P-L-U-R

A fundamental rave ideology, PLUR was coined as the rave anthem and became an organizing principle for the scene in 1992 and 1993; it was an ideological statement that encompassed peopleís feelings about rave. PLUR is the basis for much, but not all, of the vibe that many people refer to when discussing parties and the rave community. It is an important part of rave culture because it provides hope and love in a world that is often characterized by despair. Additionally, PLUR forms a foundation for the constantly emerging relationships in the community:

...I saw a funny word spelled P-L-U-R and did a little research, hoping to find out what it meant. Then, and only then, did I get a clue.í I had my moment of clarity and I discovered the real reason those crazy British people got together to dance all night. They came together to celebrate each other. They saw the world collapsing around them into a place of violence, ignorance, and depression. They were young people (ìyoungî as a state of mind, not age) who had open minds and open hearts that were being forced to conform to a world that wanted to destroy their individuality. Hopefuls in a hopeless world. They needed to be free. They needed to reaffirm the LIFE that was seething within their minds, hearts, and souls. So, instead of giving it all up, they got together their records, called their very best mates, and proceed to have the very best time of their lives. They got together to change the world. And, indeed, they have

The way in which this idea has been shown to be present to me is all little things. Like when I am dancing the night away at my favorite club and accidently bump into someone. Turning to apologize I am not received by a face showing anger or annoyance, instead I get a smile and a nod. This, to me, is a small token of PLUR. In many places these days, if you accidently bump into a stranger, they show resentment or anger towards you, but in an atmosphere of PLUR this is not the way.

P.L.U.R.: Taken as a whole it means an atmosphere of happiness and acceptance. A place where one may be themself, no matter what. A surrounding which breeds acceptance and rejects the passing of judgement.

Peace: A contentment and happiness within yourself. Enjoying who you are as a person, accepting yourself, flaws and all, and living your life in such a way as to express the person you are proud to be. Being at one with your surroundings, being comfortable where you are. Not attempting to anger, put down, or provoke those around you. Living in a way that will not negatively effect those around you or cause unncessary chaos. Serenity.

Being able to dance the way we do is being able to be four years old again, to be free of ego like we were before self conscious-ness took control. When we dance free of ego, we are at peace with ourselves, and at peace with all those around us. In the peace of a good trance, when someone stands on my foot I get a real buzz out of it because it's a chance to put some of that peace 'out there' as well as having it inside. With a big grin and a squeeze of their shoulder I've been able to say "Hey! Isn't this great?" without being dorky about it.


Love: Caring, compassion, and understanding for those around you and, more importantly, for yourself. We cannot love others until we truly, honestly, and fully love ourselves. When felt towards friends, strangers, and ourselves love can do amazing things. It is offering your water to the person who is dancing next to you, giving a friend in need a listening ear, and so much more. The energy, compassion, caring, and love you put out will be returned to you.

It means you can turn to a complete stranger who's sipping a bottle of water, and they'll see your sweat dripping and ears glowing and your eyes dark and deep, and they'll smile and offer you the bottle. It means people not only call out to you "Are you okay mate?" when they hear you puking your dinner in the toilet cubicle, but they care about the answer as well.

Unity: Coming together, putting aside differences, and forming one entity. The music, the scene, the love, the peace: these are the things which we share, which bring us to be in the same place at the same time. Regardless of our age, our gender, our race, our sexual orientation, or any other circumstances which may seperate us, we are brought together by common interests and desires. Beyond these things we are all humans, we all need people, we all want peace, love, respect, and happiness. It is the similarities which matter, which bring us together, and which should be held as important. We are individuals, but we come together as one entity.

Respect: Accepting without judgement others, their ideas, their choices, and their likes or loves in life. Doing ones best to uphold the other ideals in order to promote an atmosphere in which everyone present may find their own happiness. Not putting anybody else down or creating a bad time for another. Also, respect for yourself and your own body. Allowing yourself to find happiness, sometimes putting yourself above others when necessary, finding the happy medium between selfishness and selflessness. Making sure your body is kept healthy and educating yourself on anything you may choose to ingest, and being careful when this choice is made.

Interesting Insight:

So...as time goes on I find myself getting more and more into the club and rave scene, but I feel more and more lame about it as I do because I have never even been to a rave. Being that I live in the middle of nowhere in New Jersey, it is not because I choose to not attend them but instead because I just can't, there are none around here. But still...I guess I feel like I'm one of those people trying to be something I'm not and talking about something that I have no idea about. But...

I know that I love the music, I love the idea of it, and I love dancing. I live for the music and the dancing. Trance and Happy Hardcore are my choice styles, Progressive House when I am at a club. I live for the nights when I can talk my friends into going to the club and I can just dance the night away, not caring what I look like because nobody else cares either. It doesn't matter if you can dance well or not, it matters if you try it. As long as you are feeling the music and expressing your own individuality through your dancing, and not judging others while you do it, nobody else cares what you look like, and if they do, then they dont' matter anyway because they are there for the wrong reasons. That is why clubs can be irritating sometimes.

A lot of club kids are there to pick up guys/girls or to be cool or whatever. To me, that's not what it's about. It's about the DJ controlling the room, the music taking over my soul, and just dancing. It's about PLUR. In the music, the scene, I have found somewhere I truly feel like myself and I am truly happy. I thrive off of these nights, and they leave me flying on a natural high for weeks to follow.

I try to get my friends to make a long trek to a rave with me, a good one, but they don't feel it the way I do. And to them the trip just isn't worth it. But it is to me. Ah, I suppose I will get to one eventually.

Until then I will continue to find myself, probably in this great scene, and I will continue to just be me and express myself the best ways I have found how. I will dress how makes me happy, and if that means wearing UFO's and people thinking I'm a lame poser so be it. I will continue to listen to music that takes over my mind, body, and soul. I will continue to dance the night away, losing myself in the music, and not caring how spastic I may look. I will continue to just be me, lost in the music, lost in the scene, lost in the happiness which it brings me.

...I saw a funny word spelled P-L-U-R and did a little research, hoping to find out what it meant. Then, and only then, did I ëget a clue.í I had my moment of clarity and I discovered the real reason those crazy British people got together to dance all night. They came together to celebrate each other. They saw the world collapsing around them into a place of violence, ignorance, and depression. They were young people (ìyoungî as a state of mind, not age) who had open minds and open hearts that were being forced to conform to a world that wanted to destroy their individuality. Hopefuls in a hopeless world. They needed to be free. They needed to reaffirm the LIFE that was seething within their minds, hearts, and souls. So, instead of giving it all up, they got together their records, called their very best mates, and proceed to have the very best time of their lives. They got together to change the world. And, indeed, they have

Ravers' Manifesto

Our emotional state of choice is ecstasy.
Our nourishment of choice is Love.
 
Our religion of choice is music.
Our politics of choice is none.
Our society of choice is utopian though we know it will never be.

Our crime of choice is breaking and challenging whatever laws you feel you need to put in place to stop us from celebrating our existence.


You may hate us.
You may dismiss us.
You may misunderstand us.
You may be unaware of our existence.

We can only hope you do not care to judge us, because we would never judge you.
We are not criminals.
We are not disillusioned.
We are not drug addicts.
We are not naive children.
We are one massive, global, tribal village that transcends man-made law, physical geography, and time itself.

We seek to relinquish our inhibitions, and free ourselves from the shackles and restraints you've put on us for your own peace of mind.
We seek to re-write the programming that you have tried to indoctrinate us with since the moment we were born.
Programming that tells us to hate, that tells us to judge, that tells us to stuff ourselves into the nearest and most convenient pigeon hole possible.
Programming that even tells us to climb ladders for you, jump through hoops, and run through mazes and on hamster wheels.
Programming that tells us to eat from the shiny silver spoon you are trying to feed us with, instead of nourish ourselves with our own capable hands.
Programming that tells us to close our minds, instead of open them.



We are The Massive.
One Massive.