Raindance (rave)
Encyclopedia
Raindance are British Rave
event organisers. They were one of the best known rave names on the Rave scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The first event was held at a circus tent on September 16 1989 at Jenkins Lane, Beckton
in east London
. This was Britain's first legal all night rave.
DJ's such as Carl Cox
, Dave Angel
, LTJ Bukem
, Mr C, DJ Rap
, John Digweed
, Kevin "Reece" Saunderson
, Slipmatt
, Fabio
and Grooverider
started out at Raindance. Live acts such as Shades of Rhythm, N-Joi
and The Prodigy
have all played at Raindance.
From 1989 to 1993, Raindance went on to hold large scale events across Essex
, Cambridgeshire
, Leicestershire
, Oxfordshire
, Somerset
and even Spain. The venues Raindance used held up to 10,000 ravers. DJ Slipmatt's brother, Paul Nelson, one was on the original promoters. The original idea to hold a rave came from Slipmatt himself..
But by 1993 with pressure from the authorities (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
) and the rave music scene splintering into different dance genres, Raindance took a break from holding mass events. Between 1993 and 1998 there were one-off events, then the promoters returned hosting regular indoor events in clubs around North and East London.
In 1999 Raindance started hosting raves at The Drome, an unused car park underneath London Bridge railway station. They would get regular attendances of over 2,000 people at this underground venue. In 2002 The Drome was renovated and SeOne was born. Over the next 8 years SeOne would be Raindance's home and with a 3,000 capacity with 7 different arenas (Jenkins Lane 89-90, Old Skool 91-93, Jungle/Drum & Bass 93-10, Hardcore 95-10, Hard House, Breakbeat, House & Trance) Raindance was truly the biggest rave event in London. SeOne closed in 2010 but reopened as Debut and Raindance held the last ever event under these arches on New Years Eve 2010-11.
In 2011 Raindance continues to put parties on all over the UK. In April 2011, The Coronet hosted 'The Easter Ball' with 2,500 revellers coming to party all night long. In May 2011, Raindance went to Southend for an event & was a success, another event being planned in August 2011. The 22nd Birthday Bash will be happening on 1st October 2011.
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
event organisers. They were one of the best known rave names on the Rave scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The first event was held at a circus tent on September 16 1989 at Jenkins Lane, Beckton
Beckton
Beckton is part of the London Borough of Newham, England, located east of Charing Cross.Its boundaries are the A13 trunk road to the north, Barking Creek to the east, the Royal Docks to the south, and Prince Regent Lane to the west. The area around Prince Regent Lane is also known as Custom House...
in east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This was Britain's first legal all night rave.
DJ's such as Carl Cox
Carl Cox
Carl Cox is a British techno and house music DJ.-Biography:Cox grew up in Oldham, Lancashire, before attending Glastonbury High Boys secondary modern school on Glastonbury Road in Morden. Cox began his career as a hardcore and rave DJ in the mid 1980s...
, Dave Angel
Dave Angel
David Angelico Nicholas Gooden , better known as Dave Angel, is an English techno musician.-Early years:Angel was born in Chelsea, London in 1966. He is the son of a London-based jazz musician, and the elder brother of rapper Monie Love...
, LTJ Bukem
LTJ Bukem
LTJ Bukem is the stage name used by the drum and bass musician, producer and DJ Danny Williamson . He and his record labels Good Looking and Looking Good Records are most associated with the jazzy, atmospheric side of drum and bass music....
, Mr C, DJ Rap
DJ Rap
Charissa Saverio is a British drum and bass, house music and progressive electronic music disc jockey.-Biography:...
, John Digweed
John Digweed
John Digweed is an English DJ, record producer and acclaimed actor.-Biography:John Digweed began DJing around age 4...
, Kevin "Reece" Saunderson
Kevin Saunderson
Kevin Saunderson is an American electronic music producer. At the age of nine he moved to Belleville, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit where he attended Belleville High School and befriended two students, Derrick May and Juan Atkins...
, Slipmatt
Slipmatt
Slipmatt is an English happy hardcore producer and DJ based in Essex, England. He was one half of rave act SL2, who had a 1992 UK hit with "On A Ragga Tip".-History:...
, Fabio
Fabio (DJ)
Fitzroy Heslop better known by his stage name of Fabio, is a drum and bass DJ and producer from the UK. Fabio has been described as one of the best DJ's of all time. He runs the Creative Source record label.-Biography:...
and Grooverider
Grooverider
Grooverider is a British drum and bass DJ.-Biography:Grooverider began his DJing at illegal raves and warehouse parties in the UK in the late 1980s, and rose to prominence with partner Fabio through his sets at nightclub nights such as 'Rage'. Grooverider was also on the London pirate radio...
started out at Raindance. Live acts such as Shades of Rhythm, N-Joi
N-Joi
N-Joi is a house music and techno production duo from Southend, Essex, England, consisting of Nigel Champion and Mark Franklin, with sometime vocalist/front person Saffron. Champion went to Framlingham College and Franklin to Felsted School but met up again after school in 1987.Between 1991 and...
and The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
have all played at Raindance.
From 1989 to 1993, Raindance went on to hold large scale events across Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and even Spain. The venues Raindance used held up to 10,000 ravers. DJ Slipmatt's brother, Paul Nelson, one was on the original promoters. The original idea to hold a rave came from Slipmatt himself..
But by 1993 with pressure from the authorities (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It introduced a number of changes to the existing law, most notably in the restriction and reduction of existing rights and in greater penalties for certain "anti-social" behaviours...
) and the rave music scene splintering into different dance genres, Raindance took a break from holding mass events. Between 1993 and 1998 there were one-off events, then the promoters returned hosting regular indoor events in clubs around North and East London.
In 1999 Raindance started hosting raves at The Drome, an unused car park underneath London Bridge railway station. They would get regular attendances of over 2,000 people at this underground venue. In 2002 The Drome was renovated and SeOne was born. Over the next 8 years SeOne would be Raindance's home and with a 3,000 capacity with 7 different arenas (Jenkins Lane 89-90, Old Skool 91-93, Jungle/Drum & Bass 93-10, Hardcore 95-10, Hard House, Breakbeat, House & Trance) Raindance was truly the biggest rave event in London. SeOne closed in 2010 but reopened as Debut and Raindance held the last ever event under these arches on New Years Eve 2010-11.
In 2011 Raindance continues to put parties on all over the UK. In April 2011, The Coronet hosted 'The Easter Ball' with 2,500 revellers coming to party all night long. In May 2011, Raindance went to Southend for an event & was a success, another event being planned in August 2011. The 22nd Birthday Bash will be happening on 1st October 2011.