--- title: "Rave: an exploration of etymology" description: rave image: https://overdrivemagazine.com/hubfs/Add%20a%20subheading%20(12).png --- [![](https://overdrivemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202024-10-12%20at%2010.56.26%20pm.png?width=400&height=76&name=Screen%20Shot%202024-10-12%20at%2010.56.26%20pm.png)](https://overdrivemagazine.com/) [![](https://overdrivemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202024-10-12%20at%2010.56.26%20pm.png?width=400&height=76&name=Screen%20Shot%202024-10-12%20at%2010.56.26%20pm.png)](https://overdrivemagazine.com/) - [Home](https://overdrivemagazine.com) - [About](https://overdrivemagazine.com/about) - [Contact Us](https://overdrivemagazine.com/contact-us) - [Archive](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3) Search - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ## [![](https://overdrivemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202024-10-12%20at%2010.56.26%20pm.png?width=400&height=76&name=Screen%20Shot%202024-10-12%20at%2010.56.26%20pm.png)](https://overdrivemagazine.com/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com) [Follow us on Twitter](https://www.twitter.com) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com) [✕](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3/rave-an-exploration-of-etymology#atbs-offcanvas-primary) - [Home](https://overdrivemagazine.com) - [About](https://overdrivemagazine.com/about) - [Contact Us](https://overdrivemagazine.com/contact-us) - [Archive](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3) # Rave: an exploration of etymology By [Gem Reynolds](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3/author/gem-reynolds) 10 Feb 2026 [Gem Reynolds](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3/author/gem-reynolds) 10 Feb 2026 - - - *"An underground party and party network characterized by music, costume,* *acceptance of all, and a resounding positive feeling. Mostly held in large urban* *venues that were unknown." - Urban Dictionary, 2004 (user: dindin&bacchus)*   Nowadays, the word rave can mean anything. But it’s not supposed to. Most dance music enthusiasts, young and old, would consider themselves to have attended a rave. But the question I pose is, have they really? The term has been thrown around so much that its true meaning has been lost, along with parts of the culture that once embodied its spirit. Attending a rave used to mean calling a phone number on the bottom of a flyer, traipsing through dark fields and into unmarked warehouses, to find a location from which bass and lights would emanate. But in the modern vernacular, it means mass promoted events with familiar lineups, at an established venue, with extensive security and hefty door and bar charges. We've been sold this sanitised version of a rave; up and coming dance music enthusiasts don’t know any different, and we can't blame them. It has become extremely prohibitive from both financial and regulatory points of view to throw events. Raves have lost their viability outside of truly dedicated circles. And so a vacuum was created, and it’s been filled by corporate entities. For these corporations or “groups” finances are no issue, and regulatory barriers can be bought around. The void remaining was filled but the soul that once dwelled there has escaped. Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation (1981) labels this phenomena as ‘the Beaubourg effect’, in which a space functions as a monument of a mass simulation absorbing and devouring all the surrounding cultural energy: "a machine for making emptiness". The rave was once about accessibility. The only boundary to entry was being privy to the event location and finding mates to share a cab with. Raves made nightlife accessible to those that felt out of place or unsafe in traditional clubs, which did (and still do) cater to a specific look and lifestyle preference. They facilitated a space for a diverse range of enthusiasts to connect with one another, and by proxy, the underground scene.   This acceptance led to the creation of communities through regular raves, such as those thrown by the Melbourne Underground Development (M.U.D Crew) circa 1993-1997 who ran various nights such as “Every Picture Tells A Story” out of Global Village in Footscray. The Global Village space was described as an "artistic hub of like-minded people that came to dance, laugh, and express themselves in a safe, inspirational environment that was unique to the 90's”, which makes it all the more sad (yet ironic) that the former Global Village site is now a corporate co-working space. *experimentality put forward ≠ profit focused* Because of their intrinsic rejection of profitability and marketability, raves allowed up- and-coming DJs and live acts to find their sound in a space that rewarded experimentation. This acceptance — if not encouragement — of divergence and originality created a space where attendees engaged solely with each other and the music, dancing without fear of being filmed or ridiculed. *no dress codes, no rules.* The rave wasn’t instagrammable because marketability wasn’t a priority. Its ethos was in complete opposition to the easily digestible, bite-sized morsels of polished and marketable content that we’ve become accustomed to. You didn’t need to let people know where you were or what you were doing, in fact, you didn’t want to, because location secrecy was a sacrament. The aim was to connect with the people in your immediate vicinity. The conscious and intentional nature of attendance connected revellers, as they shared an experience together in real-time, rather than through a screen. It embodied a complete rejection of the restrictions that so often leech the life out of creativity. Throw your support towards DIY parties, raves. Give your attention to a few friends in a field with a dodgy generator and a soundsystem lugged by trolleys. Don't share locations outside their intended reach. Volunteer your time if you're passionate. Support local collectives. And most importantly, consider which corporations and entities you're allowing to moderate the rave, a place which was once a sanctuary. Feed the underground and it will nourish you. 0 [Gem Reynolds](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3/author/gem-reynolds) [![image](https://overdrivemagazine.com/hubfs/Add%20a%20subheading%20(13).png)](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3/the-fomo-epidemic) [previous](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3/the-fomo-epidemic) ### [The 'FoMO' Epidemic](https://overdrivemagazine.com/blog-3/the-fomo-epidemic) [![Help! 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