[Dancecult-l] Boom Festival

[Graham St John]

Have been traveling to a few festivals in Europe over the last few 
months, including Life in Ireland, Fusion in Germany and The Glade in 
the UK. But the most outstanding event was the recent Boom festival 
in Portugal.
  http://www.boomfestival.org/boom2006/index.html

Boom is the world's premiere psy-trance festival, which this year 
expanded its scope to include a world music stage with a 'sacred 
fire' a la Rainbow Gathering style. It was an innovative effort all 
round. The dj line-up was intentionally low key - in that they 
decided to go with artists who are largely non 'big name'. There were 
approx 25,000 people in attendance, from 63 different countries. It 
was thus perhaps the most populated yet arguably least commercial 
trance festival on the planet. Other elements included an Eco Village 
promoting sustainability, using successful bio-tiolets and site wide 
recycling, the use of Balinese bamboo design for all the main 
structures (including the great Ambient floor tower structure which 
will remain as a permanent structure), the Liminal Village ( a 
fascinating area devoted to the transmission of principle 
trance-culture sacra), many independent sound systems, and a main 
floor structure featuring the Funktion One sound system (amplifying 
the sharpest sounds Ive ever heard - there's a page about it: 
http://www.boomfestival.org/boom2006/index.html#), and using 
irrigated water spray.

The latter was almost essential given the 40+ degree temperatures 
every day for the 7 day event. I only recall Outback Eclipse festival 
in Australia in 2002 reaching similar temperatures. Quite an ordeal 
really, especially when you consider many participants had to queue 
up on the first day in their cars for up to 17 hours in that kind of 
heat! But most people werent too pissed about it - indeed it 
occasioned somethign of a collective ordeal, a kind of extreme dance 
festival experience. No pain - no gain, or something like that. 
Certainly much food for thought re dance pilgrimage.

All round a most memorable event enabling extraordinary convergences 
and dance floor ascensions. The afterparty - Utopia - was also a nice 
way to cap it all off.

Check out some beautiful pictures here (as you can see much more than 
a trance festival):

http://thehospages.com/pictures/parties/2006-08-03-boomfestival/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96201135@N00/sets/72157594234325059/show/

Graham
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