XANADU
by Trevor Kennedy
From far and wide they heard the call: 'Come To Xanadu In 1992 - The Biggest And Baddest Dance Festival In The Country!'
By the time I had arrived, the party was already in full swing, with the music pumping and the crowds a-jumping, worshiping the DJs and music like some sort of medieval pagan gods. As I entered the sweat-filled arena, Felix's 'Don't You Want Me?' was hypnotizing the crowd into a deep trance-like state of euphoria. So this was the so-called 'Rave Generation', Generation X, the lost(but temporarily happy) generation, lost in space and a sea of seemingly never-ending, chemically-induced happiness and inner peace, powered by good vibes, happy pills and Vicks vapo rubs. The smell of Vicks filled the air with the pleasant aroma of a hospital or doctor's surgery.
These kids, with their startlingly bold and colourful dress sense and hairstyles, were having the time of their lives, living for the weekends, when they would come together as pilgrims in their masses to celebrate and enjoy their lives and escape the mundanity and stress of the tedious working week. And the party would continue long into Sunday night, long after Xanadu had shut its popular doors.
Time back in this age seemed to last longer, I mused, to the backdrop of New Atlantic's 'I Know', while the crowd hugged and kissed each other, chemically intoxicated, some with E-contorted faces, others sniffing little bottles of poppers. I also realized at this point that the degradation and anger of alcohol, with its deadly venom and bite, was all but completely absent from this type of place too. I had read up so much on, and watched so many videos about the cultural habits of the youth of the 1990s, that to actually visit and be a part of one of these cult-like festivals was quite something for me, a time traveller from these people's future.
While the MC screamed into his mic some sort of incomprehensible rant about waving hands in the air like you just don't care, the DJ slipped on the poignant and melancholy 'Nothing Is Forever' by Ultracynic and it occurred to me how prophetic this tune actually was - these clubbers/dancers/ravers/revellers/whatever you want to call them, were lost and caught up in a precious moment in time, perhaps even on a subconscious level, foolishly believing that these days would never end and the beats would continue long into the metaphorical dance floor of life. But sadly, nothing in this universe lasts forever and for some a heavy price for these moments of sheer bliss would have to be paid in full. In the years that were to follow, some of the poor souls found themselves the victims of severe mental illness, dysfunction and even suicide, although others mercifully escaped unscathed. For every high, there is always a low. That's pretty much a guarantee in this type of context. Nothing is forever.
But for me, there was one thing that was definitely a spoken truth -it sure was good at the time! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a party to attend....
By the time I had arrived, the party was already in full swing, with the music pumping and the crowds a-jumping, worshiping the DJs and music like some sort of medieval pagan gods. As I entered the sweat-filled arena, Felix's 'Don't You Want Me?' was hypnotizing the crowd into a deep trance-like state of euphoria. So this was the so-called 'Rave Generation', Generation X, the lost(but temporarily happy) generation, lost in space and a sea of seemingly never-ending, chemically-induced happiness and inner peace, powered by good vibes, happy pills and Vicks vapo rubs. The smell of Vicks filled the air with the pleasant aroma of a hospital or doctor's surgery.
These kids, with their startlingly bold and colourful dress sense and hairstyles, were having the time of their lives, living for the weekends, when they would come together as pilgrims in their masses to celebrate and enjoy their lives and escape the mundanity and stress of the tedious working week. And the party would continue long into Sunday night, long after Xanadu had shut its popular doors.
Time back in this age seemed to last longer, I mused, to the backdrop of New Atlantic's 'I Know', while the crowd hugged and kissed each other, chemically intoxicated, some with E-contorted faces, others sniffing little bottles of poppers. I also realized at this point that the degradation and anger of alcohol, with its deadly venom and bite, was all but completely absent from this type of place too. I had read up so much on, and watched so many videos about the cultural habits of the youth of the 1990s, that to actually visit and be a part of one of these cult-like festivals was quite something for me, a time traveller from these people's future.
While the MC screamed into his mic some sort of incomprehensible rant about waving hands in the air like you just don't care, the DJ slipped on the poignant and melancholy 'Nothing Is Forever' by Ultracynic and it occurred to me how prophetic this tune actually was - these clubbers/dancers/ravers/revellers/whatever you want to call them, were lost and caught up in a precious moment in time, perhaps even on a subconscious level, foolishly believing that these days would never end and the beats would continue long into the metaphorical dance floor of life. But sadly, nothing in this universe lasts forever and for some a heavy price for these moments of sheer bliss would have to be paid in full. In the years that were to follow, some of the poor souls found themselves the victims of severe mental illness, dysfunction and even suicide, although others mercifully escaped unscathed. For every high, there is always a low. That's pretty much a guarantee in this type of context. Nothing is forever.
But for me, there was one thing that was definitely a spoken truth -it sure was good at the time! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a party to attend....