Festival Folk: ravers

The Species you'll only find in festival fields

United Kingdom | by Ben Rust | 10 March 2009

Species' description
It’s hard to pin down your typical Raver as they're a varied bunch.  There's an entire spectrum of 'the night children' that range from candy-coloured hard-dance freaks with lots of fur, face paint and glow sticks through to the hooded, moody drum n bass head.  

Other tangents of the Raver go as far afield as the Crusty - a dreadlocked dancer, often found with a kaftan they got from India, man, and your tidy beard stroking Electro Snob who will be dressed like they’re straight from Shoreditch.

Some ravers are prone to random conversations, sweaty hugs and gurning, though this is something to be embraced, rather than to be scared of.

Nicknames
Ravers, Jungalists, Club Kids, Crusties, Cyber Kids

Drink of Choice
Water. With Ravers more than happy to get drunk on pharmaceuticals, a bit of H2O is handy to keep them hydrated, though Jungalists and Crusties can often be found with a Red Stripe larger beer in their hand.

Where can they be found?

Creamfields 2009 - Daresbury, Cheshire - 29-30 August
This is the Radio One of getting off your tits in a field, which is handy as the station records and reruns the best bits so you can: a) listen again to what you can't remember and b) rub yours mate's noses in it. Now branching into rock as well dance, the heavyweight event has had Kasabian, Tiesto, Fatboy Slim, Ian Brown and more in the past. The festival is an absolute encyclopaedia of anyone who's anyone in mainstream dance, so spread over ten arenas there’s something for everyone, including camping if you’re soft.  

Tickets: £105 early bird without camping, £115 with.  

Glade Festival 2009 – Secret Location near Winchester - 16-19 July 
Starting off as a dance area in Glastonbury, Glade has since grown into festival in its own right, building up a loyal band of followers in the process. With a Best Dance Festival Award under their belt, organisers look like they’re going for another this term after securing Underworld on a UK festival exclusive and upping sticks to Winchester, so the rave can go on for longer. With a 'free party' vibe and strict anti-corporate ethics Glade is similar to the raves of old but no one will be confiscating the sound system.

Tickets: £125 for weekend camping.

Global Gathering 2009 – Long Marston Airfield, Stratford Upon Avon - 24-25 July
They say never judge a festival by its headliners, but Global Gathering already has the goods for 2009 with The Prodigy, Orbital and Pendulum set to rock the runway. The first two are worth the price of admission alone and if you can remember Orbital's 'Chime' at Glastonbury 2004, or anywhere else, ever, then you’ll likely be there with whistles on. If not then go along and let the funny bald men with the lights on their heads educate you. Plus there's another eight arenas teeming with quality names to keep you entertained as well as an adrenaline village, fairground rides and much more.  

Tickets: £115 early bird ticket, VIP £175.  

Escape Into The Park 2009 – Singleton Park, Swansea - 13 June
Officially Wales' biggest dance festival, Escape Into The Park is a full 11-hours of dance debauchery headed up by Eric Prydz. 20,000 revellers will again have the choice of five arenas, so whether drum n bass, house or soul takes your fancy, there will be something to groove along to, even if it is the beeping of a road crossing on your way home. Escape has sold out every year since its inception, so grab passes fast.

Tickets: £41.50 day pass, VIP £57.50.

South West Four (SW4) 2009 – Clapham Common, London - 29 August
There's a perverse pleasure to be taken from grooving and gurning in the middle of Clapham Common on a Sunday, knowing peeved dog walkers are being re-routed around the festival’s fences to sets from the likes of Carl Cox, Danny Tengalia and Erick Morillo. This massive all-dayer will have two stages of DJs making sure that Bank Holiday Monday headache is well worth it.

Tickets: TBC.

BLOC Weekend 2009 – Butlins Resort, Minehead, Somerset - 13-15 March.
This has got to be the most eclectic line-up ever to hit Butlins, especially for a dance event. Aphex Twin, Afrika Bambaataa, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Skream, Benga are just a few names of the massive line up for this three day electro binge in everyone’s favourite holiday resort. Expect a sophisticated crowd who will be able to bend your ear about an obscure Autechre track as well as dance to it. No Red Coats though.

Tickets: £125.

Bang Face Weekender 2009 – Camber Sands Holiday Park 24-26 April 2009
If you’re part of the Hard Crew then you’ll know what this is, if not then welcome to your heaven/hell.  This is a weekender of immense neo-rave with a 'Lost in Face' space theme.  Anything goes so expect to be getting stuck in to hardcore, jungle, breakcore, old-school, drum n bass, dubstep and whatever else is hard enough to keep up with the crowd. The line-up includes classic acts 808 State and Altern-8 alongside the newest names rinsing it in every genre you can imagine - if you can handle it, get your jaw on and get down there.

Tickets: £120.

Coloursfest 2009 - Braehead Arena & Boardwalk, Scotland - 6 June
Not satisfied with turning clubbers different shades of red, monthly Scottish club night Colours, has scribbled over the lines and produced an annual festival. This Mecca for serious house and techco heads boasts six arenas of music with a full spectrum of DJs scribbled down for 2009 including Ferry Corsten, Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, Ultra Sonic and many more. Sound like your (multicoloured) bag? Get on it.

Tickets: £35 a day pass.

Atomic Weekender 2009 – Pontins Holiday Resort, Prestatyn Sands - 20-22 March
Like hard dance? Like Wales? Like the indoors? Well this could very well be for you then. The Tidy Boys, Chic Talent and Goodgreef put the Atomic Weekender together, so the quality won’t be questioned, just turn up and enjoy a fusion of 80 of the world’s top DJs in one place for one weekend of 'euphoric hysteria'. The festival will also have a Prestatyn mystery tour, a swimming pool and extreme entertainment too.

Tickets: start at £99 to £160.

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