stargurl

Oh goodness, where do I begin? At the beginning, I suppose.

As far as I can remember, I learned about Hullabaloo on IRC, back around Love & Magic or Into the Blue. Something always came up, or I wasn't allowed to go, but I managed to pull everything together for Funtopia 1, at Ministry back in June 1998. Even then, there were netmeets: my friend Brian (from #Orbital on Undernet IRC) and his friends Emily and Carl drove up from Washington, DC. Somehow I had managed to convince them that Hullabaloo was worth the trip, even though I'd never attended a Hulla party before.

It was awesome.

After that, I made it to most Hulla parties, and looked forward to them like nothing else. One of my all-time favourites would have to be Big Top: the first big net meet (that I remember), the bouncy castle, playing Twister in the corner of the venue... an excellent night.

And then in 1999, something happened that I feel was a total act of fate, and I feel as though I need to mention it here. I was living in London for school, and I wanted to get back to Toronto to attend For Those Who Know in December. I was too cheap to take the train or the bus, so I posted a message on this very board looking for a ride. A guy named Mikie saw my post, and even though we'd never spoken before, he then convinced his friend Alan to drive me to the party. Alan and I met up in London a few days before the party just to make sure that it would work out, and I found out that Mikie had also offered to let me stay at his apartment after the party.

That night changed my life. Alan had a digital camera, and he let me use it for part of the night at For Those Who Know. I put my pictures online and one was used for the Ooh Crikey Wot a Scorcher flyer, and the "Photocrew" was born. If it wasn't for Hulla, I never would have developed an interest in photography, and it truly has become one of my passions. But back to the people I met that weekend. Alan and I went on to date for quite a while. Mikie has since become one of my closest friends, even though he's lived and worked overseas for a while now. Earlier this year, I flew to Australia to be "best man" in his wedding. I've met so many good people through Alan and through Mikie, and it's all thanks to one stupid post I made on this board.

Starting with Ooh Crikey, Alan and I (or sometimes just myself) would go to Hulla armed with, at first, his camera, then our own cameras, and take literally hundreds and hundreds of photos each night. I loved taking party pictures.

And then in 2001, for various reasons, it kind of all fell apart for me. Going to parties had started to feel like work to me (in terms of running around trying to get photos of everything instead of dancing), I didn't know many/any people to go with and always felt like a bit of an outsider rather than a part of the scene, and then there was Rhythm of Life (RIP Salim). I skipped a couple Hullas, attended Turn up the Music in November 2001 and then I did not attend another Hulla (or any other party, as far as I can remember) until April 2005, when I grabbed a couple friends who had never been to Hulla and dragged them to Lost in Space.

I never planned to quit like that, it just sort of happened. Hullas would roll around and I just couldn't motivate myself to go anymore. Looking back, I really regret this, as I'm sure I missed some great times.

To be honest, I hadn't even planned to attend Lost in Space or All Good Things. But then Chris approached me about the scrapbook project, and I started digging through old CDRs and pulling together all of my Hulla photos. And then I remembered what Hulla meant to me. Chris sent me a couple scrapbooks in the mail, and I just started to cry. Holding the scrapbook was like holding who I was from 1998-2001, and I missed those days. I missed taking pictures. I missed the people that I saw in the photos.

Then I went to Lost in Space, and I had a great time, even though I never made it onto the main floor, and didn't stay all that long or really see anybody that I once knew.

Last night I promised myself that I'd be front and centre, and there I was, from about 15 minutes into Tommy's set right until the end of the night. And what a night it was! I had my brother with me, and it was his first party ever. I'm glad that he got the chance to experience something that meant to much to me. I was so happy to see so many familiar faces, so many people that I hadn't seen in years and years. That's the Hulla spirit right there, spotting somebody that you haven't seen in four (or five or six) years, giving them a massive hug, and instantly it feels like you're back among true friends.

As the night went on last night, I kept feeling as though whoever was playing was playing the best set of the night. Each and every set was amazing, and I feel like I have to thank the DJs because they were so great.

I was doing fairly well last night emotionally, just a little bit of sadness around the various retirements. And then there was the video scrapbook. There was a slide with a photo of me, and then a couple slides later one of Mikie, and I just lost it. Instantly I grabbed my phone and sent Mikie a text to wish him a Happy Hulla and tell him how much I wished he was there. He came back with "Aww! Blow a whistle for me!" and that just about sums it up.

What else is there to say about last night? The Opera House looked fantastic. The music was amazing. And the crowd! What an awesome and friendly bunch. I've travelled a lot recently and attended some fairly large and famous events. I can say this with all sincerity: nothing can top that Hulla vibe. It was truly alive and well last night.

To the Hulla ravers, especially those who have routinely travelled from all over the place to attend Hulla parties: it's amazing how much dedication you've shown. It's great to see how much effort people still put into their outfits, into bringing things to give away, into ensuring those around them are having a good time. There is no crowd anywhere like a Hulla crowd.

I think that I had better cut myself off, otherwise I could go on forever.

Hullabaloo has meant so much to me over the years, and I am so happy to have been there for the very last one. I almost can't believe that this is indeed the end. But what an end! Last night was truly legendary.

Happy Hullabaloo!

Love always,
Aimée (stargurl)