Commercialisation of the dance drug scene

Hi everyone,

I am presenting during the consumer plenary at the club health conference in Melbourne on the topic of the commercialisation of the dance drug scene. I am interested in looking at the ways in which overt commercialisation has ruined the scene and is in fact resulting in health harms and a loss of our culture.

I would love to hear from you with your views on this and what is happening in your state/territory to briefly include in the paper. My abstract is as follows:

Title: Changing scenes, changing trends - An overview of the impact of the overt commercialisation of dance drugs culture

Presenter: Nicky Bath - Policy Officer, the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League

Abstract

In recent times, there has been an enormous increase in the attention being given to party drug use. A culture all be it an illegal one, that had once been allowed to harmoniously exist almost anonymously is now under the microscope and is being dissected and scrutinized. However, it is not only those external to the scene that are concerned, many clubbers are themselves questioning the direction that dance drugs culture is taking.

In many ways, dance drugs culture has been stripped of its origins and values and there are many contributing factors. The result is the existence of an industry that is focused on money making, glitz and glamour and a scene that many clubbers do not recognise or identify with.

This plenary presentation will explore the impact of the commercialisation of the dance drugs scene and will assess the costs and harms that arise for the individual and collectively for dance drug users. In doing so, the presenter will reflect on her experiences as a clubber in the UK and more recently here in Australia and will present a unique overview of dance drug culture from two culturally differing scenes.

If anyone is interested in being interviewed by phone or even providing me with a brief comment by video clip to be included in the paper could you please email me directly - [email protected]

Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you and discussing this important issue here.

Nicky

We have a Qld RaveSafe Team Leader workshop this evening. I'll pass your post around for comment. Thanks for posting POAIVL, a very relevant and interesting topic

hrmm
it sounds interesting. but i wonder if you would mind further explaining how the dance drugs culture has been commercialised?
is this dance/drug culture?
or could we subsitute the "ecstacy culture has been commercialised", in which case.. i don't really understand again =/

or did i miss the whole point?

there are too many 'commercial' events. where if something bad happens they get way too much publicity.

whereas prior when everything was underground there was very little publicity and public knowledge.

the good with the bad. more underground = dodgier. more commercial = too exposed.

Kinda like that scene in Human Traffic where they're bitching about how the club sucks now cause it's full of Kandy retards etc. and no longer that 'early 90's scene'

Thats why we should destroy Future Entertainment...

Psychadelic Paisly,
You mean the scene where the 2 are sitting on the couch bitching bout how stuff has changed and are all grumpy and sour and shit? Isn't that scene meant to represent the fact that their is a percentage of jaded ravers/clubbers out there? They are talking bout how everyone used to be cool and chilled and stuff then someone sits down next to em and accidentally bumps them and they crack it at him, thus contradicting themselves, they are part of the problem they are talking bout.

Beech out

^^^^ Yeah, that's true. But you can also look at it in a way that they are shitty because the scene which used to be underground etc. has become commercialised and 'shit'.

Maybe i'm wrong but i know what i mean =P

^^^^Yeah man true, i guess there are a number of things that could be taken from that scene but better not discuss it too much and piss of the mods since i guess it is bit off topic.

I been raving for round 4 years now and in that time I've noticed a change in the scene. When i started out the scene was a lot friendlier and accepting. Now it seems to be pretentious to some degree. It used to be just about going out having great time and feeling good. It didn't matter what you looked like, whether you wore plain clothes, bright clothes or whatever, whether you could dance well or not. Now there appears to be a lot of judgement happening. People stand around and get a bit shitty when they see people kandied up or pass comments on people who dance funny or whatever. To me its not about how you look or move its just about having fun and enjoying yourself.
I myself dont wear phat pants or kandy gear, i go pretty simply dressed and comfortable, I dont stand around and laugh at those who dance differently to me and I try my best not to pass judgement on anyone. I'm not saying everyone is judgemental harsh but just that their is an increasing percentage of these sorts of folks. I mean really does it make that big of a difference to your night whether you see someone in fluro pink fluffy phat pants. Everyone to their own is my theory.


Beech out

Agree with you there Beech.......all about having fun etc, not judging of people etc... The rave scene might be a little less friendlier, but hey, what do you expect from scattered teens munching kandy! Maybe your just seeing things differently as your getting a little older ?

Cant be helped the different and unexpected moods I rekcon. I just try to let it all flow, there is no correct path. I dont give a fuck about a thing when raving, just important that I go as hard as possible/do what I want. Must say Ive never found the 'real' rave places judgemental or pretentious though. I'm a little older than the teen rave crowd, dont wear phat pants etc... but I like reckon they look good, just feel too old for them even though Ive seen guys lot older than me in them. As they say, its all good.

I cant wait for the day wen they start going to raves on neighbours

OK not all people wear phat pants but it certainly seems to me like raving has accepted a uniform, and the last time I went out to a club there seemed to be 1 dance style and the people that couldn't do it looked stupid trying to do it.

To remedy simply stop being sheep and following.

Waiting to be shot down!!!

I think i'll just stick to the Melbourne Shuffle.
hehe

It was strange, after going to psy-parties over the last year or so from the initial dodgey hard-house/NRG scene where most start, i actually went back to one of those NRG clubs cause NOTHING was on and i wanted to go out really bad.
The dancing was so aggressive in comparison. i was also convinced that people were telling me that these 2 guys i was watching were fighting.... but that was all audio/psychological hallucination as they were only dancing...

Kman,
I guess you could be right, now that i'm a little older (all of 21) I might be looking at things a bit differently. I dont think the blame can be attributed to drugs as everyone was taking drugs 4 or so years ago too. I think the crowd has just changed a bit. There are a lot of people out on the scene who aren't there for the music or people but just there to get fucked up. Some percentage of people are there purely for the drugs. IMO the number of punters at raves and dance clubs that are there just for drugs in increasing. Maybe this is responsible for the decline in good atmosphere at many events.
I'm not saying all events are fucked just a large percentage of them, a large event in melbourne on this coming sunday will no doubt be full of undesirables. However events such as the anual bush one held somewhere around the core of the earth have quite a good atmosphere and good crowd.
I dont believe myself to be jaded, I'm pretty tollerable of everyone except of those who have no tollerance of their own.
I gotta agree with ya too on the phat pants Kman, I myself would never wear em but i think some look good, but when it all comes down to it i dont care as long as i'm around friendly cool people.

Beech out

^^^ ah but the "annual bush one held somewhere around the core of the earth" is coming to the city on monday. and i feel that it too may sadly be filled with undesirables... leftovers from sunday night...

hmmm

bit off topic. oops

^^^^^ I too will be visiting the 'core of the earth' but i belive (maybe naive) that it will be filled with 'resposible' seasoned users as it is predominantly a BIIIIIIIIG psy-trance event. And those who have ever been to a psy event of any kind know that those 'angry, poly-drug x 10 of anything they can find heads' won't be there as TT will be pumping long into the morning.
2 events isn't cheap, even if your pennies are just spent on the tix alone.... i think it'll be pretty quiet until about 4pm.... I'm so excited for monday i'm gonna wet myself soon so... whatever.

But i do believe the scene has changed a lot, even if i haven't experianced it 1st hand. The thing is, the 'straight' people who 1 or 2 years ago would have rather died than touch an E are now MORE than willing to give it a 'bash'. It's losing it's...whqat's the word.... nastalgia (not right word). But it's become more and more...almost mainstream. give it time... To The WAREHOUSE AND BUSH I SAY!!!!!

Absolutely Psych Paisly,
Once upon a time people took E only at raves or at home amongst a group of friends and people are more willing to try it now I think because the rave/dance culture is becoming more mainstream, thus drugs are possibly becoming more mainstream. I never used to notice punters at regular clubs or bars taking E but now its not uncommon at all to see someone peaking at a run of the mill nightclub. Maybe a percentage of punters are sick of alcohol, drunkness and hangovers and are prefering to opt for drugs, peaking and comedowns? I still quite enjoy both - Drugs and peaking for the night out (maybe a beer or 2 as well) and then alcohol throughout the day to enjoy myself on the comedown with group of friends (maybe few more drugs too).

I guess this is all a fairly broad topic/thread but I think most people agree that the scene has changed a lot and not really for the good. What once used to be a friendly underground scene has moved onto being a mainstream scene. It would be a bit harsh to say the scene is now a judgemental one because it is not a majority of people who are like that, i dunno the best way to describe it, maybe the best description would involve terms such as semi-judgemental, slightly mainstream, jaded, happy, dirty, sad, popular and I guess PLUR has to be there somewhere too.
I think its quite hard to define 'the scene' as it is just so broad and depending where you go and what part of the scene you involve yourself with will determine your definition.


Beech out

I'm aggreeing whole heartedly with alot of what beech has to say...

In particular

1. People going out just to get fucked up and because others will be fucked up... not about the music anymore (can I be anymore stereotypically jaded ).

2. Not nearly as friendly and open minded as the scene used to be.

The one that really worries me though...
More and more people seem to be taking drugs that have no idea about what they are taking or what its going to do to them. I have always gone out with friends been informed about what we're planning to take and kept an eye on each other. If you need to spend time nursing someone so be it... we'd be all the happier to be able to help.

Way to many people I know and see out now have no idea about what they're taking and have no regard for the wellbeing of the people they're out with. I've seen groups of "friends" dump one of their crew against a wall to "chill out" then rush back to the dance floor or whatever, leaving friend in serious trouble with no attention.

I think the lack of knowledge many people display is perhaps the biggest danger of the commercialisation of the dance scene. Its like because "everyone" takes drugs now many people see it as a 'safe' scene and no longer research the risks. It sickens me to see people having fits because they take to many pills or whatever (as happened on weekend with very strong pills around) and here them comment "but I always take that many..."

I think the peceived safety of the scene now (created in part because early members were more safety conscious and community minded) is the real worry of the commercialisation.

I think we've all got the same 'feel' of whats going on.....good to see so many people on the same wavelength. Agree 100% too Beech re: dudes who just go out to get fucked, not the music.....they shit me sometimes (when I notice them). They should be in their own environment if their going to get aggressive etc....

Yes'm, had 2 mates who had some increadibly strong pill which fucked them up for 5-6 hour last Saturday. (1 pill each in halfs) Stupidly, they got it off a stranger and dont even know what it was, but id be interetsed if you know what they were ?

[Edit: Off-topic material containing venue details removed. BigTrancer]

I totally agree with yes'm. I see too many people too busy being "all fucked up" to give a toss about anyone else. At the end of the day we are all taking a risk and need to be able to rely on our friends to look out for us. Its in all of our own interest to look out for others, even complete strangers.