With a degree in English, an interest in journalism, and a passion for music, Greg Cartwright spent two years as Pro Mobile’s Assistant Editor. In April 2016, he left behind his role to embark on a year-long trip through the Americas. Back in the UK, Greg is now a professional copywriter but also continues to contribute articles to Pro Mobile on a regular basis.As a mobile DJ, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut in terms of the types of events you work or the services you offer your clients.
Over the years, Pro Mobile has offered countless pieces of advice on moving into all-day weddings, for instance, with some DJs – such as Tony Winyard and Terry Lewis – really mastering that sector of the market and, in both cases, winning awards for their proficiency. Children’s parties are a niche area that some DJs choose to specialise in, offering different hours and a less serious vibe than that found at your regular evening function. And then there are the themed parties; the retro campervan booths; the steampunk discos.
All brilliant in their own right. Hold that thought for a minute. Now, I know that amongst the readers of Pro Mobile there are a bunch of you who were ‘of age’ during the now-infamous British rave scene of the late-eighties and early-nineties. Sometimes, this is a source of great envy for younger music fans, especially when they hear legendary stories about Shoom, the ‘Second Summer of Love’ and the shenanigans involved in actually locating some of those huge outdoor raves.
In today’s smartphone world, where our focus is so easily broken and our heads so easily taken out of the room, it’s hard to imagine a cultural situation where people will live quite so ‘in the moment’ occurring again. But what if there was a way for all you original ravers to relive those heady days while also earning money as a mobile DJ? To come back to the above: there is an alternative to evening functions and children’s parties. It takes elements from both and combines them with a heavy dose of nineties dance culture.
It is the sober rave! It’s probably fair to say that raves aren’t generally thought of as family friendly… or sober. But in recent years rave culture has undergone somewhat of a detox. After the movement finally dissipated into the mainstream, corporate interest took over.
This meant less illegal drugs and an increase in the sale of alcohol, the latter of which was how venues and promoters made big money. But in many ways, that setup has been steadily changing in recent years. Reports show that younger millennials and Gen Z kids don’t drink as much alcohol and have a particular aversion to binge drinking. When you add to this the rising cost of living (including the high cost of drinking in bars and clubs) and a general global focus on health and wellbeing, it’s easy to see why the ‘sober rave’ has become a thing.
But while sober raves exclusively for adults do exist, I’d really like to focus on the family-friendly events that could provide a new avenue of revenue for mobile DJs, especially if you have a passion for rave culture and music. For Andy Tugby, from SoundONE Disco, and his business partner Ben Phillips (Cornwall Parties), it’s all about recreating the energy and atmosphere of the rave scene in a family friendly setting. This is what led them to organise their ‘ONE BIG’ parties a few years back, which were family friendly parties and themed events, but with the influence of Andy and Ben’s ‘rave days’ shining through.
Andy went on to launch Rave-Kidz, an event company that organises family friendly raves across the UK. “We knew we had countless old-school ravers out there that were just unable to go out like they used to because they are responsible parents with children to take care of,” he explains “So now we organise parties that allow the parents to re-live their raving days and share the experience with their children!” . So, what if you want to follow suit and venture into the world of sober raves?
Well, there are some key questions that will no doubt need answering first. Starting with what these kind of events actually involve... WHAT IS A SOBER RAVE? The sober rave basically consists of the same elements that you find in any club, rave or party, but without the sale of alcohol or, by extension, the presence of illegal drugs.
There’s loud dance music, often club classics from the rave era, and there are lightshows and effects to create a club atmosphere. People may wear colourful clothes, eccentric outfits and fancy dress. Punters could range from millennials to grandparents to ex-ravers to parents with young children. “What if there was a way for original ravers to relive those heady days while also earning money as mobile DJs?” WHEN DO SOBER RAVES TAKE PLACE?
What differentiates sober raves from many other events is that they may start in the morning or afternoon, a different timeline to regular club opening times or even the private functions familiar to most mobile DJs. However, just because these events take place during the day, that doesn’t mean they don’t require the same thought and effort as your regular evening function or wedding. “It actually takes a lot of time and effort, it's not something everyone could do, it's far from it,” says Andy. “Although the parties run for just three hours during the day and the kids will dance for pretty much all of that time, the actual work behind the scenes is immense.
Add in the travel time and these events take at least 10 hours or more on the day alone.” Sounds like a long day. But doesn’t that apply to most mobile DJ work? You guys know better than anyone that DJing isn’t just about performing behind the decks – it’s all the organisation that goes with it, the admin that enables you to function as a business. WHO IS ATTENDING SOBER RAVES?
Well, it seems we have two rough demographics. There are the young millennials and probably some ex-ravers who are embracing a healthy sober lifestyle and see sober raves as a place to dance, stay fit, let their creativity shine and just generally have fun. There is face paint, glow sticks and free hugs being offered out with abandon. There is a bar, too, but it’s most likely serving colourful non-alcoholic cocktails with crazy names.
I’ve even read about meditation classes and yoga on offer at the rave. Weird to imagine, but whatever floats your boat. The other clear demographic is the generation who went raving the first time around but now have young children (I’m looking at you, Eddie Short!) and see family friendly raves as a way to entertain the kids while enjoying the music and atmosphere of their heydays. Usually held on a Saturday afternoon, these events feature old-school rave music but with bouncy castles, parachute games and facepaint for the kids.
Speaking about these family events, Andy tells me that “these are people who partied hard in their younger years but now have very busy lives looking after their kids, they are fully aware of their responsibilities to their children. So, the odd Rave-Kidz party they get to go to, they are with their kids and they just dance; they just really have some fun for a few hours forgetting about the daily grind of ‘eat, sleep, work, repeat’ for a few hours.” There is a lot of cross-over here with family friendly events you may already be working, whether that’s children’s parties, regular evening functions or even all-day weddings.
Except with these newfangled day-time discos, you get to play all those dance classics that you love to play but sometimes can’t! As a package for mobile DJs to offer, you can see why it could be an appealing avenue… But if you are thinking of moving into this area of work, there will no doubt be a tonne of concerns you have. For instance, you might be wondering how you would juggle sober raves with the rest of your ‘bread and butter’ gigs? Or how difficult it is to generate an atmosphere at these events in the middle of the day without the aid of alcohol?
I guess it’s important to note that a passion for the music is a key factor here, because although sober raves are increasing in numbers, they are still relatively untrodden ground and require a lot of time and effort behind the scenes. However, for that reason, there is certainly room for enterprising mobile DJs to get involved and really put their stamp on it. THE CHALLENGES As Andy points out, generating an atmosphere isn’t too difficult, as long as you have a passion for what you’re doing and you’re willing to go big (or bigish) on the production side of things.
A full stage production, high-quality sound system and computer-controlled lights and lasers are required for maximum impact, although there’s nothing to say you couldn’t hold smaller-scale sober discos with less equipment. In terms of keeping the youngsters entertained, Andy says it's not just a matter of playing some rave music, setting some lights flashing and leaving them to their own devices. Instead, he suggests incorporating activities, themes, games and dance competitions and, perhaps most importantly, ensuring that you or your partner is a competent and interactive host. “[Parents] are with their kids and they just dance; they have fun for a few hours and forget about the daily grind of eat, sleep, work, repeat.” Andy Tugby, Rave-Kidz and how much work you’re willing to put in.
If you’re booked for weddings for the next 12 months or so, you might struggle to fit sober raves into your schedule. If you aren’t so busy, this could be an avenue to explore. However, it’s important to stress that there is a lot of work involved – especially if you’re looking to branch out into big production and booking high profile DJs, like Andy and Ben do for Rave-Kidz. Andy, who runs around one Rave- Kidz event per month, says, “It's not easy and unless you come from a rave background, have a real passion for it, have experience in organising events and most importantly, know you can do a good show, it most likely won’t be for you.” While it’s clear that sober raves are all about incredible music and a friendly, positive vibe, the real The other area where you’ll need to be well-prepared is in terms of the music these events require you to play.
If you lived (and partied) through the rave scene, you’ll be at an advantage, because those old-school tracks are your bread and butter when it comes to sober raves. However, it’s important to offer variety and something modern for those younger audience members. According to Andy, modern chart tracks with a bounce or ‘donk’ beat to them work particularly well, which is why he cites DJ Andy Whitby as one of his favourite bookings. However, it’s the old-school nineties tracks that the parents are going to really love and feel nostalgia for, so be sure to include the classics.
ARE SOBER RAVES FOR ME? Well, this depends on what passion you have for the music and culture, draw for Andy is seeing so many people leaving the event having experienced something special. “What makes it all worthwhile is seeing so many people leaving with a real buzz,” he says. “These young ‘rave kids’ will have experienced what many adults never have – a real rave.” A real rave. If you believe you can deliver on that, then the sober rave scene might just be the next business venture for you.
I would like to offer a huge thanks to Andy Tugby, who runs Rave- Kidz, and took the time to speak with me about the finer details of these unique events. Andy also provided the photos for the article, which were taken at the Rave-Kidz Halloween event. To find out more, check out Rave-Kidz on social media @RaveKidzUK. “Generating an atmosphere isn’t too difficult, as long as you have a passion for what you’re doing and you’re willing to go big(ish) on production”
