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Advice for 2007
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| StereoPrincess |
Margaret's Advice for WMC goers:
1. Don't time things to the hour. In Miami, hours disappear like air. If you think you can get somewhere by a certain time, you are DEAD wrong. This goes from the moment you land to the moment you leave.
2. Do not drink too much at night. The bars are open all night and therefore once you start drinking, nothing is there to stop you, you will continue to drink until you pass out or get kick out of a bar or find a cab home and have no way of paying for it.
3. Eat. You will not last a day if you don't eat. Food can be cheap or expensive. Your choice. Try different foods that you don't usually get to have.
4. Get cheap sunglasses. Lots of them. Sales for 5$ sunglasses are on every corner. They are cheaper than a drink.
5. Bring a sweater EVERYWHERE. Like they say, "if you don't like the weather in Miami, wait 5 minutes". This goes both ways, good weather to bad weather and vice versa. A sweater can be used for many different things so it's not that big of a deal to bring it with you.
6. FOR GIRLS. Do not think that you can spend 2 hours getting ready to go out. Only care about the basics - tinted mosturizer, mascara, lipgloss. Everyone looks hot after a few hours in Miami from the glow of the sun. Hair - if you can put it up, do it, wear a hat, whatever. You don't want people to be waiting for you, you don't want to be occupying a bathroom too long.
7. Go to the beach. Don't spend all you time at events and clubs. You don't want to be coming back to winter and saying that you never even stepped foot on south beach. (this is acheived a bit by going to Nikki Beach).
8. GO TO NIKKI BEACH. Can't stress this enough. It's a place you don't want to miss EVER. Preferrably a day party that they hold there. AND HAVE A MOJITO, dammit. You don't want to go to Nikki Beach and not have a mojito.
9. Take a lot of pictures. Tons and tons and tons and tons. If you camera takes video, do it! You won't regret looking at the after. I think I will be looking at photos for the rest of the year.
10. Drugs. If you like to participate in this activity, KNOW you own limits. Don't think that you can do as much as you normally do. Start very very very slow. If you over do it in the first 3 days, you miss the last 4 days. Also, at one time, if you think you can do a certain dose, you are WRONG. There are elements that come into play that you don't have an idea how it will affect you. Get health insurance, it costs a lot to go to the hospital.
11. Book time off after your return. At least 3 days of work would have been good for me. I had one day off but the other two days, I was a mess at work.
12. Mental health. When you return, you will be ed up, it's guaranteed. The combination of leaving such a nice place and the mental drain of it, will cause you to have feelings like you never had before. Prepare, and most often, keep your mouth shut for the next 5 days. This was most important for me. After training so long, nothing prepares you for the sketchfest that is your brain after WMC.
13. Go to Ultra. Your first time, you must go to Ultra. Go early, as soon as gates open. If you don't, you won't get in. And a lot of good acts play during the day. When you get there, take the time to get comfortable with all the areas so you know the quick ways of getting from one place to another. This way you minimize the time you spend between acts searching for things. Eat a big breakfast before Ultra because food and drinks are very expensive there. BRING A SWEATER.
14. Earplugs. Bring them, use them, DO IT. Space is SOOOOOO loud that your ears will bleed. You need the earplugs to keep the blood in your head.
15. Space tickets (others may differ). Do not pre-purchase Space tickets for the later nights. There will be sketchbags all over the place trying to get rid of their ticket. Offer them the price they paid. Also Space is just like any other super club, don't go there every night, pick one night and stay the whole time. You will get to see those DJs back home anyways. Go to Space to experience Space not the music (unless it's Sasha and Digweed).
16. Have cash on you. Your credit card may not work. Your debit card probably won't work. At Space, you need a credit card and ID, make sure that your name matches exactly on both (ran into this problem).
17. Plan for at least 400 dollar phone bill when you return to Canada. That way you won't be shocked when it arrives. Do as much as possible to get certain plan changes to your phone done before you leave. Add text messages (doesn't make a difference for roaming), add long distance minutes. Talk to your cell phone provider, they will help you.
18. SUNSCREEN. Apply sunscreen like it's your job. Even the very last day you are there. Reapply after rain or swimming. Keep applying because there are always spots you miss. Don't worry about getting a tan, it will happen.
19. Take the bus at least once. It's really fun seeing the locals and talking to the locals. They all have cool stories.
20. Make sure that at any moment you have a place to go back and sleep at. If you are sharing a hotel, make sure you have access to it at all times. Sometimes the two hours of sleep you catch a day is the most important thing.
21. Don't be dragged around by everyone else and what they are doing. Do what you want to do.
22. Plan parties for months before. Always know what's going on at what time and where it is. I spend hours looking at parties and looking for DJs to check out.
23. Every year there are must see DJs but until the following DJs stop spinning, make a point to see them just once, even if it is at Ultra and for 15 minutes: Danny Tenaglia, Carl Cox, Sasha and/or Digweed, Pete Tong, Sander K, and Deep Dish. These guys will infuse you with the spirit of WMC. Seeing Danny Tenaglia step from behind the decks and do what can only be described as the Deltron Shuffle is unforgettable and I could have left Miami. |
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| DJ RJT |
Terrific thread Marge... well written!
And this...
| quote: | Originally posted by StereoPrincess
12. Mental health. When you return, you will be ed up, it's guaranteed. The combination of leaving such a nice place and the mental drain of it, will cause you to have feelings like you never had before. Prepare, and most often, keep your mouth shut for the next 5 days. This was most important for me. After training so long, nothing prepares you for the sketchfest that is your brain after WMC.
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Couldn't be more true... we dealt with it like champs this year, but god damn can festival weekends take a major toll on your brain/emo-ness.
Again, well done Marge! |
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| ::TranceVanDyk:: |
| i cant experience WMC, but as for ULTRA, i know how to experience it for next. this year, i didnt know what i could bring in, where to go, etc. now i know;) |
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| lücid |
| quote: | Originally posted by StereoPrincess
5. Bring a sweater EVERYWHERE. Like they say, "if you don't like the weather in Miami, wait 5 minutes". This goes both ways, good weather to bad weather and vice versa. A sweater can be used for many different things so it's not that big of a deal to bring it with you.
8. GO TO NIKKI BEACH. Can't stress this enough. It's a place you don't want to miss EVER. Preferrably a day party that they hold there. AND HAVE A MOJITO, dammit. You don't want to go to Nikki Beach and not have a mojito.
10. Drugs. If you like to participate in this activity, KNOW you own limits. Don't think that you can do as much as you normally do. Start very very very slow. If you over do it in the first 3 days, you miss the last 4 days. Also, at one time, if you think you can do a certain dose, you are WRONG. There are elements that come into play that you don't have an idea how it will affect you. Get health insurance, it costs a lot to go to the hospital.
12. Mental health. When you return, you will be ed up, it's guaranteed. The combination of leaving such a nice place and the mental drain of it, will cause you to have feelings like you never had before. Prepare, and most often, keep your mouth shut for the next 5 days. This was most important for me. After training so long, nothing prepares you for the sketchfest that is your brain after WMC.
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god how i wish someone told me these things before i went to WMC... or i guess some of it is common sense that just went out the window once i got there, lol.
great advice and great thread idea Marge!! :D |
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| Carriegsxr6 |
| quote: | Originally posted by StereoPrincess
Margaret's Advice for WMC goers:
1. Don't time things to the hour. In Miami, hours disappear like air. If you think you can get somewhere by a certain time, you are DEAD wrong. This goes from the moment you land to the moment you leave.
there is way too much traffic to be ontime for anything
6. FOR GIRLS. Do not think that you can spend 2 hours getting ready to go out. Only care about the basics - tinted mosturizer, mascara, lipgloss. Everyone looks hot after a few hours in Miami from the glow of the sun. Hair - if you can put it up, do it, wear a hat, whatever. You don't want people to be waiting for you, you don't want to be occupying a bathroom too long.
it is way too humid down there to think tons of makeup and hairspray is going to hold all night. the naural look works better on the beach anyways.
8. GO TO NIKKI BEACH. Can't stress this enough. It's a place you don't want to miss EVER. Preferrably a day party that they hold there. AND HAVE A MOJITO, dammit. You don't want to go to Nikki Beach and not have a mojito.
Mojotos and Nikki beach are combination made for heaven!!!
9. Take a lot of pictures. Tons and tons and tons and tons. If you camera takes video, do it! You won't regret looking at the after. I think I will be looking at photos for the rest of the year.
I am so grateful that i was able to take so many
10. Drugs. If you like to participate in this activity, KNOW you own limits. Don't think that you can do as much as you normally do. Start very very very slow. If you over do it in the first 3 days, you miss the last 4 days. Also, at one time, if you think you can do a certain dose, you are WRONG. There are elements that come into play that you don't have an idea how it will affect you. Get health insurance, it costs a lot to go to the hospital.
no need for explanation
12. Mental health. When you return, you will be ed up, it's guaranteed. The combination of leaving such a nice place and the mental drain of it, will cause you to have feelings like you never had before. Prepare, and most often, keep your mouth shut for the next 5 days. This was most important for me. After training so long, nothing prepares you for the sketchfest that is your brain after WMC.
its like postpartum depression
14. Earplugs. Bring them, use them, DO IT. Space is SOOOOOO loud that your ears will bleed. You need the earplugs to keep the blood in your head.
inside Space is way too freken loud, earplugs saved my ass
19. Take the bus at least once. It's really fun seeing the locals and talking to the locals. They all have cool stories.
the S bus rules!!!!
20. Make sure that at any moment you have a place to go back and sleep at. If you are sharing a hotel, make sure you have access to it at all times. Sometimes the two hours of sleep you catch a day is the most important thing.
make sure you have your own key or find a place outside to stash it. being locked out of the condo is no fun
21. Don't be dragged around by everyone else and what they are doing. Do what you want to do.
everyone will end up wanting to go their separate ways at lease a few times during the conference, if this happens, just go with the flow and have a good time by yourself if needed
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10 rules to live by!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| tmft |
Here's my edited list I posted in the TX forum, taking out some TX jokes.
1) JUST GO!!! I enjoyed everything!! Picotto at Space, Holden at BED, MANDY at Pawnshop, Scumfrog at Angel.
2) Fly into Miami rather than Fort Lauderdale. Sure, FLL is a little cheaper, but it's a long haul on the shuttle. I had to wait 25 minutes for a shuttle there, & the shuttle back was an hour late. A taxi from South Beach to FLL is $80!!!
3) Midnight in Miami is like 10 pm in Austin. At midnight, people are starting to roll out of bed to show up. At 2 AM, the party's just getting going.h
4) Clubs in Miami have no last call. Pace yourself.
5) Never underestimate the power of the 9 pm-11 pm nap.
6) WATCH YOUR STUFF. My jacket got stolen from Pawn Shop. I care much more about the phone in my jacket. 9 days later, I finally got a phone.
7) Don't go to Ultra. Too hectic, too many people, 45 minute wait for a drink. I had much more fun at the club shows.
8) Every bar & restaurant adds a 18-20% service charge automatically. Nothing to do with you & how you look---they just add it. Check your bill & don't tip 20% MORE on top of 20%.
9) Wear comfortable shoes. Trust me. It's faster to walk in South Beach than to try to take a taxi. When I took a taxi into Miami, it was faster to walk the 8 blocks past BED, Mansion, Suite, etc down to 6th than to taxi the distance.
10) SERENDIPITY!! One of my best times was Thursday, when I was walking around looking for shoes to buy. It was drizzling lightly. I kept walking. harder rain. I kept walking on Ocean Drive. MONSOON. I ducked under the edge of a building, but it was POURING. I went into a hotel, & talked my way into the pool bar to sit it out with a drink. Drinks were $17(!) but I didn't want to get soaked. I'm drinking my drink along with about 15 other people in the bar. 2 of the people are filming a TV report for Britain. At the table, 3 feet from me is Paul Oakenfold.
11) It's impossible to see every good show at WMC. No matter where I was, I felt like there's another equally good show at that moment. Just had to make my choice & enjoy where I was.
12) Someone always has a nicer hotel than me. I tried to reassure myself that their hotel was $200-$300 more a night than me.
13) Best Bargain--the K bus from South Beach to right next to Space or Ultra, for $1.50. You're stuck in traffic anyway, let it be without a taxi meter ticking! |
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| epdarks |
Great thread.
Please add: MAKE SURE you have twice as much money as you've budgeted. When you're in Space @ 8 AM and broke you'll be happy you did. |
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| pyro264jb |
1. GO to PawnShop
2. Do afterhours at space on the terrace.
3. Buy advanced tickets. (My friend got locked out of S&D for this)
4. Eat.( I missed ultra due to this mishap)
5. Dont go to Ultra if youve been to it already. There are a million better partys going on besides this joke. If this was 4 years ago I would be singing another tune but its 2006 and those inept fools were working so slow ½ of the people who bought tickets got locked out.
6. Moderation |
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| StereoPrincess |
| quote: | Originally posted by tmft
13) Best Bargain--the K bus from South Beach to right next to Space or Ultra, for $1.50. You're stuck in traffic anyway, let it be without a taxi meter ticking! |
yup. the k bus took us from space to home, but it stops running at certain times of the night so check the schedule. |
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| TheNicest1 |
| this is a good thread ill keep most of it in mind for next year my first visit i got lucky played it all almost perfect just like you all say make sure your prepared and you will be fine |
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| Spankmeister |
| quote: | Originally posted by StereoPrincess
Margaret's Advice for WMC goers:
1. Don't time things to the hour. In Miami, hours disappear like air. If you think you can get somewhere by a certain time, you are DEAD wrong. This goes from the moment you land to the moment you leave.
2. Do not drink too much at night. The bars are open all night and therefore once you start drinking, nothing is there to stop you, you will continue to drink until you pass out or get kick out of a bar or find a cab home and have no way of paying for it.
3. Eat. You will not last a day if you don't eat. Food can be cheap or expensive. Your choice. Try different foods that you don't usually get to have.
4. Get cheap sunglasses. Lots of them. Sales for 5$ sunglasses are on every corner. They are cheaper than a drink.
5. Bring a sweater EVERYWHERE. Like they say, "if you don't like the weather in Miami, wait 5 minutes". This goes both ways, good weather to bad weather and vice versa. A sweater can be used for many different things so it's not that big of a deal to bring it with you.
6. FOR GIRLS. Do not think that you can spend 2 hours getting ready to go out. Only care about the basics - tinted mosturizer, mascara, lipgloss. Everyone looks hot after a few hours in Miami from the glow of the sun. Hair - if you can put it up, do it, wear a hat, whatever. You don't want people to be waiting for you, you don't want to be occupying a bathroom too long.
7. Go to the beach. Don't spend all you time at events and clubs. You don't want to be coming back to winter and saying that you never even stepped foot on south beach. (this is acheived a bit by going to Nikki Beach).
8. GO TO NIKKI BEACH. Can't stress this enough. It's a place you don't want to miss EVER. Preferrably a day party that they hold there. AND HAVE A MOJITO, dammit. You don't want to go to Nikki Beach and not have a mojito.
9. Take a lot of pictures. Tons and tons and tons and tons. If you camera takes video, do it! You won't regret looking at the after. I think I will be looking at photos for the rest of the year.
10. Drugs. If you like to participate in this activity, KNOW you own limits. Don't think that you can do as much as you normally do. Start very very very slow. If you over do it in the first 3 days, you miss the last 4 days. Also, at one time, if you think you can do a certain dose, you are WRONG. There are elements that come into play that you don't have an idea how it will affect you. Get health insurance, it costs a lot to go to the hospital.
11. Book time off after your return. At least 3 days of work would have been good for me. I had one day off but the other two days, I was a mess at work.
12. Mental health. When you return, you will be ed up, it's guaranteed. The combination of leaving such a nice place and the mental drain of it, will cause you to have feelings like you never had before. Prepare, and most often, keep your mouth shut for the next 5 days. This was most important for me. After training so long, nothing prepares you for the sketchfest that is your brain after WMC.
13. Go to Ultra. Your first time, you must go to Ultra. Go early, as soon as gates open. If you don't, you won't get in. And a lot of good acts play during the day. When you get there, take the time to get comfortable with all the areas so you know the quick ways of getting from one place to another. This way you minimize the time you spend between acts searching for things. Eat a big breakfast before Ultra because food and drinks are very expensive there. BRING A SWEATER.
14. Earplugs. Bring them, use them, DO IT. Space is SOOOOOO loud that your ears will bleed. You need the earplugs to keep the blood in your head.
15. Space tickets (others may differ). Do not pre-purchase Space tickets for the later nights. There will be sketchbags all over the place trying to get rid of their ticket. Offer them the price they paid. Also Space is just like any other super club, don't go there every night, pick one night and stay the whole time. You will get to see those DJs back home anyways. Go to Space to experience Space not the music (unless it's Sasha and Digweed).
16. Have cash on you. Your credit card may not work. Your debit card probably won't work. At Space, you need a credit card and ID, make sure that your name matches exactly on both (ran into this problem).
17. Plan for at least 400 dollar phone bill when you return to Canada. That way you won't be shocked when it arrives. Do as much as possible to get certain plan changes to your phone done before you leave. Add text messages (doesn't make a difference for roaming), add long distance minutes. Talk to your cell phone provider, they will help you.
18. SUNSCREEN. Apply sunscreen like it's your job. Even the very last day you are there. Reapply after rain or swimming. Keep applying because there are always spots you miss. Don't worry about getting a tan, it will happen.
19. Take the bus at least once. It's really fun seeing the locals and talking to the locals. They all have cool stories.
20. Make sure that at any moment you have a place to go back and sleep at. If you are sharing a hotel, make sure you have access to it at all times. Sometimes the two hours of sleep you catch a day is the most important thing.
21. Don't be dragged around by everyone else and what they are doing. Do what you want to do.
22. Plan parties for months before. Always know what's going on at what time and where it is. I spend hours looking at parties and looking for DJs to check out.
23. Every year there are must see DJs but until the following DJs stop spinning, make a point to see them just once, even if it is at Ultra and for 15 minutes: Danny Tenaglia, Carl Cox, Sasha and/or Digweed, Pete Tong, Sander K, and Deep Dish. These guys will infuse you with the spirit of WMC. Seeing Danny Tenaglia step from behind the decks and do what can only be described as the Deltron Shuffle is unforgettable and I could have left Miami. |
Some good advice there...:)
I disagree on a couple of things though...
I would ALWAYS say buy presale tix...the conference was longer than usual this year and a bit more spread out...I had a friend that had to pay $100 just to get to the window to pay $80 to get into the Yooshi Show at Space at 5am...you can sell your presale tix if you don't go, but it is always better and 99% of the time cheaper to get them presale...:)
I don't know about the sweater thing..this was only my second conference and in the 10 days I stayed on the beach, we had our hottest and coldest days of the year...So the weather this year was NOT normal, not by a longshot....most of the time down here a sweater will just get in the way and stick to you because you will be sweating!..LOL
Cash is always the best policy....period
I heard a lot of horror stories about Ultra this year...I did not go, I went to Global Gathering and had a blast...I heard about the a 2 hour line for will call tickets and that...festivals are awesome, and I went to Ultra last year...but next year, if they schedule things better, you can go to Global Gathering or Ultra...I know that GG had their act way more together this year...
Plan, Plan, Plan....but always have a backup! I the web capability on my phone saved me a few times...and I hit 30+ parties in 10 days!
But overall, great suggestions...:D |
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| Spankmeister |
Oh...one more thing...
Airborne, Airborne, Airborne!!!!
For those that don't know what that is...you can get it here at any drug store, they are tablets with tons of vitamins, minerals and amino acids that boost your immune system...
I did not get sick during or after conference....Conference takes a HUGE toll on your body...whether it be from dancing, lack of sleep, sun, being around so many folks or other 'habits'....
Take it daily, multiple times a day...it will save your ass! |
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