A big free party took place last weekend in Brighton in the aftermath of Brighton LGBT Pride:
The Black Rock Rave, which many see as the unofficial Pride after party, took place at Black Rock on Saturday and carried on into the early hours of Sunday. Thousands of people descended on the site after the event was publicised on Facebook as being a 'night of mayhem' and a 'massive mash up'. One reveller needed medical attention as the party wound down at 3am.
Sussex Police said there were no serious incidents and no arrests were made. Party-goer George Hall said: “It was one of the best nights of my life, there must have been about 4,000 people there throughout the night and the next morning.”
A police spokesman said: “The last sound system was dismantled at 3am. We had minimal complaints about the noise although our environmental health officers did attend. It is illegal because you do need a license to hold an event like this but we patrolled from outside. There were no arrests, there was a minor scuffle but that sorted itself out. People see it as an extension of the Pride party.”
The Black Rock Rave has become a traditional part of the Pride celebrations for many people.
Last month The Argus revealed that all-night raves have returned to Sussex.
Hundreds of people have begun descending on Brighton and Hove at weekends for the outdoor parties.
Source: Argus, 2 August 2009.
Nice piece here on Positive Sound System and the history of free parties in the Brighton area.
I didn't go to this, but Black Rock is possibly my favourite free party site in Brighton. WHen I moved here from Newcastle (in 1994) the concrete bunker cut into the cliff face at Black Rock was the site for mid-week Slack parties. They happened on a wednesday or thursday night (when you were either getting ready for the coming weekend or winding down from the previous one). The parties consisted of a bunch of messed up folks, crazy dancing, very raw, minimal acid house (old school), a strobe light and a smoke machine. Very dirty indeed. The place always smelled of piss but this added to the atmosphere. High times indeed...
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