Update 2/22/22: All photos below now enhanced through AI
This is where we heal our Church.
Underneath the geometric grid of Manhattan’s streets, a collective of free spirits from New York, Israel, Alphatrance and Omitribe from Russia, and Subtlechaos from the UK & Russia, and people from all over the world, gathered 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 Burning Man in New York. Now that the Feds are watching the bridges post-9/11, the nexus has moved to greener pastures elsewhere in Babylon, evolving into a faster, better, stronger entity.
* * *
The largest of those organizations, the Devotional Ministry of Trance, began around 2000 and had an epic, wildly innovative and death-defying run with ~30 events over the years. You can read about all their exploits here.
In 2003, after an NYPD theft of the sound system in a private residence in 2001, they got a new highly beefed up 10,000 watt sound system. 2004 was the biggest and highest production year ever. In 2008 they loaned the leader from 28th Day the speakers. Unbeknownst to them, he had succumbed to heroin addiction and sold the speakers for heroin. Left town for the West Coast to hustle models.
Whelp. That’s that. It was fun while it lasted. Until the next time.
Thanks especially to Dandraver who made it all happen.
Photo gallery below.
Click images to view captions – Chronological Events
Mini Album by Dhea
Services
Solicit Funds on theDMT list
Determine Date & Location
Create Poll
Vote for DJs
Notify all DJs
Confirm all DJs
Confirm sound system
Send out email invites
Find volunteers for candles, unloading, trash, water
Pick up generator
Check oil
Bring flashlight, brain machines, cell phone AC adapter
Bring CDJs, CDs, EFX box, mixer, headphones w/adapter, RCA cords, table, UV lights
Bring dome light, monitor speakers, trash bags, duct tape, dolley, thick AC cord, gas
Buy fruit, OJ, water, candles
Unload 50 yards from SE corner of 181 & Amsterdam
Get gas
Move everything down
Set up generator
Set up sound system
Program & set up LED sign welcoming visitors
Set up lit candles along path
Ask for donations to start playing
Start music
Occasionally check candles
Patrol party & perimeter
Hand out trash bags and clean up
Collect candles
Make an announcement – tell everyone to stay and help out
Play chill music
Ask for donations to keep playing
End music
Empty Gas
Take everything up
Park truck on SE corner of 181 & Amsterdam
Return generator to basement of 440 West 47th Studio AA 212-307-0214 James
How to Help Make it Happen
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. 🙂
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 do is 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
SubtleChaos
P.S. What the fuck WAS in those balloons?
