BAD NEWS - NJ Summer Dance Festival Cancelled

[Raven Fox]

Sure enough - I just got off the phone with my lawyer and my insurance agent and the plug has been pulled on the NJ DEEP '03 Summer Dance Music Festival not only from the NJ municipalities but our insurance carrier will not underwrite the $1 million dollar general liability insurance that we required to do this in the first place on account of this "RAVE Act". They were already charging us an astronomical fee just for that weekend event (for what - people wanting to have a good time??) I made it a point - I even had to bring some of OUR music to the meetings to convince these people it was about Peace & Love. They were digging the whole concept... until now.

We are certain this is a direct result of the passing through Congress of this RAVE Act (H.R. 718) and Illicit Drugs Anti-Proliferation Act (S. 226). Now it's up to President Bush to sign it - and I'm sure he will.

There were already some indications about this problem because our agreement with the 2 possible locations for the event (Seaside Heights or Asbury Park) were provisioning the agreement based on Insurance / Asbury Park required $5 million worth of coverage. Plus additional fees to pay for public services like police, sanitation and other odd things - but we were ready.

Anyway... all the work I have been doing in the background, money already spent, sponsors already lined up, and most importantly - the artists & DJs who were eagerly willing to give up their time to come out and perform. Wasted.

Well, hopefully we can figure something out.

We are still going to pursue trying to hold the event at a private location but for now - It's a SAD F*CKING DAY FOR DANCE MUSIC!

I'll keep you posted. Sh*t!!!!!

http://deephousepage.com/smilies/sad2.gif

[ April 11, 2003, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: Raven Fox ]

[alex zen]

sorry to hear it. :(

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by alex zen:
sorry to hear it. :( thanks - but f*ck that - I haven't given up yet!

I already have TOO much invested - this can't be happening. Beware promoters and club owners. This is their license to kill.

[JoeB]

keep us posted, raven. this does suck but where there's a will, there IS a way!

best of luck though and when you find the new spot, i'm definitely there!

[Raven Fox]

http://www.undergroundarts.org/raveactflyer2.gif

[mhd]

any way to piggyback on an existing event, or trim it down to one day/one night

i see your dilemna they hear party and think rap = violence, you say dance music and they think drugs, good luck and keep thinking

[Lincoln]

How about Long Island?

[JMNYC]

Lincoln, unfortunately wherever you go it's gonna be the same thing, and Raven has dedicated so much to making this a spotlight for NEW JERSEY talent... Raven, I'm really sorry to hear about this travesty. At least I see from your other thread that the sticky icky is back and will hopefully keep you calm during this stressful time.

[alex zen]

Originally posted by Lincoln:
How about Long Island? or canada?

[Prince HiFi]

What about spinning it on the spirituality tip, call it UPLIFT! or something, even have a gospel house showcase event with Minister Kenny Bobien headlining - your goal would be to disassociate it from the whole RAVE culture. Or perhaps try the FAMILY angle a la the DHP Picnic in Chicago or Lil Ray's Jamboree in Brooklyn. Maybe it's too late to try and shake the RAVE association.

I was seriously thinking of coming down for this event... I was dreaming of Wood Brass and Steel as the headliner!

Prince HiFi

[Raven Fox]

THE NEW JERSEY DEEP FESTIVAL can be no where else BUT Jersey

however - this has been coming for a while now

I was hoping we would fly through the summer, but no f*cking way - and people are going to go crazy this summer too. What a way to round em up. graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

it was just a matter of time

look at the conditions - wartime

plus mass people recently have already died / nightclub related graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

all of that put the icing on the cake

be afraid... be very afraid

electronic music is a major national security threat

New Jersey, USA in High Alert Def "f*cking" con 3 makes the risk even greater for any insurance provider to write policies when the law effectively makes you that liable for something you can't control.

People want to get high - so f*cking what. I say leave that Ecstasy and GHB garbage alone - try smoking a joint, doing some good old fashioned blow or drinking a Red Bull and enjoy the music. I'm sorry - I'm not a drug advocate because alot of kids are all f*cked up on this new improved shit. Hey, alot of us survived the 80's and 90's leaving that crack alone - alot of us didn't. These kids went beserk and ruined nightlife as we once knew it. It's like the fall of the empire - little by little. And now they have the paper to tear it down completely. When Bush signs it into and effect - and Lord know - he will - the party's is OVA.

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by Prince HiFi:
What about spinning it on the spirituality tip, call it UPLIFT! or something, even have a gospel house showcase event with Minister Kenny Bobien headlining - your goal would be to disassociate it from the whole RAVE culture. Or perhaps try the FAMILY angle a la the DHP Picnic in Chicago or Lil Ray's Jamboree in Brooklyn. Maybe it's too late to try and shake the RAVE association.

I was seriously thinking of coming down for this event... I was dreaming of Wood Brass and Steel as the headliner!

Prince HiFi Thank you!

There was huge Gospel element to the festival on Sunday. I mean - we had Michelle Weeks, Viola & Dawn Tallman on tap plus New Jersey talent that fit the bill perfectly. I'm telling you - they were so excited about the way I presented the footprint and shedule.

I think there are other possible angles but the timing is just plain bad because they will be targetting everything that has to do with dance music. I don't know if there is any CREDIBLE way around it other than cavity searches at the gates (which will never happen). And the risk is too high. I mean - it's like throw a party, get raided, one person gets pinched for having SOMETHING and you lose everything and maybe go to jail for 20 years. WTF!!!!!! graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

Our civil liberties and freedoms are being violated.

Cannot express the sadness and frustration this has given me because it's during these times THAT WE NEED EVENTS LIKE THIS. Free music festivals promoting Peace, Love & Unity - unfortunately directly associated with the Rave scene, hence PLUR. But that was then and this is now.

We are not Free!
Maybe them poor Iraqi's are - but we ain't.
And this shit is costing us our rights.

[AudioExpression]

yo raven

move the party 2 europe!

no problems

[sammyrock]

This is unacceptable! These Cumgress assholes should take thier fingers out of thier ass and cum to a house party!so they can experiance how WE do thangs,mofos cumtrol freak-a-zoids,Im sorry Raven,Im venting right now,because I was told by brotha Kelvy about this event and already had a flight booked for June,but its all good man,hold your head up high and let the Lord guide you.Anyway Im still in Nyc from May to hopefully July,hopefully we can hook up elsewhere..Oh im sending cumgrass a letter reading "Do U Know where the party tonite is at"? and reply with "In all your mouths and EVERYBODYS CUMMING"!!!!!mofo pollycrats..sorry people but for those who know me,I usually dont get this way unless I have a strong opinion.Peace. mad1.gif :( graemlins/banghead.gif

[ April 11, 2003, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: sammyrock ]

[Raven Fox]

:eek:

stay in touch brother sammyrock!
you are the man. i appreciate that message more than you know.

The Lord will help us find a way - he always does!

stay in touch - by the way / the CD is bangin!

suave mano'

R

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by AudioExpression:
yo raven

move the party 2 europe!

no problems i feel you but...

is there another New Jersey somewhere in the world we don't know about?

then again, Italy would be nice.
Big love to Mauricio Clemente and the Italian Music Conference. Soulful indeed!

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by JMNYC:
Lincoln, unfortunately wherever you go it's gonna be the same thing, and Raven has dedicated so much to making this a spotlight for NEW JERSEY talent... Raven, I'm really sorry to hear about this travesty. At least I see from your other thread that the sticky icky is back and will hopefully keep you calm during this stressful time. thanks JMNYC!
you are so right about the trees.

[Ronnie Ron]

Damn!!! These laws are crazy. With God's blessing something will work out. Thanks for your hard work Raven, Keep on Keepin on smile.gif

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by mhd:
any way to piggyback on an existing event, or trim it down to one day/one night

i see your dilemna they hear party and think rap = violence, you say dance music and they think drugs, good luck and keep thinking thank you MHD!

We are trying to work something out that makes sense.

Someway, somehow - this WILL happen and I appreciate everybodies support!

rap & violence & new improved drugs graemlins/banghead.gif

[ April 11, 2003, 08:30 PM: Message edited by: Raven Fox ]

[music]

it will happen raven. the event must go on.

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by RonnieRon:
Damn!!! These laws are crazy. With God's blessing something will work out. Thanks for your hard work Raven, Keep on Keepin on smile.gif Dayum, THANK YOU for your wanting to be involved
hail.gif Ronnie Ron

((( Support The Freedom & Unity Party )))

and www.House-callz.com (http://www.House-callz.com)
The New Jersey House Sound.
That site is bangin' representing strong!

http://www.house-callz.com/pictures/Image006.jpg
RONNIE RON & DJ RATED M <---- that's HOUSE!

[ April 11, 2003, 09:07 PM: Message edited by: Raven Fox ]

[Eric Miles]

Could something like this hold up in the Supreme Court should it escalate to that point due to someone "getting pinched" at one of these parties?

[liL Ray]

I'm truly sorry to hear this....anything I can do to help, let it be known....

also...thanks for pulling my string the other day.

What disappoints me, is not that the event is cancelled(for now), but I don't see the "what can I do to help pull this off" posts in abundance(like when it was announced), from the participants who where originally involved.....alll I can hope is that it's going on behind the scenes and through emails and pms. We don't need help when things are going great, we need it when the going gets tough.

Let me know if you need my input....even if you have to have the event in Prospect Park with a Jersey theme.

....liL Ray

[So easy a protic can do it (QUAD)]

FELLAS, I'M SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, FOR I WAS GOING TO ATTEND THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS IS ONE TIME WHERE I'M GLAD THAT JEHOVAH GOD INVENTED US AS COMPLEX INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE GOV'T HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO READ MINDS...SOMEONE SAID IN A EARLIER POST THAT THEY MIGHT AS WELL TEAR UP THE CONSTITUTION CAUSE IT DON'T MEAN A DAMN THING IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF THINGS. WE AIN'T PRIVELEDGE IN THIS SO CALLED "AMERICA" AS THE MEDIA HAS BEEN BRAINWASHING US TO THINK FOR AS LONG AS THEY'VE BEEN AROUND. THIS IS ONE TIME WHERE I WOULD DENOUNCE MY CITIZENSHIP AND MOVE TO LONDON OR EUROPE SOMEWHERE, WHERE THEY CAN AT LEAST VOICE THEIR OPINION AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE UNDERHANDED DEALINGS OF OUR GOV'T!!!! TO SNEAK THE RAVE ACT IN UNDER THE AMBER ALERT BILL!?!?!? THEY ARE VERY SHADY AND THIS IS THE SAME GOV'T THAT WANTS U THE EVERYDAY CITIZEN TO VOTE FOR THEM TO BE IN OFFICE SO THEY CAN DO AS THEY PLEASE AND RIP OUT THE VERY FLOORING THAT WE AS AMERICANS HAVE TO STAND ON. IN ORDER TO LOVE GOD, ONE MUST LOVE HIS FELLOW MAN, IN WHICH I DO, BUT TO BELIEVE IN WHAT MANKIND REPRESENTS, I STOPPED BELIEVING LONG TIME AGO......JUST MY THOUGHTS......I WONDER IF THEY ARE WATCHING THIS POST......... :( :rolleyes:

[ April 12, 2003, 03:55 AM: Message edited by: DJ QUAD ]

[blackwax]

Gutted
sorry to hear the bad news raven
i guess i don't have to find flights over now graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

keep your head up it will happen

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by liL Ray:
I'm truly sorry to hear this....anything I can do to help, let it be known....

also...thanks for pulling my string the other day.

What disappoints me, is not that the event is cancelled(for now), but I don't see the "what can I do to help pull this off" posts in abundance(like when it was announced), from the participants who where originally involved.....alll I can hope is that it's going on behind the scenes and through emails and pms. We don't need help when things are going great, we need it when the going gets tough.

Let me know if you need my input....even if you have to have the event in Prospect Park with a Jersey theme.

....liL Ray one word - SOLIDARITY

I think everybody is still on board because they are the artists that keep this thing going - and their support & participation will always be vital no matter what goes down. Plus they believe that someday - we will be recognized for what we truly are - Great Artists.

Family will Always BE family liL Ray - we definetly gotta put all our heads together because this is an attack on our civil liberties.

what do we want - OUR FREEDOM TO DANCE & SING

when do we want it - NOW

PM me or shout out - show me your support!
Somehow I know that you all do care about this thing we call HOUSE MUSIC right!

With much Love & Respect

Raven Fox

[Raven Fox]

Originally posted by blackwax:
Gutted
sorry to hear the bad news raven
i guess i don't have to find flights over now graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

keep your head up it will happen Thanks man!

Be ready when the word comes down.
We need your support more than ever now.

After all - we have to fight together!
We can also dance together.

BIG LOVE 2 THE UK
and the london collective of true house heads

>Raven

[ April 12, 2003, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: Raven Fox ]

[mhd]

how about a patriotic spin, or a welcome back to the troops sping, you already got the freedom and unity angle,
you got any stroke with the local or state or even congressional politicos? i got a little bit of love on that angle

the insurance cost is a real hump, and the longer the festival the higher the premium

no matter what happens, you should have something on the day of the event, even if its a cookout, cause conditions change and maybe next year you can make it happen, just a suggestion, don't give up