Dance music culture and drug taking are synonymous. Since the disco sounds of Giorgio Moroder and the early house classics of Frankie Knuckles, the electronic music brigade have enjoyed a good old-fashioned seshwan with the help of various hallucinogenics and recreational wonders. It’s not something up for debate; it’s just a straight up fact. Contrary to popular opinion, not everyone who likes dance music indulges in recreational drugs but it is undeniable that it has a heavy influence on the scene. That’s what’s made the developments in the past week so alarming, although I will admit they are were not surprising.
Before we delve into the issue I suppose I should disclose that I myself have taken drugs and continue to do so. As you read this, those of you who completely disagree with drugs have probably already judged me as a ‘filthy drug addict’ but the reality is I am a fairly sensible soul who just enjoys letting loose every now and then. I could argue that the affects of alcohol are in fact much worse but I’m not here to discuss the merits or demerits of drug taking itself rather explore a number of startling issues that arose in recent days.
As thousands of revelers descended on Electric Picnic last weekend (myself amongst them) it was inevitable that there would of course be drug related incidents. This is something that is anticipated by everybody. However that things would reach the levels they did was probably not envisaged by either the organisers or those in attendance.
It is a sad reality that this years festivities were blighted by a number of drug related incidents. Left reeling from the news of the untimely death of Phil McConnell on Friday night (unrelated at this point) a Facebook post early on Saturday from the official EP page warned concertgoers to beware a dodgy batch of “Blue Ghosts/Casper” pills which were circulating on site. Not stopping there, they went on to issue warnings to patrons after every live act and even Disclosure made a statement at the end of their performance warning people to seek medical attention if they felt unwell. Although this was a refreshing attitude from the folks at Electric Picnic (showing they were not afraid to confront the problem rather than just blindly denying its existence) their response showed just how serious an issue this was. There was a distinct atmosphere of unsettling panick after one guard felt the need to grab a microphone and warn people after the Forrest Rave had ended on Sunday morning.
It’s not just at EP however that there were extensive problems related to drug use this week. Stateside the electronic music community endured one of its worst weeks in a long time with a number of untimely deaths and drug scares. Last Tuesday a young New Hampshire woman (aged just 19) died at a Zedd Concert in Boston having taken MDMA (or Molly as the Americans cringingly refer to it) and later in the weekend we saw massive problems hit NY’s Electric Zoo festival. The event run by Micheal Bindra and Made Event is hosted every Labour Day weekend on NY’s public area Randall’s Island. Having passed almost without incident since 2009, Bindra saw fit to pull the plug on festivities for the Sunday following the deaths of Olivia Rotondo and Jeffrey Russ and the hospitalization in intensive care of three others. Bindra cancelled festivities as a mark of respect for those who perished but you suspect he was also worried about the potential impact of further fatalities. Although Made Event have since received the backing of Mayor Micheal Bloomberg and various other dignitaries it is a major blow for those in the dance community and will surely have ramifications for its future.
There are some comparisons to be drawn with the burgeoning scene in the US and that of our own. For starters there are a lot of new drug users who are inexperienced and often don’t know the affects of what they are taking or how to take it. There is a prevailing attitude in Europe, that Americans, because they have just embraced the dance culture, are somehow less experienced in taking drugs and while to a certain extent that could be deemed true I saw enough evidence this weekend to show that we ourselves have a lot to learn. I saw worrying parallels this weekend in Irish drug users to those who enjoy alcohol in this country. The philosophy of drinking to get fucked is rampant in Ireland and its seems that policy has also crossed over to the fresh faces now embracing a growing drug culture.
The combined incidents both stateside and closer to home underline the harsh realities that for all the arguments from those who partake in recreational drug use, it is still a very dangerous game. There is no safe way to ingest these chemicals substances and be 100% certain that you will not suffer an adverse reaction. There is an attitude amongst those in this country that anyone who takes drugs and suffers a bad reaction lacks experience or pushed too hard when in reality it can take just one bogey pill to turn a wild night out into a trip to the medical tent.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that drugs, and in particular Ecstasy are entrenched in our culture, at least for now anyway, so how can we make sure incidents like that of Electric Zoo don’t occur over here? For one we should probably take a leaf out of our more laidback friends in The Netherlands. An amnesty exists there for those who would like to have their drugs tested at dedicated laboratories ensuring a safe experience and it could be argued lowering the costs of medical care for the taxpayers. This would certainly be a step in the right direction.
“If you're going to take drugs, respect the people around you and everyone else, but most importantly respect yourself!” Mat Zo
Eductation is also an important facet. Looking at the reaction to the events at Electric Zoo most DJs used the familiar mantra of ‘stay safe when partying’ except for the outspoken Mat Zo, who actually took time to direct his fans towards talktofrank.com an educational website. There needs to be more of this. Blindly ignoring the problem is irresponsible. Comments from the likes of Dada Life about ‘Music being the strongest drug’ while keeping sponsors and event organisers sweet aren’t really that helpful in the scheme of things.
It remains to be seen whether the events of the last week will have wider consequences. In America this isn’t the bursting of the bubble many think it is (too many people are too heavily invested in dance music for it to fail over there) however we will definitely see more security measures put in place. While over here the brave step by Electric Picnic to confront the issue may lead to a new departure (although lets be honest it probably won’t). Sadly it will probably require a string of upsetting incidents before someone risks making changes. Some positives can be taken from the comprehensive reaction of the good folk at Electric Picnic over the weekend but as dance music increases in popularity (expect Disclosure to top the charts regularly this year) there is undoubtedly more ground to cover.
