Fantazia Second Sight - Review 2

Andrea Perry spends a night out at the Westpoint rave. 

Over 4,500 young people, including hundreds from East Devon, embraced the rave scene at Westpoint - an electric atmosphere that can only be described as a dancer's utopia.   Fears about 'Fantasia 92', the second in a series staged at Westpoint by Cheltenham based Timeless Events has exclusive right to hold raves at the Westpoint venue and has paid £10,000 for ventilation equipment to be installed at the centre.

One of the organisers, Sally Mackman, said: "Westpoint is a very good venue and we don't want to kill of the support we got on Friday by having to many raves in a short space of time."

Coach loads of people descended on Westpoint throughout the night.   The organisers had succeeded with a last minute bid to extend the ticket limit from 5,500 set by East Devon District Council to 7,000 at an appeal before Cullompton magistrates on Thursday last week.

Hoards of young people paid out £20 for tickets to attend the rave, which finished at 8am on Saturday.    Security was high, with revellers being search on entry.  But what was the attraction of the rave?

Well the answer laid beyond the entrance doors, which seemed to mark the dividing line for so many of the revellers between the restraints of today's society and a new cultural freedom.

I could see why so many young people had travelled to Devon from all over England to experience the rave scene - emerging as the youth culture for the nineties.  The atmosphere was electric - the pounding beat of the rave music only adding to the excitement.   Lasers dazzles as they shot out from the main stage projecting images of a dancer and flashing the words "Fantasia 92".

Atmosphere smoke filled the hall and two massive screens flashed memorising psychedelic images.  The whole effect triggered off a euphoria and you could almost see it passing through people like currents of electricity.

Dancing wasn't restricted to partners or groups, most were just doing their own thing.  Their inhibitions thrown aside as they joined in with the free spirit of the moment.   Visually it looked like a tribal dancing ritual.  No-one had started it, it was infectious.  So different to the usual nightclub scenario where everyone stands around waiting for the first person to pluck up the courage to dance.

There was a common bond between the dancers, which was nice to see.  Most people had their own individual dress style, baggie clothes were a favourite - making it easier to dance - with a range of accessories including headgear, luminous objects and face masks.  

People crowded around the main stage where the DJs  were congregated and a catwalk type stage where an entourage of dancers displayed their skills.    The only disappointment was the quality of the sound, which could have been better.  But that could just have been the pool acoustics of the hall.   I was by one of the speaker systems and it just seemed as though the music wasn't loud enough!

There were some unusual side shows around the hall; a space age machine similar to simulators used by astronauts which span you around for £1.50 and a large blown up octopus was suspend from the ceiling.   And on sale were those 'essential items' that every Raver needs incense, Vick, Orbit chewing gum costing 50p, and soft drinks costing £1 - more that double the shop price.

But Timeless Events told the Herald that was the standard price for merchandise at raves and it had remained the same for at least the last three years.

There was a parking fee of £1, which was going to go toward s the clear-up operation the next morning.  But Timeless Events decided to give it to charity and the West of England School for Children with Little or no Sight were the grateful receivers.

The car park - a prime target for thieves - was patrolled by security officers and, overall, the event was well run.