begrudge them (I would be one of those noobs and I always had to pay). There are several tents as I said - plus all the stalls and stuff. There's a helluva lotta organisation and effort put into them so I don't mind chipping in a couple quid to go in the main entrance rather than skirt round the woods.

They tried to procecute our organisers but the police failed to nail anyone for actually organising, one by one people went to the station and cliamed to be responsible, I don't belive they suceeded at all.

They were all called Spartacus, yes? :D

 

[Allein]

I've heard of such Techs in the mountains

It used to be a £1 on the door which seemed more than fair and many often gave more, lorries, deisel, sound systems as big as a house all cost money.

This is a rare pic of me, at about 2PM on a Sunday making a specticle out of myself

Previously mentioned Police station...meet