Police are desperately trying to find out details of a "mega" illegal rave expected to take place in the coming weeks, as forces across the country begin to report a significant resurgence in the free party movement.

First signs of the rebirth of the outdoor rave came last year, but partygoers now appear to be more emboldened to challenge laws brought in 12 years ago by the Conservative government to crush a scene that epitomised the dance and drug culture of the early 90s.

Forces admit there has been a surge in activity, including one party in north Cornwall that was attended by more than 5,000 revellers. Officers are warning landowners and the public to be on their guard after receiving intelligence that large raves may be being planned for weekends in August, particularly over the bank holiday.

The Devon and Cornwall police force is particularly concerned that partygoers will attempt to gather for a large rave in the West Country after the success of the event earlier this summer when revellers were able to sneak on to a disused airfield using a car rally as cover.

On a national level forces are working hard to make sure they share information about raves in the pipeline.

Thames Valley police is using Asbo legislation to try to take out prolific rave organisers, while police in Norfolk, another rave hotspot, this week urged landowners to make sure ravers cannot get access to prime party sites.

The so-called "rebirth of rave" is being put down by enthusiasts as a rebellion against the "chav culture" blighting many clubs and against the sort of music created by the likes of Coldplay.

Dave Jenkins, clubs editor for International DJ magazine and himself a fan of the free party scene, said: "Rave has been bubbling under since its heyday - every so often there's a new influx of young people who get into it. This year there has been a huge rebirth."

Derek Williams, a veteran raver and chronicler of the scene, added: "The drugs clampdown has resulted in fewer underground clubs and more alcohol, chav-orientated legal venues.

"This has driven alternative-minded people away from legal venues to the underground raves."

The ravers seem to be staying a step ahead of the police, using ever more sophisticated means and complicated networks to advertise parties.

Another aspect of the movement is the number of much smaller raves, involving just a few score or few hundred people and taking place in a remote spot like a moor or wood, which the police only rarely get to hear about.

The rave movement reached its zenith in the late 80s and early 90s. The movement declined after new laws gave the police stronger powers to tackle them but, as events have shown this summer, did not disappear.

Over May bank holiday this year hundreds of VW and custom car fans headed to Newquay in north Cornwall for an annual Run for the Sun rally. The police did not notice that among them were many hundreds much more interested in sounds systems than air-cooled engines.

Officers watched helpless while as many as 5,000 people partied at a well-organised but illegal rave on a disused airfield at Davidstow, near Camelford. Once thousands of people are on site the police tend to monitor and contain the event rather than try to break it up.

In other parts of the country police have managed to stop big raves. One which had attracted as many as 2,000 people in Northamptonshire was halted; a week later Avon and Somerset police got wind of a planned rave at an old firing range and managed to blockade it. Chief Inspector Richard Baker of Devon and Cornwall's contingency planning unit accepted the Davidstow rave had not been on the police's radar but said the force was now better prepared.

Intelligence specialists were monitoring websites and party phonelines to try to pick up word of further free parties and festivals. The bank holiday on the last weekend of August has been pinpointed as a possible date for a large rave.

While police express confidence about picking up word of large raves, privately they admit they have little chance of preventing smaller ones.

Dan, a moderator on a website which is a favourite with free party enthusiasts and a regular on the south-west rave scene, said there were such gatherings almost every weekend. "There are lots of parties which 50, 100 or 250 people attend. They are local affairs which people get to know about by word of mouth. People tend to be responsible - they dig latrines, they find remote spots so residents are not disturbed, and they tidy up after themselves."

Another south-west raver, who calls himself CrazyMC69, said the scene was a peaceful one. "If you go into Exeter on a Saturday night you'll see fights. I've never seen any trouble at a free party."

Danya, 18, said: "For me it's all about the music - it's fresh and vibrant, so different to what you get in clubs. I think it's cool that the children of the original ravers are now getting into it."

Naturally, the scene has developed since the 80s and 90s. The DJs use MP3 players as well as record decks and partygoers are equipped with global positioning systems to find remote raves rather than Ordnance Survey maps. Text messaging and websites make it easy to get the word out about an event.

But it's not all peace and love. Website moderator Dan said some of the larger crews - the operators of the sound systems - are being forced out of urban areas by tougher policing and have moved into rural areas like the south-west. "It can be an ego thing - wanting to put on the biggest party, wanting to put two fingers up to authority. Bigger isn't always best."

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/festivals...828591,00.html



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I would love to attend one of these, unfortunately i was born a good 15years to late to experience the real thing. All i have to do now is find someone 'in the know'

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