Around two years ago, our very own junglist raasclart known as Sneak introduced me to the world of Freeparties and Illegal Raves. I remember arriving back in Manchester from London only to have him bellowing down the phone of something insane planned for the night. Surely enough, it was indeed a night i’ll never forget. My first rave, situated in the grounds of a derelict castle was complete with everything; Killer MC’s, DJ’s, ear-destroying rigs and ofcourse only India99 – Manchester’s very own police helicopter, illuminating the entire arena via bright white searchblasters. Daylite Robbery, whom, unknown to me at the time would become a crew I’d work with, amongst other soundsystems most notably GSS (GASHcollective), Mendez Mashups and Neuron.
Falling into such a niched subculture was only fuelled so greatly by none other than Scott Bradley. The all around trouble-maker had obviously seen the potential of what could be achieved by a few like-minded individuals, a generator, a few amps, speaker/dj rigs, abandonned warehouses and (never forgetting) true ravers. It catalysed so powerfully, I look in retrospect of what my life would have been without the raves, the location scouting, without the partying, loading vans, the illest basslines, without every friend I made through it and I know for a fact how duller and less open-minded my life would be. It even led me into the realms of pirate radio, it’s something I’m so grateful to have been involved with.
Halloween 2009 was a night that smashed any conception of how insane a Freeparty could get, a true reflection of the effort and money (yes, ironically free parties aren’t free for those organising) put in. A collaboration between Gash Soundsystem and Daylite Robbery had seen the destruction to the shutters of a warehouse, into a 25 000 square foot playground with a mezzanine floor, ramming over 4000 of the North West’s truest skankers in for one of the biggest freeparty’s that Manchester had seen in 10 years.
Ofcourse, the biggest shouts to those who made it possible; Ciderspiller, Jonny Optimus, Scott Bradley, Zak Hz, Adam Merry, Dirk Sanjay Montcrief, Ste Dahmer, Josh Harris, Benicio, as well as everyone I’ve forgotten to mention, all the DRSS and GSS ladies and especially all the resident DJ’s, MC’s, Live Acts and Sound Engineers. You guys all fucking smash it.
Photo: Gash Halloween – Mezzanine Floor, Worsley, Manchester, England (2009)
Go here: gashcollective
