Setting up an event?

[cypher Profile]

Can anyone give me tips about setting up a small-scale party for, say, around 200 people?

Me and a couple of friends have been discussing (ie. drunkenly arguing about) throwing a rave sometime this summer, and I was wondering if it is possible to organise an event on an absolutely minimal budget. I live in Holland, if that matters, and me and my friends are around 20y/o.

Of course, it would be a breakcore party (or I wouldn't be posting this here) - jungle / breakcore / IDM etc to be exact.

What would be the minimal requirements? How much money should we put aside?
Can we ask for money up front (before we actually pay any bills) granted that we pay back every penny if we fuck up? (Remember that we, directly or indirectly, know all guests)
Could I just use a good home-stereo or should I rent / borrow a decent sound setup?
Is it possible to somehow soundproof an outside area, and have the party in the woods or whatever, or should it be in an old warehouse?
How many people should be invited (in order to prevent a party from becoming unmanagable)?
Is there any (semi-)legal way to organise a rave (weak question, but several folks were pretty put off by the idea of ending the party in the back of a police van)?
If it would be an underground rave, what would be the major no-no's? (ie. noise violations, alcohol, trespassing) and what level of secrecy should we maintain (for example, should we tell people where we're having the party)?

Any pointers / tips are greatly appreciated. If this topic is not allowed for whatever reason, I'll immediately remove the thread.

[johndecision Profile]

my advice would be to find a crew that already puts on this kind of party in your area and ask for their advice. every place is slightly different and you cant beat local knowledge.

one thing though is that if you are aiming for about 200 people youd need at the very least a 1.5k soundsystem (the more the better really). home hifis are designed to be used in small rooms for up to about 10 people. more than that and they just dont have the juice

[hardon collider Profile Website]

yeah, for 200 people it's going to cost a fair amount of cash. how much are you going to be charging people?

[cypher Profile]

yeah, for 200 people it's going to cost a fair amount of cash. how much are you going to be charging people?

Depends, really. We were aiming for like €5,- entrance fee and a symbolic 50 cents for a beer. If need be, we can raise the price to €10,- (or €1,- / beer).

my advice would be to find a crew that already puts on this kind of party in your area and ask for their advice. every place is slightly different and you cant beat local knowledge.

I'd love to, but I don't know of any crews in the vicinity. I'm kinda new to the scene, and what little experience I have at organizing parties is pretty much useless - different scale, setup and crowd .

So, I'm gonna go and look for someone nice (read: insane) enough to rent me a proper soundsystem, and see if I can find anyone with proper connections and whatnot.

Thanks for the replies! I'm pretty green to this scene, so any help is greatly appreciated!

[DIGIT216 Profile]

cypher, where do you live? are there not ANY sort of "harder" electronics events AT ALL?

there are A LOT of things you have to consider when trying to plan events and most of this info varies from region to region, venue to venue, etc...

if you guys are serious about throwing an event, there are ways to do things without having to worry about renting a sound system, although this will most likely be you [or you and your crew, or whoever you are working with] having the event in a club or bar, or any sort of venue with a sound system already in the place. HOWEVER, this does not mean that what ever type of sound system they do have, would be enough. your best bet [if you are in that situation and are worried about the sound system], is to bring some sort of CD to the venue [try to go on an off time, not their busy hours or weekends] you are thinking about using, that has ANY sort of music that you can "test out" what their system sounds like. don't try to bring some crazy ass noise, speedcore, etc. [most of the time, this is not the best way to start out the relationship with the place], bring some dnb, dubstep, even some metal or maaaaybe some breakcore/hardcore, but don't go crazy. rememeber, your just trying to get a feel for the system inside the venue [while also giving them a better idea where your going with your plans], but definitely mention that the music you might have playing that night will be a bit harder. most places might have a sound guy, especially if they already hold events, but even so, if you do choose to use their equipment and they don't have a sound guy, you have to be careful not to blow the system or it's gonna cost you $$$$

there are also ways to do outdoor stuff, but you will have to do a lot of research [especially looking at LOCAL laws] into noise ordinance laws, etc. and you will most likely have to deal with your local authorities and show them you have legal permits [which might take a while to get] to have any outdoor event with music...

A LOT of this is VERY DIFFERENT from place to place and i'm not just talking about the legalities of holding an outdoor event. even if your going to hold an event in any sort of venue, you should make sure to know AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT THE VENUE YOU WILL USE...

where ever you are having this event, is it open to all ages? is there a bar? or will you need someone watching the door, to make sure no underage people are there? is the event going to be free? does the place make you pay any sort of rent/fee to use their venue? if so, how much? [<- this will give you more of an idea, what to charge at the door] is it going to be all locals or friends playing? they gonna play for free? or you plan to have "headliners" or invited performers to play and what are they charging you? [another factor in door price], the list goes on and on...

you really just need to do your research on ANY and EVERY detail about what you plan to do, b/c if you leave anything to chance, it's going to screw things up when the day comes for the event...

the best advice i can give [and this is from someone who does throw these types of events] is PREPARE TO LOSE MONEY...

this is not necessarily a bad thing [nor a good thing], but it happenes. especially in the beginning, cause for example: you might assume you can make a certain amount, but then you have to go rent some gear [i.e. like a PA or sound system b/c you think it's not enough or some artists wants a certain mixer, etc.] and what you made at the door doesn't cover it. these are the sort of things that will bite you in the ass at first, but if you plan things out enough, you will be able to come out even...

hope that helps some what. if you have any more questions, post em up and i'll try to help you out as much as i can...

and keep your head up!

it's a rough scene to be involved in, but i'll wish you the best of luck!

[MarkyPoo Profile Website]

Me And A Friend Are Working On Something Called "Rave-Van" In Which We Drive To An Area (Parking Lot) And We Take Out All The Seats I Plug In My Lappy And Drop Some Trax.

I Can't Till We Start It!

[pth Profile]

my advice would be to find a crew that already puts on this kind of party in your area and ask for their advice. every place is slightly different and you cant beat local knowledge.

one thing though is that if you are aiming for about 200 people youd need at the very least a 1.5k soundsystem (the more the better really). home hifis are designed to be used in small rooms for up to about 10 people. more than that and they just dont have the juice

sheet, i used a 1.5k rig in my mates living room for about 20 of us, and that was not enough imo, for 200 people you're gonna need a fair bit more.

to be fair with a sound system it's best to have more , because you can always turn it down but no always up. but i guess with breakcore, the more distortion the better...

[JonBob Profile]

Me And A Friend Are Working On Something Called "Rave-Van" In Which We Drive To An Area (Parking Lot) And We Take Out All The Seats I Plug In My Lappy And Drop Some Trax.

I Can't Till We Start It!

I've had pretty much the exact same idea with a friend, running moniters and gear offa a tiny generator. Let people know where/when and rave out for about a hour/ till police come.

but we call it "porta-rave"

maybe next year.

[MarkyPoo Profile Website]

No The Rave Is INNNNNN The Van.

[rokhausen Profile Website]

haha
i'm in this digital tardcore band and we've talked about doing something similar with a rented party bus. invite 15-20 of our best friends/fans and perform our full discography for them karaoke style, driving around downtown newark. lots of booze, screaming, and hopefully sharp turns i'd hate to be the hired driver on that trip.

[cypher Profile]

DIGIT216:

Thanks for the advice dude, really put me down to earth for a bit there...

Anyway, as I mentioned, I'm new to the local scene; I've been to plenty of 'regular' events and whatnot (mainly underground metal, but whatever) but I really don't know shit about the local underground rave/party scene. It's probably there, but, well, 'underground'. Pretty lame, I know, but I know absolutely zilch about any local events.

I'd like to emphasize that this is not a professional event in any sense of the word; it would basically be an upscaled private party. No hired DJ's, no fancy whatchamadoos and doohickeys, just a bunch of morons with a laptop and a lot of records. This does not imply I want to do a half-assed job: I just don't want to blow this for myself or anyone else, so I'm starting out small and save the good stuff for the next time.

The advice so far has been very practical; get a good sound system, get to know the laws and regulations etc. That won't be the biggest problem, I know folks with plenty of expertise on either.
Basically, I'm after two 'kinds' of info;
First off, am I able to get this started? I'm motivated enough, but is it possible to have a small yet (semi-)professional event, granted I don't get dragged away? ITT is it possible to have a 'try-out' party, so to speak?
Second, what are the basic do's and don'ts? I'm (obviously) not inviting anyone underaged, I'm not making it a public event, I'm not having a party within earshot of any residential areas, but what other things should I account for? I'm talking sanitary facilities, isolation techniques, stuff like that. Also, local facilities might be an option, but it'd be great if anyone'd have any advice on outdoor events (or even squatting; I have some hookups in that direction, but that'd be a last resort).

Finally, please be BRUTALLY honest. If it's obvious all the good-will on the planet isn't going to be enough to pull this off, just say so. I'm hard-headed enough to just try again in five years, when I know the ins and outs. I'd rather have someone calling me a dick-weed, than someone telling me to do something I can't.

Thanks for all previous advice, and in advance for any advice yet to come!

[MarkyPoo Profile Website]

haha
i'm in this digital tardcore band and we've talked about doing something similar with a rented party bus. invite 15-20 of our best friends/fans and perform our full discography for them karaoke style, driving around downtown newark. lots of booze, screaming, and hopefully sharp turns i'd hate to be the hired driver on that trip.

We Are Working On It!
myspace.com/ravevan
It's BRAND NEW And Is Under Construction But You Should Get On It Anyway.

[Feutus Lapdance Profile Website]

Uit welke provincie kom je?
Mijn advies is dit Flyer goed en als het een illegaal feest is zorg dan dat je flyer,t in veilige locaties. Platen winkels zoals de Antenne, break core myspaces, breakcore feesten of kraak feesten. Geen friettenten of danceclups dus
Zorg in je line up voor minstens 1 bekende naam.
1 euro voor een biertje is goed een 10tje voor toegang niet.

[johndecision Profile]

my advice would be to find a crew that already puts on this kind of party in your area and ask for their advice. every place is slightly different and you cant beat local knowledge.

one thing though is that if you are aiming for about 200 people youd need at the very least a 1.5k soundsystem (the more the better really). home hifis are designed to be used in small rooms for up to about 10 people. more than that and they just dont have the juice

sheet, i used a 1.5k rig in my mates living room for about 20 of us, and that was not enough imo, for 200 people you're gonna need a fair bit more.

to be fair with a sound system it's best to have more , because you can always turn it down but no always up. but i guess with breakcore, the more distortion the better...

yeah a lot more than 1.5k would be recommended. as much as you can afford really.

Im still a bit hazy about what kind of party you want to put on exactly? if its an outdoor one then you need the following:

a location youve scouted out well beforehand that isnt near any houses/dog walking routes/wildlife conservation sites (ive seen parties get shut down for each of these reasons). make sure you know who owns it and it might be worthwhile getting their permission first.

a crew of at least 10-15 people for setup/takedown of the rig and also so that when things go wrong (such as someone getting too wasted, a fight breaking out, cops turning up or someone getting injured etc etc) then you have enough people to deal with it.

lots of bottled water

a reliable power source. make sure your generator is more than capable of powering everything you need. i once saw a party completely fail because they overworked their generator trying to power lights and audio then not being able to restart it.

a new mobile phone that you hand out the number for and people ring it on the night to get a voicemail with directions to the place.

plenty of torches

at least one vehicle, preferrably a van. more vehicles is better though

probably other stuff but thatll do for a start

[DIGIT216 Profile]

First off, am I able to get this started? I'm motivated enough, but is it possible to have a small yet (semi-)professional event, granted I don't get dragged away? ITT is it possible to have a 'try-out' party, so to speak

sounds to me like your able to do it. if your really motivated, you just have to stop thinking about it and just GO DO IT!



if you actually go and make the event happen, it's going to be a "try-out", cause this will be your first attempt at any sort of event/party/"underground" rave/whatever...

this is also true for pretty much ANY event you throw, when you go out and use a different venue, space, area, system, etc. unless you've had a proper chance to set up everything you are going to use in whatever space your using and test it out, your pretty much going to be shooting in the dark. also this is not mentioning the fact of when a room is filled with people, the sound WILL CHANGE, when compared to an empty room/space/etc...

like i said, if you can't go and check out a venue/bar/club/whatever, with a CD or actually go there with whatever sound you want to bring, set it up and try it out, your not going to know EXACTLY how everything MIGHT sound. the only other way i could think is to try and look up any other type of music events and what they do. like you said your into metal. where are those shows held? do you think that could fit what you want to do? what do those places want for the space and how much will it cost?

Second, what are the basic do's and don'ts? I'm (obviously) not inviting anyone underaged, I'm not making it a public event, I'm not having a party within earshot of any residential areas, but what other things should I account for? I'm talking sanitary facilities, isolation techniques, stuff like that. Also, local facilities might be an option, but it'd be great if anyone'd have any advice on outdoor events (or even squatting; I have some hookups in that direction, but that'd be a last resort).

well you should really think about if you want it all ages or not. sometimes all ages can be a good thing, sometimes bad. however, if your throwing an outlaw party somewhere in the woods or in some industrial warehouse, it won't matter what the age limit is. that is, unless you have alcohol available for people to buy...

but if you do go the outdoor outlaw way, you will also have to worry about not just being just shut down and/or locked up [plus having gear confiscated <- can and will happen], but you also have to worry about the safety of people being in what ever remote spot you've chosen. john decision brings up a lot of good advice when it comes to the outdoor stuff. i have never been involved planning outdoor outlaw type of events [i've just played at them], but there are a lot of things that you have to be careful when doing those types of events. especially since i'm not sure where you live, but different cities view things like that very differently...

Finally, please be BRUTALLY honest. If it's obvious all the good-will on the planet isn't going to be enough to pull this off, just say so. I'm hard-headed enough to just try again in five years, when I know the ins and outs. I'd rather have someone calling me a dick-weed, than someone telling me to do something I can't.

hehee, i think you need to relax and just be confident that your going to get what you really want to do, done. and like everything else, the more events you do, the easier it is to understand what you need to do and what is just extra and could be put aside if need be...

also try not to be so hard on yourself and/or get so stressed out with anything, cause there is ALWAYS a way to get things done. even if it's not the way you envision it, sometimes you'd be surprised that changing certain things can actually make it a lot better than you might have originally thought...

AND HAVE FUN!!!

cause seriously, there is no point in going through it all, if your not going to even be able to enjoy yourself for a while at the event!