strongbow

Wow.

I guess that's as good a way to start off as any. My first Hullabaloo was way back in 1998, at a little club called Ministry. I remember trying to get to at least two or three events prior to that, and I'm still kicking myself for missing Meltdown, arguably one of the best Hullabaloo parties ever.

Hullabaloo was not the first rave I went to, not by a long shot. But the consistency, the vibe, the music, and the people have always made it one of the best recurring events in this part of the country, if not the continent or the world (though, nothing rivals the DIY parties of 1999). The distance people travel to come to these events is astounding - at least one person last night came all the way from Australia.

So, we fast foward to last night, where myself and many others I saw from six or seven years ago were out for one last go at a Hullabaloo. Many of the faces I saw I met either at a Hullabaloo, or on this very message board. It was fitting to see so many old faces, some who had not been to a Hullabaloo in many years, as if everything were coming full circle, back to the beginning of what was started eight years ago. And it was also fitting to see so many new faces, people new to Hullabaloo, perhaps even new to the rave scene as it exists today. That has always been something special about Hullaballo - the new faces, new people to make their mark on Hullabaloo, and the eagerness with which they are brought.

I could go into a lengthy review of the party, but I simply wouldn't be able to express myself eloquently enough to do it justice. If you were there, you know already. If you were not, the sound, video, images that exist, and the stories that will be told, will hopefully be able to convey in small part the emotion and energy of last night. But, although all good things must come to an end, the end has come at perhaps the best time, and certainly in the best fashion possible, on a very, very high note. As Frolic always writes on the flyer - 'Don't just hear about how good it was - experience it for yourself'. Now, after eight years, that can no longer happen. Instead, the memories will live on in those that truly made Hullabaloo - the ravers.

So, to everyone that made the last eight years of Hullabaloo - the Frolics, the resident DJs, the DJs that came from around the world, the stage crews, the Friendship crew, everyone who worked behind the scenes, and of course the Hullabaloo community - I thank you for making it what it was, and for letting me share in what will almost certainly be memories that are carried with us for the rest of our lives.

Happy Hullabaloo!