My last multi-day rave?
I had a great time at Houghton 2026. Sunrise Rhadoo, lying in the Orchard listening to post rock guitars on a gentle trip feeling like way back when in a student bedroom, silly chats with the nice man in the hot chocolate stall, some deep dub and MCs getting right into my soul, letting loose and looking back on my life with from a much needed disconnect, the nice man at Al Wootton with a particularly exciting vape. But Christ am I only just getting back to normal. I lurked here reading people's ins and outs, debates on class and dance-floor etiquettes throughout last week but could hardly collect my own thoughts (for the record, just enjoy yourself :p ). My first festival in four years (the last being Houghton ofc), going on 32 and with a chronic migraine condition, maybe I have to accept what I knew before going into this -- these raves take a big toll on body and mind and are unlikely to be a 'forever practice'. Four nights in the woods in whatever which headspace would be remiss for those with caring responsibilities, or even just jobs that can't take at least a day or two in zombie mode. And, while on the first iteration my mind was blown -- I think helped a lot by the lack of a map back then, which made everything that bit more mysterious -- I took this one in a more controlled, chilled out manner and paced myself much better yet still suffered the consequences. This is not a doom and gloom post. This is to say you lot are all lucky fucks to have the time and resources to drop everything and loose yourselves for a long weekend and in most cases to have a cracking good time out there. Enjoy it while it lasts, because for most of us it ain't forever -- unless you fend off the advances of health conditions and become a lifer. I'm sure I have a good few sunrises ahead of me, but in isolation and not succession, maybe even more festivals taken a bit more gently. So this one goes out to everyone where the balance between the weekend before and the week after is starting to just come out of alignment. A fabulous one to go out on, peace.