i think we can forget about them at least until we can find a way to
finance them and make it worth it for the organizer. Faulty premise. Let me explain...
>the bridge was good for beginner enthusiastic orgenizer/dj's who
wanted to play and made their own parties.
Yep. We have a few of those spots out here...
>but if someone can rent a venue,charge donation and make it
half legit. covering his costs- maybe even making a small profit- why would he spend his own money on a van and a generator, miss the party before- work his ass off and end up losing his
own money?
Because it's a different vibe (club vs. outdoor renegade), a whole different gestalt, a different experience...
>>so what happened this
weekend? i know we talked about collecting donations- i did'nt see a jar. i thought about it the whole night but tripping makes me extremely unpractical. i'm sorry. i should have forced
myself to collect money but i guess that's not what i'm good for. i got there late though- did someone go around with a hat or something?
We've tried a few things; I'm of the general
mindset that donations for an outdoor are prolly the most likely to be recieved on the way in or out, and not during... but...
>so how do we do it? any thoughts? how can we
through outlaw parties in public places and charge people money to get in?
Potentially faulty premise.... You ask "how can we through outlaw parties in public places and
charge people money to get in?" I say that's not the question; the question is "how can we throw outlaw parties in public places and NOT charge people money to get in, without
burning out or draining money from the organizer(s)?"
...to that, there are several ways to answer from several directions:
- Pool sound resources from within
the scene and attendees so as to not have to rent sound gear (usu. very possible)
- Find the construction stores that have low-rent generators for a Sat aft / Mon AM rental (not a
big cost anyway, but worth trying)
- "Distribute the workload" -- try to have a good number of people to help with setup, and have KNOWN ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
for said people during the evening and night
- Keep the setup crew from having to be the cleanup crew; beg, borrow and plead to have a few people (generally the type who show
up at 2 or 3am, and/or the really responsible folks) who have NOT been up since the LAST 6am to help with cleanup...
- Buy large water vessels (2.5 gallon spigot-feed cartons)
and ask people to bring cups. (you will still need to supply many of them). [One idea here is to have good, cheap water (a lot of stores now have dispensers for like .20 cents /
gallon; if you have good water from your faucet (NON-NYC residents), go with it!... with this water, bring a bunch of cheap cups, enough for everyone... make sure this is all visible...
then, for those who want their own pleasing bottle of fresh Evian, fine, $2/bottle, which helps to defray other costs. We have yet to do this, and I don't know if we will, but
it seems like a neat way to satisfy everyone...]
- Find DJ's who will play for free (or, if there is cost associated with their set (transportation/equipment/etc), then at or close
to the level of expenses). I probably offended a bunch of DJ's, but hey, if we're talking about a FREE party where the organizers are providing free water, fruit, chai, etc., then
this is the way I see it... if we're talking about a 'name' act, then that can be a different story...
- Buy inexpensive bulk food items, such as a LARGE crate of oranges ($30
- $35 sometimes, depending on season), or bananas, or *the best healthy item that would appeal to a bunch of freaks at 4am that is in season for a reasonable price*. We found
clementines once. Yes. :) Watermelon is *messy* but amazingly appealing for sweetness and hydration properties at, say, 7am. Place these items on a large
table, and occasionally walk an armful out through the crowd for people to grab from... this is not a place to try and charge $$.
- Find people with similar values who are
willing to put up with the time, effort and energy required to realize these goals. These people come from ALL walks of life, and at surface may not seem to have a lot in common. Probe
deeper. Then smile. :)
Hopefully, these tips help.... and other ideas are always welcome :)
Be well! I've enjoyed your very visceral party
reviews in the past; keep the first person reports flowing!
Actually, there was one and quite a number of people chipped in moneywise, I believe. There was even one
enthusiastic person who came up to me BEFORE we got the collection jar going and asked me who's paid for and set up all the stuff and gave me a $20, saying that he is having the time of his
life and was generally very very nice.
A few thoughts on the topic: Throwing a DIY party is not very expensive by any means, especially if you already have the gear or can
find it for free (and if you have a vast enough network of "friends of friends", it's not really hard). It *is* somewhat time-consuming and logistically challenging, though, but
given enough motivated people, it's a no-brainer.
It's all about motivation and participation -- if everyone does a tiny part (like taking one's own garbage back from the park...
come on folks, I'm totally cool with carrying the damn sound system on my back up and down those dark stairs, but I'm really not cool with picking up somebody else's trash) anyway... sorry
for the rant... where was I. Oh yeah - motivation and participation.
Personally, I've noticed that some of the best times I've had were at parties which I helped with in
one way or another... there's just a certain feeling of achievement and pride in what I'm doing to bring everyone's experience up one notch.
So, the next time somebody offers
to throw a bridge party - offer your help! I mean, it's nice to come to the park and find the sound system already alive and kicking', but it's even more exciting to see the party happen
from ground zero, right in front of your own eyes.
And yes, having separate setup and cleanup crews is essential - I was practically dead by the time the music stopped, and all
I was able to dois grab my CDJs and headphones and "drag my tortured, withered body" to the train station. I felt sort of guilty for not sticking around and helping with the cleanup,
but I probably wouldn't have been much help with that, anyway.
Peace
VM
Underneath the geometric grid of Manhattan's streets, a collective of free spirits gather together to celebrate the art of trance.
Only in the woods under the clear sky can we freely rejoice in nature, recalling the nomadic Paleolithic orgiastic life of our ancestors. The nexus of claustrophobic clubs and 
by Dhea