How old were you when you first started "raving" ?

I was an early starter. For me, it was my first ever BRAIN party at the start of 5th form. Never looked back from then. got into happy hardcore (remember that stuff?!) when i was in 4th form. luved the stuff! but WAAYY too fast now! cant believe i cud dance to that stuff.
totally into the trance, hh, n deep funky house

now 18 and im loving "raving" even more.
where wud we b without dance music?
=)

how bout u guyz?

Late starter (??), I think I was 18 when I went to my my first event, but 4 years down the track I'm still going (except when work gets in the way).

And without dance music, we would all be beer swilling rugby-heads (hmm maybe that's taking it a bit far...)

I think I got into "raving" when I went to the Brain about 6 years ago.

I was 14/15 and it was "Ultrasonic" in chch..

props to Slipmatt(OB1)
4 those party's, way ahead of their time!

The Eden parties in Wellington many moons ago. I still have a "House of Juice" poster from Club Euro And for anyone who remembers - no it was not a gay night!

It was probably before that though. Me and my crew used to frequent a club in Nelson where they played KLF, C&C Music Factory, S-express, Blackbox, Technotronic and Snap! Wikkeed!

Uno! Dos! Tres! Quattro!

i was 16 wen i started, it was an accident really. i went to a dance party not really knowing i was actually going to one. im so glad i went though, i believe it's made me a nicer and happier person. depression has left me forever now (i hope)

Err,... I was about 20ish when I starting listening to music like Ultrasonic and other Happy hardcore. Even early early Gatecrasher.. but it was basically Euro pop back then.. (no-one say it!). Luckily I soon found House music, and then Hardhouse.

I would have been 16 I went to the Brain. How amazing I had never seen anything like it. People my age dancing round with glow sticks, Tickle Me Elmo, funky hair. I was sucked in from the moment I walked in the door.

I was 14, but I was downloading dance mp3s since I was 12 - Loved it Also bought Snap, 2 Unlimited, Strictly Techno, C&C Music Factory etc I get more and more out of each tune with every day that passes, it kicks ass, wonder if it'll ever reach a terminal velocity :p~ My first nights out were spent at Platinum 104, and my first party was, I think, the Sounds of Summer in Takahi Reserve. Tried to jack up another party there, council said nein. :p~ Used to listen to a lot of Hardcore, though tunes that I favourited back then I still like now so I like to think I had SOME taste back then Gotta love dance music!

Luved House music since lastyear, but wasnt keen on the scene as i was fully against drugs and didnt wanna be apart of it. Plus getting drunk was the student (or was it stupid) thing to do.

1st danceparty was Chemistry and havent looked back. Its all house and hardhouse now.

Who luvs that new track by Kylie 'Cant get ya outta my head' Wicked or What

My first dance party was The Brain in 95 but I had been following the whole dance scene and parties right through 93 and 94.

First peice of music I bought was Yellow - heard my dad playing it and loved it so much... that was 1989. Next album i got after that was by Prodigy in 92 thanks to Nemesis who posts on these boards

Then things just progressed from there. Wish my CDs from back then were vinyl though

I should have said 'electronic' music - there was a lot of cheezy 'dance' music around at that time too. It aint the same

Hahah first dance party for me , was 14 and it was called 'BONKERS' looking back it was cheesy happy hardcore but it was what got me hooked then and what got alot of other dance music lovers get hooked. Hhaha there were jesters running around and stuff ,drunken madness! Since then never looked back and my taste in dance music been constanly evolvin and refining

Would have been 14 going to all the underage clubs like Platinum which became Ikon, the Gapp, and events like the Brain and Lagered.Also went to a foam party at Auckland Uni Recreation Centre back at the time.

Ahh... back in the day. And I still have my beloved whistle.

Living in OZ at age 14 some friends and I started getting into the emerging rave scene and getting mix tapes from about the only place in town that was importing stuff from UK. I still have some awesome "Helter Skelter" bootleg tapes from the likes of DJ Scorpio, Clarkee, The Producer, DJ Lomas.

Rad, but how the hell did we dance that that stuff at 160 bpm?

All that i know is that i used 2 watch Grant Kearny on Max and got into rave music from there on. That was quite a while ago. I went to one of the early Brain's way back (cant really remember when that was). It was fuckn wicked.

only started last year at 23!!! Went to the first slinky and was totally sold after that. Can anyone tell me where my brain went?

I forgot

Well looks like Im the oldest newcomer to the scene! I started off at kiss once every few months when I was 28... loved it. As time went by it became a more frequent thing and got introduced to the goodies that go with it. Ever since then - think i was 29 I can honestly say I dont think Ive had a single weekend without visiting K Rd. Im now nearly 31 and still going hard - probly harder than most of you young fullas out there but its been the best few years of my life and I seriously wish I had discovered the whole thing years back so I had more time to be in the scene and enjoy what Im enjoying now.

Its a lifestyle!

I was sixteen at ikon every weekend (oh dear) things have definatly progressed from there!!!

i think i was 25 my first partie, first i was jumping up and down like a yoyo, but then grew to love the funky house, i laugh to think i was up sinners a few years back shit couldnt do it now to fast for me, and im nearly 32 soon so still loving it, dont think i would ever give up e and dancing will do it till im old with my husband haha

Fisrt parties - 92/3 i think when slipmatt Ob1
was bringing it to da people. (anyone remember
been chased by those dogs...down colombo
st?)..first major party - return to the source new
yearseve brixton academy 95' - oh ...my....
god......Nothing but trainers since...

First "rave" experience was at the Brain, pretty sure it was 1995. Was still at school back then, didn't have much of a clue what was going on really!
Stuck with the hip-hop scene for a few more years, then progressed onto dnb and electronic music in general.
One party which really sticks in my head is coldcut a few years back. Not sure what year it was maybe 1998? Dropped for the first time, and the Bass was so phatty it was almost breaking windows!

I was just 17 the first ministry of sound gig the one that was at the kase and sinners and calibre it was great

I was 84, they didn't lock my door one night, I'd just taken my medication so wasn't with it, ended up in some dance club or other. Never looked back, I've got some phat dance moves with my zimmer frame. Stay back when I'm going hard cause you'll loose an eye, oh and watch out for flying drool too.

Actually, I take that all back. Old people are lovely and one day I'll be old too. Mabey.

Seriously thou, I think I was 16, must have been 1996, went to 'The Gate' in Wellington. loved it, but didn't start going regulary untill this year really. Trying to make up for lost time now, twice a weekend when I can. The rest of the weeks just about building up to the weekend

hahah MikeM ... remember that day we phoned each other up and were talkin about music and said .... Im into "rave" music 2 hahaha funny shit ... I think it was early ones like "Fire" from prodigy and I think my next one after that was "this is techno vol " .... still has quite a nice trance track on it .. song 2 I believe ....

I must all hand it to my brother luke for "forcing me" to go to dance parties .... (DJ Prysm) .... it was one of the earlier Stomping Core raves ... from Demon and Gyro (Matt and Brendon) .... was the shit ... its a pitty that "underground" style of dance party is still not around any more .... to our younger viewers ..... you guys think today parties are crazy ... should of checked these ones out

cheers
Josh Purcell - Lovinthat.com - Shadow Systems

14.. some simon swain all ages hard techno thing in a basement under the stickey wicket in wellington with about 150 people it was heavy

um.... started listening to dance music and jungle when i was about 14 as my all my big sister's friends were DJ's.

Clubbin and rave'n started at about 15 and 16.

~~~Never looked back~~~

23! Had my first "rave" experience last year - didn't really know what to expect, BUT I absolutely loved it and haven't looked back since

Yay for Jillybeanz!!

I had just turned 20, but had been into the music since I was about 13.

i wasz 15 and listen to music with a bit of a beat.
a friend and his brother introduced me (old horn tapes), lovly christmas then i was hooked. i missed the underground/basement parties. and its the one thing i still regret.

I started late as well, probably about a year ago, but I think I'm making up for it now!

bout 15 or 16 at da MIGHTY Normanby Rd (R.I.P The Berry)- surely im not da only 1 who started out there?

Prodigy @ BDO helped alot too- 1 of da best sets on the main stage eva

I think i was maybe 15? used to go to things at shed 11 in wgtn, or the parties they used to have at ESC, downstairs from studio 9.

Oh yeah? Well I beat all of you - I've been clubbing since the days of 'the womb' way back in 1974! That was a crazy time. No lines, great lighting. Tunes were a bit muffled but that was the seventies for you.

Started actually "Raving" @ 18 but enjoyed Trance since about 16!

Started in 95 in Napier of all places. A group of guys called Goodbuzz ran a couple of parties in old niteclubs and warehouses all over town. They'd just come back from the UK and were doing good things until they got shut down by the cops.

You lot make me feel old.

I started Raving at the start of this year at 'Two Tribe' at the grand old age of 29!

Have we got any other old people out there that have recently become involved with raving?

----------------------------------------------------
The Blad Guy from JONES

- Night Junkie, well I gotta be brave, and own up, I was 29 when I had my 1st experience @ Nice n Urlich 1, it was onto Slinky 1 from there, and now I have a great love of trance, hard house and funky house too.....
in the beginning I was always into dance music, starting with good ol DISCO back in the day....

Go the oldies!!! Ya never to old to shake it!!!

hmmmm...

Maybe the question should have been "how old
was YOU when I started raving"... I remember
putting on parties in the Black Forest in
Germany & Slygo Castle in Northern Ireland in
the 80's that were considered illegal...

We had one in Manchester that some guys
called Bros turned up to - they had a top 10 UK
hit at the time & we had 10,000 kids going off in
an old industrial area... we wouldn't let them in...

But raving is like sex!!!

hmmmm...

Maybe the question should have been "how old
was YOU when I started raving"... I remember
putting on parties in the Black Forest in
Germany & Slygo Castle in Northern Ireland in
the 80's that were considered illegal...

We had one in Manchester that some guys
called Bros turned up to - they had a top 10 UK
hit at the time & we had 10,000 kids going off in
an old industrial area... we wouldn't let them in...

But raving is like sex!!!

YEEHA RuBbErDuCK .. Bro.. Len Called me last nite from Mel sounding f'n happy, Welcome to Biggie.
SJK

This year. 24.

ooh And by the way Rubberduck.. Matt Goss is now the lead baddied in blade 2.

87 my first rave...

Was just 20 when I first got into the scene. Now almost 22 and have never looked back!!!!

Always
Dreaming

I think I was about 17 when I started going to the
Brain

i started when i was 23

My 1st 'rave' was the Brain when I was in 5th form. Me and my friend tagged along with my brother & co and we thought we were the shit at school the next week!
Then there was Shadow Systems...

I start going to a couple of gigs at Escape and The blue bar? (Paradiso) in Welli when I first went down to uni - then somebody took me to some dance party at the old Metro club I popped a pill and it was all over!! All remember is that that track - 'Not everyone likes house music, it's a soul thing, a mind thing, a spiritual thing...........

Eddie Armador - House Music.. mmmm.. Its 'Not everyone can understand house music' but close enough.

17/18 back in the classic Voyager days....

My first Rave experience was in late 1992/early 1993 in a warehouse off New North Road (Still know where it is today) and it totally blew my mind. I didn't go to anything for a lil while, but listened to the likes of the Shamen, KLF and whatnot in the years leading up to 92... after then I got into jungle sounds (& rap) then after a couple brains @ various venues it was no looking back... hardcore, jungle, house, euro haha, everything that I could get my hands on.... That's goddamn near 10 years that I've been doing it.... deary me.
One of the high lights was being responsible for such events as Pipe Dreamz and the Soundz of Summer series (with Nick Collings)... really made it all worthwhile...

Oh and I forgot - I used to listen to Gee on BFM for the Kaos Techno Shows -- used to record them hehehe Nick still has some of my tapes dammit! Dem were the days!

PhunkyDave - sounded like that at the time. Don't here it very often now but it always warms the cockles of my heart!

well it was last year, i was 16 and went to 'the brain' it was so much fun, so glad i went to it! changed my life...

I was one of those late bloomers you might say I'm 31 this year....I have alwys loved music and was introduced to "raving" bout 6mths ago when we were in Welly and Love It !!!! Better Late than never I Say

!!!! House music Has Changed My Life !!!!

as nemisis posted up the page... For me it would have been '94 Stomping 4 (8 kent st, newmarket) Waz wicked !!! didn't even know how 2 dance back then...
never looked back..

well i was heaps into my punk music and still am but the dance scene and music have changed my life.
started when way back in the end of 2000 at the age of 17 and well the music just gets better as i get wiser! yay
so basically i'm a relative newbie.
l8a

Fantazia, Edinburgh, age - 14. can't remember
who played but wuz armed wif a whistle and
glow sticks... well, we all have skeletons in the
closet right? =) Came to NZ and got into
'serious music' (ie triphop) and only
rediscovered my bad self thanx 2 subtronix and
dj Trace, November 99. The rest is history. God
bless Drum & Bass!!

so many nice story's ..good to here.
i was 14 was strange actualy.. was doing the "alfey's" thing... then candyo's as i was training with the bouncers ray sefo at the local tia boxing gym so they always let me in.. but had to slip out the back door a few times when the cops came in..hahaha clubs like dv8, dtm, tnt,hertzog, eastside, box when it opened, custom house with jon davies in the mix hahaha .. oh my age is showing. right into now still going strong.. still got classic records from way back then...