seriously...i am disgusted with the scene...
too many newbies on pills...FACK! fufilling the stereotype of the "raver" image in the media....sick and tired with it....
and a couple trying to have sex in the corner! WTF!
anniversary hulla might be my last till feb.....

crowd was A LOT smaller than usual.....there was actually room to dance for once....

hrm... yes there were lots of young kids who looked a little messed and confuddled... but serious... ignore what you don't like and try to take away the good from the night. This party was amazing for me and I am 22 and have been partying for a long time. It is weird to be at an event like that with ppl a lot younger than u... but in the end just surround yourself with those who you enjoy and block out everyone else. I think it's awesome that hulla is going strong after all these years. I think that sail away was deffinatly an example of how great of a job Frolic has done at keeping the hardcore scene, and hullabaloo's alive!

ctraverboy: that sucks that you missed me in passing... but thanx for the shout out anywas hehe... I find that strange that ppl actualy remember me and mention me when doing their review! hehe =) next time for sure I dont care what direction you are going on the stairs... say hi if you want to =)

jamgirl- you feel odd at 22? I'm 26. I would have said hi, but you were a couple steps behind me, the stairs were crowded and I didn't want to hold things up. Hopefully next time I'll have a chance to say hi.

Thats the only thing I don't like about the Opera House, that staircase is narrow and several steps need to be repaired. I don't see it as very feasible to enlarge it, but just fixing the damn thing would help a lot. Being able to just take your steps up and down wihtout worrying about your footing too much would help things flow more smoothly.

What's so wrong about 'newbies' and 'young kids' getting all mashed up at Hulla? It's been like that since I started going, and as long as they're safe, responsible, and look after each other, then more power to them. Hulla has always been a younger crowd. It's always been a PLURry crowd. It's always been the best crowd, hands down.

I fell in love with ravers again this weekend, and that's 'cos of the happy vibes from so many of those kids you're bashing.

As for the media, they can go fuck their hat.

That is all.

MCED

I just want to give you major props for what you wrote. You'll understand more when I have the chance to write my thread over again in the Sail Away forum.

Much Love,
~CrEaMy~ Matt

I can totally agree with JaMGiRL
 

Children don't belong at these sort of events. Unfortunely though they are I wasn't able to attend Sail Away. However I was in town for a diffrent party. But it is the same thing. The problem is the enviorment it is not safe enough for 18 & under. There is absolutely no pill testing available for these kids. Hey if there gonna be there then there should be a Tester Kit for them. Cause when they start dropping on the floor getting sick no one wants the responsibilty of calling some kids poor parents. Yeah we have 16 - over venues here in NYC, but the atmosphere is totally diffrent when kids are involved. More places need to create more safe dance atmosphere to many kids getting sick. www.dancesafe.org

Ok what? There are no pill testing kits for them? I have never used one myself and if I do dose then I would only get it from someone I trust. Just because there are 15-17 year old there doesn't mean they DO drugs and if they do..what makes you think they don't trust the person they are buying it from. I also don't think security will let you pass if they find a pill testing kit on you.
I agree wholeheartedly with what McED said. This party is not just for 18+ read the flyer. It is suggested that they be over the age of 16. I know what goes on at Hulla and I don't see why I would ever not let my kid experience such a beautiful thing if I trusted them. Hulla is meant for everyone and everyone should experience it. High or not, the friendships built there are real.

Hulla is an escape from reality. It's what real life should be like. Everyone caring about one another and looking after eachother. With Peace, Love, Respect & Unity as one.

These kids are the future of Hullabaloo, treat them with the same respect as they would you. If you bash them and look down upon them, they may not enjoy their night and never decide to come back.

RESPECT

Once again, I have to find myself agreeing. When you start becoming jaded, and treat people badly at a party... it begins the downfall of a scene. Let the people do what they are going to do, and just hope that they will do it responsibly. Or if there is a major issue, help people learn to be more responsible.

Anyone that is ever brought into a scene should learn what is or is not appropriate for a party. They should learn about PLUR. They should be guided, so that they don't give the scene a bad name. And it needs to be passed down.

It doesn't take long before the whole scene becomes jaded, and all you have is a hollow feeling at your parties. You truly have something special out there. Don't ruin it.

More will be posted when I am finished with my thread in Sail Away.

Much Love,
~CrEaMy~ Matt

I really don't think 15 year olds should be popping pills though...

that's my $0.02

Kelly

I would prefer they had a testing kit available, if it hasn't been discussed Frolic should talk that over with the Opera House and see if he can offer pill testing services, either have dancesafe/trip or some similar group do it or buy one and have someone at the downstairs bar do the testing. Or even get security to allow people to bring their own testing kits in.

But failing that, at least he has drug safety fliers at the venue. That alone probably helps a great deal. And I'm sure if he gets word of anyone selling fake stuff, that person is probably never going to a Hullabaloo again.

Whenever I'm looking for stuff, I either go to a dealer I've gone to in the past, or failing that, I look for people already having a good time on whatever pill they got and ask for a pointer to their dealer- either of those strategies is very simple and while not as good as testing, very effective at reducing the risk of dangerous adulterants.

Drugs in general, I don't have a problem with it- as long as they are practicing all reasonable harm reduction practices, aren't pushing people to use that don't want to use, and aren't so blasted they can't behave in public, thats their choice. I do agree people under 16 probably shouldn't be using anything, probably not under 18 should be, but as long as they are being safe and taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions regardless of sobriety(after all, you do something bad fucked up, you chose to take that pill that caused your misdeed- still your responsibility), go for it.

i sincerely doubt that would ever happen

allowing pill testing services is like taking it to the level of approval.. from 'ok we know people are bringing pills in and we're trying to stop/minimize that' to 'bring your pills in! test them here! yaaaaaaaaaay!'

hullabaloo would get some mighty bad press for that. them governments types dont be likin the ecstamasy :cool:

People need to learn to start depending on themselves to have a good time at parties and not expect things to be how they want them to be.

If you go to a party and don't have a good time, maybe you should just quit?

Good advice given by people who no longer party anymore. ; p

Emily- Good point, but pill testing has enough of a potential to save lives that it should be brought up. There was one party where I was at where mine was likely one of the lives saved by pill testing. At the very least it saved me from getting really, really sick.

Even if it was just letting people bring their own kits in, that could help a lot, hopefully without bringing the stigma of officially offering the service.

Though, this is yet another reason its good he has medics at the venue. Any medical emergency(drug related or not) occurs at hullabaloo, you will have professional medical assistance at your side in seconds... and I'm sure they come prepared to give first aid for OD's from any common substance.

^ i totally know what you're saying/agree with you, but its still not gonna happen. ecstasy is illegal. as with most things the government disaproves of, all efforts tend to go into stopping it rather than into promoting safe use. that's why the tripp booth and dancesafe exist... but allowing actual testing to go on and promoting that you test things is like an open invitation for illegal activity.

i'm just stating the facts.

wow... I hope no one thinks *i* am jaded from what I said... I am sooo far off from that!!! I would never treat anyone with less respect at a party because of their age, ever. I just get a little worried when i see REALLY young kids all msessed up. I am worried FOR THEM, because when you are really young you don't always make the best judgement calls. i know I havent in the past.

TRIP and dancesafe have done a lot in the Toronto scene, and they're a big part of the reason Toronto still has a scene.

The question I pose to you, is how does a 14 year old using pills irresponsibly differ from a 20 year old doing the same?

Creamy makes an excellent point that it's up to US... the veteran ravers, to ensure that they know the score. Whoever brings them to their first parties should help educate them, and look after them, just like people did for me back when I started partying

People may knock PLUR nowadays, but I think it's something we have to celebrate each and every time we play.

One tribe.

MCED

There's a fine line that needs to be walked with regards to drugs. On one hand, we have to show due dilligence that we're neither condoning nor allowing drugs to be dealt/consumed by having security searches, and not allowing a "free-for-all" type atmosphere once you're through those doors. On the other hand, there's the fact that no matter what we do it will still go one, and then we'll impliment things like having the on-site medics and my support of the TRIP both and their outreach program to at least educate people into what they might be getting themselves into.

TRIP wasn't there this weekend because they didn't have a supervisor available to run the booth, but normally they're a fixture.

The toronto police have made it clear that they won't tolerate any sort of pill testing on-site, as that crosses their level of tolerance. TRIP looked into testing pills years ago, or even supplying them to the RCMP lab for analysis kind of like what dancesafe has done in the US but no one could guarantee they wouldn't be arrested on the spot holding a pill in their hand.

I'll also add that the scene has not changed AT ALL since I first got involved. These debates have been going on since the very beginning. The people attending are not getting younger (although WE are all getting older ;)) and drug use is not any worse now than it's ever been. I feel I'm far more of an authority on this than just about anyone, so take it from me :).

Our message board has more than 5 years worth of messages, and you'll see the exact same posts from 5 years ago if you dig.

Yeah... there have always been young people at parties. Hell I was only 17 when I first went! But I guess as i get older I just take more notice to the larger age difference between me and some of the very young partiers. I just worry about some of them and as an older partier feel partly responsible with making sure that they are safe. In my opinion that goes hand and hand with the meaning behind plur(r ?)... Which as far as I remember used to have that extra *R* on the end for responsibility??? Anyways... I love the hulla atmosphere and everyone who attends and helps to create the great vibe that hullas are known for. They have and always will be my favourite parties! :)

Frolic- Ok, at least it was investigated... having trip there when you can, and this time at least having some of their flyers in the bathroom, and the medics is still more than most promoters(at least in my area) do. Whatever your personal feelings about drugs are, you do what you can to keep everyone safe which does get mad props from me.

of course, in the US the presence of bottled water has been used as an excuse to shut down a party and arrest the promoters, so they are kind of running scared. Canada seems to realize much more than the US that there are worse problems than drugs out there.

jamgirl- I know the feeling... I always make sure people have water and stuff, if they are obviously rolling and don't have a water bottle in hand I make a point to mention that and often give them mine- better they get a cold from me than suffer heat stroke, though its even better if they have their own bottle.

Raelyn- Glad you enjoyed it. Hulla is a sacred thing to me(in a quite literal sense) so I love to see people having fun there.

I used to have a problem with younger people at parties being all messed up but like Frolic said it's been like this forever. Just that people get older and younger new party kids replace them. ; p

I met a girl (looked around14) who was on a pill (seemed like it), she was completely fine and I would assume having the best time of her life, so whats wrong with that? I even gave her a stuffed animal I got to make her night even better. : )

If you really don't like all this, the go to 10+ parties, people still get messed up but at least they are not "young". It really is getting drol to hear everyone join in on the some topics of complaining. It doesn't make you a better person and you aren't really contributing to anything except for the same old crap. ; p

I have been involved doing my own independent testing. I am currently in the process of starting my own chapter of Dancesafe. I will be more then happy once I back in Toronto to talk to some of you guys on how to start up. How to inform and communicate with local police. About what is going on what your intentions are some departments are supportive of Dancesafe. It's all about having fun. We all want to Dance Safe and endulge. It Helps Medical personnel better idenifty what a person is on. It's not a about supporting drug use it's all about awareness. Hey we are all going to do it. I want to consume and know what it it I am consuming. You can trust that the person you purchase from did not make the pill. Therefore they don't really no whats in it.

We're starting to get off topic again.. heh... it's supposed to be Sail Away reviews... not drug use in the scene ;)

^ you're gonna "inform" Fantino & co? I gotta see this.

A round of applause for Frolic and Toye's posts. :D

And I'd just like to say that it makes me absolutely disgusted and horrified how so many people that I've gotten to know in the scene will buy a pill at a party, pop it, and not even be able to tell me the colour or the print on it. Those of you who put yourself (and a lot more) at risk like that: you're MORONS, plain and simple. M-O-R-O-N-S.

My pills were white and the print on it said Tylenol.. is that bad?

haha does anyone remember "white Zorro's"? otherwise known as a certian over the counter cold medication!