Importance of Music

Music is a major part of my life! Why?! Because I can relax to chilled sounds, feel uplifted from happy sounds, provide a suitable sound that expresses my feelings or creates a comfortable setting. I love the way each style has a different affect on me, as it penetrates my mind and soul, and how music can capture a moment in life that causes us to reminisce. Music truly helps me to get through life, so I play it as often as possible. There's definitely healing properties in the make-up of music.

Music Styles and Influences

I'm so proud to live where I am, as the scene here caters for any discerning critic. And as the years passed, I went through MANY phases. I remember listening to Kylie Minogue's "Locomotion" and making a dance routine to it while in Primary School... Ah Ha, New Order, Depeche Mode, Eurhythmics, Mel and Kim, Bananarama, INXS and other 80s music were the types I listened to when little (excluding what my parents played).

It began at the commercial radio level and then when High School hit me, so did the harder sounds of metal, industrial and alternative/grunge. I remember in '91 watching Kurt's messy locks on TV as he sang "Smells like teen spirit" and singing at my loudest "Under the bridge" by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers for a competition at the roller skating rink. Yes, it's true, I was there at the Guns 'n' Roses concert with fake rose tattoos on my arm and black lettering of band members on my legs (which I might add was one of my most memorable concerts with 4 seasons in one day) in '93. From memory, groups that I loved around that early-mid teen time included: Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Faith No More, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Baby Animals, Greenday, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Ministry, Fear Factory, and Def FX.

With the transition from Fox FM (commercial radio station) to Triple J (alternative styled radio station) in '93, I began appreciating indie rock, punk, house, techno, jungle, drum 'n' bass, and trance styles. The types of tunes I taped on my cassettes around that time were: "snake" - Opal, "feel it" - Hi-Lux, "don't you want my love" - Felix, "jump" - The Movement, "sex drive" - Dead or Alive, "only me" - Hyper Logic, "unreal" - Dreamworld, "angel" - Goldie, "out of space" - The Prodigy, "karma coma" - Massive Attack, and "only love can break your heart" - Saint Etienne.

When I heard those electronic beats via radio and late night music clips, the unique sound satisfied my craving for something new. I was hooked on the anthems of the early 90s, but of course you cannot expect such great tunes to stay in the underground level for long, therefore many became mainstream. Here's a sample of the tunes from my early electronic days: "floor space" - Our House, "born slippy" - Underworld, "7 days and 1 week" - BBE, "age of love" - Age of Love, "amphetamines" - Drax, "floating" - Terra Firma, "horsepower" - CJ Bolland, "groove birds" - Natural Born Grooves, "children" - Robert Miles, "offshore" - Chicane, "neuro" - Excabs, "dreams" - Quench, "god save the queer" - Clash, "hold that sucker down" - OT Quartet, "the gift" - Way Out West, and "footprints" - Disco Citizens.

And when did rap and hip hop interest me? Well my cassettes tell me around the time when "911 is a joke" by Public Enemy and "trespass" by Ice T was played. Since my return from the U.S.A in early '98, my liking for those styles had grown (since I was surrounded by it while travelling). I give full credit to the artists uniting the sounds of the new with the old (classical and 60s lounge sounds/vocals), such as Busta Rhymes' "gimme some mo", Xzibit's "paparazzi" and Warren G/Sissel with "rapsody".

The music scene here, as I said previously, caters for anyone's taste. I'm so proud to live where I am! The whole year round there's something to look forward to. Events from my past include: Rock Above the Falls, Vans Warped Tour, The Apollo Festival, Hardware raves, Transatlantic raves, MUD raves, Confest, Earthcore raves, Kryal Castle rave, Full Moon parties, Alternative Nation, The Big Day Out, Pushover, Offshore, Summerdayze, Vibes On a Summer's Day, Good Vibrations etc. And then there's the individual gigs/concerts.

What do I currently like to listen to... indie rock, house (progressive, dirty, hard, vocal, tek), funk, trance (hard, progressive), electro rock, electro pop, breakbeat, hip hop and rap.

Rave Experience

I was so determined to experience a rave after hearing about it from other people and through listening to that music. Sure, I went to those underage dance parties at Metro when acts such as Ultra Sonic performed in 1995, but I was craving the "real" experience.

After being knocked back with my friends at an overage event (War & Peace II) when I was only a month away from being 18, I was fuelled to go after turning 18. So my friend, Anna (Ansky), and some older guys who'd already been to raves, went with me to Hardware 9 at the famous Docklands (Victoria Dock, Shed 14) in 1996. I remember being driven with 2 of the friends and feeling excited of the unknown experience awaiting me.

Forest Full Moon Party held at Lake Eildon N.P, where "the freaks come out" and magic happens with awesome UV-art that can be expected at any of the parties.

As soon as we opened the car's doors, a distant hypnotic deep bass beat filled the cold night air. Ravers were walking in small bunches along the 500 metre road towards our destination, Shed 14. After being searched by the security and handing in my ticket, we slowly walked towards the entrance around 11pm. My heart was beating as fast as it could and I savoured my pure-untouched state for a brief moment before stepping inside.

Creative DJ set on right and decorations floating in a surreal setting. Lake Eildon.

Within the shed, 3000 or so ravers crammed the space. There were 3 high decks positioned along opposing walls, with only 1 being used by the current performing DJ. I scaled the area to accustom myself to this new environment and wandered into the "chill out" room. Comfy couches, chairs and tables took up most of this space, where people sprawled out to take a rest. Then adjoining this room was the food court with "pick-me-up" energy food and drinks (no alcohol). I bought a Chuppa Chup to suck on and a bottle of Powerade to replenish lost energy levels (and no, I was not on drugs).

The day casts a new light upon the setting at the forest party held in Lake Eildon.

The music summoned me and when I found my space on the concrete floor, I began my journey. What an uplifting feeling of "natural high" I sensed while absorbing those beta and alpha waves that travelled from the music to my mind, dancing in my little world in my little space on the floor facing the DJ high on a deck, staring at the computer generated cartoons on a large screen, and glancing at the neon psychedelic decor and laser spectacles. I was transformed into a pleasant state, with little awareness of the going-ons around me, and leaving all the troubles in the "real" world behind.

Vibrant chill out area b4 the crowd enter at an indoor Full Moon Party.

It was truly an amazing experience and I was hooked! After dancing for approximately 6 hours with rests in between, I went home at 9am with a huge smile on my face and cramped legs :-)

Groovin' away at an indoor Full Moon Party for those colder months.

Shakin' their thang at the free Full Moon Party held at the Alexandra Gardens in the city.

Fire twirlers form patterns in the moonlight at the Alexandra Gardens' Free Full Moon Party.

These days I have less interest in attending raves/dance parties. This is due to the following reasons... 1) outgrew the scene (a need for something new), 2) drug-taking more prevalent and creating a fake and artificially "happy" crowd, and 3) people going to events for the drugs and NOT for the music. And so now I still enjoy listening to electronic music, although I do not choose to attend, as my heart breaks when I see people needing artificial enhancers to enjoy themselves and then the after-affects of using drugs (zombies, aggression, paranoia, memory loss, hospital visits etc.).

Now I attend music festivals such as Summerdayze, Good Vibrations, and Big Day Out, and gigs and concerts when a certain artist/act interests me.

Party Photos
*some photos taken from other rave sites - Synergy, MUD, Green Ant*

Every Picture Tells A Story #17

Every Picture Tells A Story #18

Mad Ass #3

Mad Ass #4

Freedom... free outdoor rave

Street Rave... free outdoor party by the St Kilda foreshore

Kat converting to an alien for the Space 99 event she was involved in :) The entrance of the venue... tunnels, UV-art, smoke and audio to welcome you to Space 99.

Anna and Kat showing off their crew and artist passes.





Violate clothing brand parade crew ready to do their thang on the catwalk.

Two Tribes: views over to the carnival setting for the dance party at the Docklands, and one of the room's effects. 2000.

Other rooms at Two Tribes, 2000.

Crowd shot in one of the rooms at Two Tribes, 2000.

Trade with Paul Van Dyk, 2000.

Bands and Acts

These are the bands and acts that I have seen (what I recall), many of which I have seen more than once: 28 Days, 311, Ash, Babes in Toyland, Blink 182, Bodyjar, Bon Jovi, Boyz II Men, Coldplay, Cosmic Psychos, Crettins Puddle, Custard, Deftones, Foo Fighters, Guns n' Roses, Happy Mondays, Hole, Jane's Addiction, Korn, Luscious Jackson, Madonna, Magic Dirt, Manic Street Preachers, Mantissa, Marilyn Manson, Metallica, Ministry, Moler, Not From There, Pacifier/Shihad, Pennywise, PJ Harvey, Placebo, Powderfinger, Primal Scream, Queens of the Stoneage, Rammstein, Red Hot Chilli Peppers - my 1st concert back in '92, Rose Tattoo, Screaming Trees, Silverchair, Skid Row, Soul Asylum, Soundgarden, Spiderbait, T.I.S.M, The Black Eyed Peas, The Clouds, The Cult, The Earthmen, The Living End, The Mavis's, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Music, The Offspring, The Porkers, The Vines, Tumbleweed, Xzibit, You Am I...

The Roots and The Presets gigs, 2005.

The man who turned the turntable into an instrument, Grandmaster Flash, 2006.

These are the DJs and acts that I have seen (what I recall) over the years: 1200 Techniques, Adam Freeland, Adeva, Ajax, Andy Van, Anthony Pappa, Astroboy, Atom 1, Basement Jaxx, BBE, Bexta, Biftek, Brewster B, BT, Carl Cox, CJ Bolland, Daft Punk, Damian Laird, Darren Emerson, Dave Seaman, David Morales, De La Soul, Dean Cherney, Dee Jay Punk-Roc, Derrick Carter, Devil Fish, DJ Darren Price, DJ Doc Martin, DJ Kid Kenobi, DJ Luke Slater, DJ Misha, DJ Noize, DJ Selekt, DJ Sneak, DLT, Eric Powell, Fat Boy Slim, Fluke, Frankie Knuckles, Friendly, FSOM, Gab Oliver, Goldie, Gonzalo, Graham Gold, Groove Terminator, Honeysmack, Hybrid, Ian Pooley, Jason Midro, Jayse Knipe, Jayson Digby, Jazzanova, Jeff Mills, Jeff Tyler, Jeremy Healy, J-Red, Jimmy Somerville, John Course, Junior Jack, Kid Creme, King Kapisi, Kraftwerk, Lucien Foort, Luke Slater's Free Funk, Machine Gun Fellatio, Malcom Duffy, Marco Carola, Mark James, Marmion, Masters At Work, Mr Scruff, Natural One, Nu Breed, OMC, Our House, Patrick Lindsey, Paul Van Dyk, Peril, PhD, Phil K, Pnau, Ransom, Resin Dogs, Richie Hawtin, Richie Rich, Roger Sanchez, Rogue Traders, Roni Size - Reprazent , Rui Da Silva, Sander Kleinenberg, Scott Finemore, Sean Quinn, Seb Fontaine, Simon Digby, Sister Bliss, Sonic Animation, Speedy J, Sven Vath, The Avalanches, The DEA, The Freestylers, The Prodigy, Ultra Nate, Underworld, Union Jack/Art of Trance, Viridian, Vision Four 5, Voiteck, Way Out West, Wicked Beat Sound System, Will E Tell, Will White, Xpress 2, ...

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