The dance music scene was founded on the backs of those throwing underground parties and raves, a fad that has since decreased in frequency but never flickered out completely. With nightclubs shutting their doors due to the pandemic at hand, unauthorized parties have found there way back into the forefront of the dance music scene. Most notably, Paris has seen an uptick in Raves amid the closure of nightclubs in their city since March.
Unity is a core value of the dance music culture that we all have grown to know and Love. The underground techno scene in Paris has become an outlet for this culture and it’s clear that the Dance Music movement is too strong to slow down. Particularly among young people who normally would not be familiar with the underground. These unauthorized parties and raves have become a place for people to unite again and find a new appreciation for dance music or reignite an already existing passion for the scene.
The Paris Rave Experience
The raves are centered in an area of Southeast Paris called The Bois de Vincennes. A massive park that allows for large crowds and seclusion, but is also just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the nearest metro station. Despite having to scale a wall to enter the party the events have seen thousands of people in attendance. All wearing masks of course.
Legal Ramifications
Although the popularity in these underground parties has been rising, Paris authorities have not let up on their regulation on such events. Starting 2001 French authorities began requiring such events to be registered with the police beforehand, which forced a lot of events underground. This forced revolution of party-throwing rebels has trained the underground scene on how to effectively execute events in this type of environment. All of that being said, Paris municipality seems to be trying it’s best to work with the event organizers rather against them. Councillor Frederic Hocquard being quoted,
“There’s a real cultural and social phenomenon going on at the moment. And at town hall, we don’t want to send in the police, we want to make things possible”…
“Our approach is to come up with a plan, with authorized places where we know what is going on, where parties are registered beforehand and where we warn people of the risks, whether it be the usual risks (alcohol, drugs or STDs) or those linked to the epidemic”
In other areas of the world, authorities are working hard to put an end to coronavirus inspired raves. This starts a great conversation about, what’s the right approach? Should we be condemning or condoning these acts of unity and peace? Let us know what you think in the comments.
