| ||||||||||||||||||||
Home  Rave Archive Free Party Scene Castlemorten | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||
The rest of England's society watched on helplessly and in anger enable to prevent Castlemorton from proceeding and determined to ensure they never happen again in this sort of scale. Eventually this lead to the introduction of the Criminal Justice Bill which gave the police power to break up and arrest the organisers of any such party. After Castlemorton rave was left to go down the legal party root only. Though even here the parties were concentrating into established venues initially encourage by the authorities (like The Sanctuary & The Eclipse), though later these to were put on pressure to close by various councils, the scene would ultimate metamorphosis into the super club scene of the Ministry of Sound, Cream, Gatecrasher etc. The anti corporate culture was absorbed into the steel and brick clubs - the muddy fields and wobbly tents were gone. Dress as you are became smart trainers and designer jeans and the original ravers no longer made it past the doormen. The underground was gone, the mainstream was here. Finding Castlemorton was no problem. Every TV station was running news stories about the event. Showing more and more vehicle turning of the roads on to Castlemorton Common, an area of outstanding natural nestling at the footage of the Malvern Hill in the county of Worcestershire. On that hot sunny weekend it was like a beacon calling out to ravers everywhere. The encampment had appeared without warning overnight, with a combination of Free Party Collectives gathering (Spiral Tribe, DIY etc), coordinating to thwart any operation by the police to break up there convoy of buses and trucks who they would generally monitor. Setting off to find the gathering on a sunny afternoon, we had not far to go from neighbouring county of Gloucestershire. The Malvern hills visible in the distance acting as a magnet and beacon. Not knowing the exact way it was an easy thing to follow the other battered cars filled with ravers heading along the back roads to the event.
And then we were there there, past the few police who at this time were half heartedly attempting to direct people away from the site. Pulling of the road into the fields, with car parked in a jumbled manor everywhere. The roadway leading right into the heart of the encampment was filled with people being drawn in, like something from a Sci-fi movie. The beats and bass making a throbbing noise vibrating through the air. At the heart of the encampment were the main organisers of the gathering, the legendary Spiral Tribe collective and this is were we headed, though each of the collectives and there own set up and individual stage, with there music competing with the sounds of there fellows around them.
Free enterprise was alive and well with stalls and vendors selling all the usual rave gears from light sticks, rizlas, whistle, rave tapes, water and more. Drugs were also in wide abundance with the strong smell of weed everywhere. It was an alternate town, a free party heaven, a separate utopian state for ravers. One directed by the boom boom of the sounds systems. At the Spiral Tribe area a collection of vehicles mad a large circle and hard tribal techno was pumping out to the ampitheatre. The focal point was as usual a huge black and white spiral hanging from one of the lorries next to the decks.
Many people were lead around in various states of drug induced happiness, some dancing, some animatedly waving the arms and legs around, others just nodding their heads and each drugs (from mushrooms to speed, ecstasy and cannabis) effected them in different ways. As night fell the amount of people seemed to grow further, the tents and cars stretching out filling the common in all directions. Fires lit small areas in mini travellers villages complete with untidy children and wild looking dogs, and people looked at home. It felt like this could be a permanent encampment. But we had work on Monday so it was time for us to drift on back home. The part continued for a day or so, but by this time the police were mobilised preventing people from re-entering the common. With supplies running low the collectives packed up and started to move on towards their next gathering, not knowing that the police would intercept them in force, confiscating their vehicles, sounds systems and arresting them. They would eventually be released with out convictions but they were never to reform again in such large number. A lot of happy people however were left with a night to remember.......... C
|
Fantazia Video Hot Box | |||||||||||||||||||
| Return to top | ||||||||||||||||||||
Home
|
About
us
|
Press & PR
|
Links
| News
| Gallery
| Albums
|
Events
|
View Basket
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Basket:
