Who knew 6.30am dancing could leave you feeling so good?
Words Felix Clarke
I’m at a rave. The compact space is bursting with glitter, bubbles, balloons and massage booths. I’m vogueing hard in flouro sports kit amongst dozens of sweaty others, and of course I have a brimming drink in my hand.
A drink of tea.
Okay, so it’s Kombutcha, the fizzy fermented-tea hipster brew, but it contains absolutely zero alcohol. And there are two other rather unusual features of this particular rave. There’s an eight year old on the dance floor. And although it’s Saturday, it’s 6.30am.
As the queue decreased in size and people filed inside, fluffy ‘love birds’ – ladies dressed up in giant feathers – surrounded us and brushed us with their plumage whilst making soothing, cooing bird sounds
Sober raving has evolved from headline-grabbing gimmick to genuine phenomenon over the last two years. “Our mission when we started was to bring conscious clubbing to the world stage and to make it cool,” explains Samantha Moyo, who founded the iconic Morning Gloryville raves – the Notting Hill edition of which I’ve been road-testing –in 2013. “Our concept literally went viral! think we’re all collectively getting tired of the way we’re partying and MGV struck the iron while it was hot but without really realising it.”
Moyo reports that Morning Gloryville is growing 50% year on year, and brands including We Are One, Love Is Key and The Awakening Conscious Club have since jumped on the sober event bandwagon. Even the legendary night-ravers at Ministry of Sound are soon to launch a fitness-cum-gym-cum-smoothie-cum-party event. On the other end of the spiritual spectrum is the yoga based Om & Bass event by Wild Human yoga with a London date in May and festival in June which incorporates “moving meditation and conscious dance” to an uplifting drum and bass climax.
I can see why they’re popular. Joining the queue at dawn, listening to the sweet sounds of 80s disco and funky house, it was difficult not to start dancing there and then. The feeling was similar to lining up for a long-anticipated DJ set or gig; the butterflies of anticipation, the sense that you’re about to take a collective journey, the sounds of excitement bustling seeping through the door. As the queue decreased in size and people filed inside, fluffy ‘love birds’ – ladies dressed up in giant feathers – surrounded us and brushed us with their plumage whilst making soothing, cooing bird sounds. At the door, a love heart stamp was dotted on our wrists and a semi-naked man with gold face paint and glitter gave us a long hug each. We were ready to go.
As it happens, my particular MGV is a Valentine’s special, and though there were singles looking for love, there was a total absence of seediness
“It’s important to come as you are at MGV events,” Moyo emphasises. “A lot of people think you need to be really energetic and smiley but it’s OK not to smile! Just turn up and see what happens. I’m one of the people running it and I get annoyed with myself for not being a morning person, but I’m just not. I’ll be moody, wake up, then go there and I always end up smiling!”
The rave itself turned out to be the happiest workout I’ve had for quite some time. Only one thing was missing; the token rowdy, drunken idiot (or ten). Everyone was grooving, from that eight-year-old to fifty-pluses, via the predictable twenty-somethings – bopping as one to the beats and bongos in what felt like a euphoric, tribal release.
“The sobriety aspect has a 100% affect on the atmosphere,” continues Moyo. “It feels clean, you get eye contact, you’re less jumpy if someone wants to talk to you and you’re just more open, everyone is looking up. We’d probably make a killing if we marketed it as a dating event!”.
As it happens, my particular MGV is a Valentine’s special, and though there were singles looking for love, there was a total absence of seediness. The MC, a woman in her forties, was shouting “Feel your body moving! Love yourself and feel the energy coming from the person next to you!”
Annie O, a regular MGV DJ, finds their events particularly clever in nailing that unique atmosphere. “I’ve participated as a guest at other sober events and often they take on a more spiritual direction, which is not always my cup of tea,” she explains. “MGV remains special in that it subtly combines spiritual values with fun and hedonism.”
Sober raving is a natural fit for ex-ravers who now have kids (and obligatory early starts). It perfectly fills the gap for those who still love moving their bodies to the beat of great music, but want to do it in a place where they feel welcome. “One of the reasons I stopped liking night clubbing was that I just didn’t feel welcomed on the door,” says Moyo, “I want someone to be excited to see me whether I know them or not and to welcome me into their space. That’s why we have the huggers on the door!”
Sober raving helps people realise they don’t have to be intoxicated to have fun
Frankly, looking around at the energy levels in the room, it was difficult to believe that no-one was on drugs. Had anyone dropped a little extra something into their matcha smoothie? I singled out two lads there who I would have expected to run into at a night-time rave. “It’s an interesting experience and as far as I can tell everyone is 100% sober,” one of them said. “I don’t know if I’d do it every week but it’s definitely good vibes, everyone looks like they’re having fun and everyone’s approachable and chatty! The bouncers must have it easy compared to their normal jobs.”
Despite this, Moyo says that they have had a few problems with drugs in the past. “We’ve stopped people brining something in before. Our general attitude is, we don’t have many rules, you literally do anything you want when you’re inside, all we ask is that you don’t do these two things (alcohol & drugs). It’s like trying to build utopia and someone comes in and eats the apple!”
Annie O thinks sober raving helps people realise they don’t have to be intoxicated to have fun. “This means they are better equipped to critically question whether they need the help of stimulants in other situations, and they can find and build a community of people that can support each other in following a more mindful lifestyle.”
There are also clear mental health benefits attached. I spoke to the Master Hugger from the front door, Mr. Neil Greenwood, who runs a recruitment company when he’s not hugging the love into morning raves. “Everyone knows that everyone is on the same level so it’s an amazing interaction,” he said. “And there are definitely health benefits! Three or four hours of dancing around is the best exercise you’re going to get, whilst simultaneously having a big smile on your face. It’s a mental release.” Moyo agrees. “So much of depression comes from not feeling loved by other people and so many people say to us that MGV has given them a home.”
So what’s next for the happiest trend in town? Moyo has already held Morning Gloryville events at the Oval Space and The Shard, and we might even see her dream of holding a sober rave in the Queen’s Yard at Buckingham Palace come to life sometime soon.
“I just feel it would be like your Grandmother giving you a present you’d been asking her for your whole life!” she laughs. “I think it would also be historical, a coming together of the Royals and the peasants! From that moment on the Royals would just want to be like everyday people.”
Sober raving: you owe it to your country.
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