ScoobyNet.com - Subaru Enthusiast Forum - Illegal rave review, Surge Soundsystem, the Ridgeway 2/4/5

Having been on a driving mission the night before to get 16 close friends up to Bedlam, the last thing I needed was to do more of the same on Saturday night. The only reason my arse was going to be hitting the drivers seat was to go to an illegal rave.

I quickly set about sourcing several partylines. In the end I settled for the added option of going for as many as possible. That way I could always fall back on alternates when the original plans fall through.

And fall through they did. Some partys never got off the ground, others were going ahead but way too far away to realisticaly get to. Except Surge.

According to the partyline details, it was near Wantage this weekend. That was near J14 of the M4. And that was near me. It didnt matter it was near on 2 am when the partyline changed, or that I was going on my own. It was time for another solo bat**** crazy mission to get to a party.

I sorted out my raveclothes, provisions and a map and set off. By the time I got to J14 it was near 2.30am, but the 10 miles between the junction and Wantage was good fun to cover as it was non stop deserted 60mph country lanes.

Turning left at Wantage and the partyline directions started to become more evident, not to mention difficult to follow. A few wrong turnings later and I was back where I started, along with a group of fellow party goers, trying the last act of any desperate party crew, turning off engines and listening for the party.

This yelded poor results, so as one (and for some reason, me leading AGAIN) we made our way back to the main road. Things went from bad to worse as my main beams illuminated the battenburg of the police car on the main road. I did the only thing I could, ditched the convoy and took off as fast as I dared in the opposite direction.

Eventually after navigating my way around where the police had set up shop I made what I thought was the right turn and went uphill. I met up with the convoy I had ditched and we turned off again and listened. This time I could hear the faintest whispering of bass so we set off in the direction of the party again.

"THERE IT IS!!!!" went the shout and he was right too. Lots of lights and a green laser firing into the sky saw us tanking down a mud road at an inadvisable rate of progress. With good reason though, it was near on 4am and we had finally found the party.

After parking up a little way off, I walked back to the party location. Set in a clearing between two fields, the DJ stand and familiar blue stack were a welcome sight, as were the 4-500 ravers going for it in front of both.

Best of all, the perfect introduction to the night was being played out, what I had come all this way to hear, underground techno was being played out. Worth every mile man.

After I had gone to this much effort it was all too easy to reap the rewards and I got myself onto the dancefloor at warp speed and into the music as quickly as possible.

With a couple hundred close friends, we went for it together, the underground techno was completely unknown to me and Tune IDs were totally out, but it was so good I didnt care. The DJ stuck to his guns and the techno which was the result saw me quickly reach the place which I had made the journey to get to. Where the music speaks to me on so many different levels the only thing I can do is rave to it.

All too soon though it was taken away from me. The techno got taken down and the next DJ played a DnB set.

It werent all that bad tbh. I still have a soft spot for DnB as its what got me into the rave scene, but to say I was missing the minimalist beats and the rolling basslines were a poor substitute would be an understatement.

If that werent bad enough, some of the tunes the DJ played were too Clownsteppy to go with the atmosphere at a free party. However it was only a few of the tunes that really wore me down, the rest were quite danceable, especially when he made a very welcome trip back to the old skool for a couple of tunes.

However when 6am appeared and the techno returned, I was more than happy to get back into it as quickly as possible. Best of all, dawn was breaking as this hours set played out, nothing can beat raving to minimalist techno while the day dawns around you and this was yet another reason to be happy to be where I was. The light was getting stronger, the tunes were pounding and me and the party crew were ravin it down while it was all happening.

I didnt want it to end but as I had been out the previous night and was on a natural yet again, I decided to make a move at 7am while I was still capable of driving home. I had only been there for a few hours, and the journey there was harder than translating the dead sea scrolls, but I still left with a smile on my face and the feeling of contentment only a free can give you.

Things I liked.

Free party - Admission price of absolutely nothing. My kind of price.

Outdoors - First outdoor party of the year and a blinder to start off with too. It was a little chilly, but as long as you kept dancing, you were warm all over.

Techno - Free Techno in a field business! This was what it was all about and I was loving every minute of it.

Mosh pit- So were the rest of the party crew if this was anything to go by. Another free party, another wicked mosh pit which went for it throughout the time I was there.

Police - "We've got better things to do to be honest" was what I heard them say and that was the last I saw of them until I left. They did block off the entrance road, but they werent stopping people from parking up and walking in :)

Things I liked less:

Directions - Erm, giving out landmarks that can only be seen in the daytime was a first for me. Still those that like a challange to go with finding their parties were not dissapointed.

Having to leave - At a girly 7am as well, but I had been raving the night before and driven near on 450 miles by this time. Didnt want to leave though.

The only way to follow up a friday party is to go to an illegal rave on saturday. I couldnt have asked for anything more from Surge on this occasion. Free party, outdoors, with the best Techno I have heard for a long time and populated by a friendly and up for it crowd who were more than happy to create what only happens at the best free parties, the Techno Mosh pit :)

Yes it was a ******* to find and yes some of the drum and bass was a little to bling for my liking, but if you're determined to find the place cryptic directions are not a problem and to be fair the clownstep DnB only lasted a few tunes so I aint complaining at all.

One thing I will be doing though, is going to the next one. It was well organised, loud, and professionally run, even down to someone dealing with the traffic and telling us where to park when we arrived.

You can usually tell when party oransisers are in control of a night and Surge had it all done and dusted by the time I arrived and that ensured I had a good time till I left. I'll see you at the next one.
astraboy.