NightWalk
Active member
The Spirals organized their first party in the United Kingdom in October 1990. Very quickly, with other techno sound systems, they approached travelers, whose nomadic way of life they adopted. They perform in several free festivals, emblematic events of traveler culture. Taking with them all the equipment necessary for the organization of their parties, they organize many free parties in various squatted places, mainly in the south of England.
In May 1992, the sound system participated in the Castlemorton festival which attracted 20,000 to 40,000 people, the largest event of its kind at the time. At the end of the festival, members of the Spiral are arrested and charged with 'conspiracy to create a public disorder' ('conspiracy to cause public nuisance'). The trial, which takes place in 1994, is one of the longest and most expensive in British history, spanning almost four months. At the end of the trial, all the accused are acquitted1.
The Spiral and the free party movement were then widely publicized, with several newspapers calling for action to be taken against the nuisances caused by illegal raves. In response, the British government passed the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act in 1994, which among other measures gave the police increased powers to suppress festive gatherings in the open air. The law is explicitly directed against techno music defined as 'characterized by the emission of repetitive rhythms' ('wholly or predominantly characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats')
In 1993, several members of the Spiral Tribe went to France. They organize what they then call “free raves”; we will retain the teknivals of Beauvais (1993) with the Nomad Sound System, of the Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux near Millau (1994), or that of Tarnos (Alien Festival - 10 days - summer 1995, co-organized with the teknozine TNT) in the Landes. The expression 'free rave' is subsequently abandoned because the word 'free' was too often misinterpreted and the entire meaning of the word 'free' which, if it can refer to free also evokes freedom but does not prevent a donation (free price) from allowing sound systems to continue to organize them. The term “rave party” is also abandoned; designating the free parties of the time, it is now often used to designate paid and authorized techno evenings. Around 1995, the expressions “free party” and teknival became the norm to designate the type of events organized by the Spiral Tribe and those it inspired.
The Spirals thus contributed in the early 1990s to the emergence of many French sound systems such as TNT, Heretik, Psy 4x, Metek, Troubles fête, Tomahawk, Fraktal, Infrabass, Nomads, Foxtanz and OQP, many of which have decided to imitate them after attending one of their parties. These same sound systems have become the founding fathers of the free party in France and some are celebrating their twenty years of parties.
During this period, the sound system also travels a lot across Europe. They thus participated in the organization of the first CzechTek teknival in the Czech Republic in 1994, an event which subsequently became annual. They have also organized free parties and teknivals in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, spreading their idea of the free party as they go. Subsequently, part of the tribe went to the United States to organize free parties and teknivals. The Spirals broke up around 1996, some members founding new collectives, others starting solo careers. We know that some members will make a visit to the Autonomous Center for Social Experimentation of Ris-Orangis with members of Facom Unit and U.F.O and will live there for some time at the end of the 1990s.
World Traveller Adventure Documentary " Spiral Tribe "
( Desolé si mon post n'est pas au bon endroit )
In May 1992, the sound system participated in the Castlemorton festival which attracted 20,000 to 40,000 people, the largest event of its kind at the time. At the end of the festival, members of the Spiral are arrested and charged with 'conspiracy to create a public disorder' ('conspiracy to cause public nuisance'). The trial, which takes place in 1994, is one of the longest and most expensive in British history, spanning almost four months. At the end of the trial, all the accused are acquitted1.
The Spiral and the free party movement were then widely publicized, with several newspapers calling for action to be taken against the nuisances caused by illegal raves. In response, the British government passed the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act in 1994, which among other measures gave the police increased powers to suppress festive gatherings in the open air. The law is explicitly directed against techno music defined as 'characterized by the emission of repetitive rhythms' ('wholly or predominantly characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats')
In 1993, several members of the Spiral Tribe went to France. They organize what they then call “free raves”; we will retain the teknivals of Beauvais (1993) with the Nomad Sound System, of the Chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux near Millau (1994), or that of Tarnos (Alien Festival - 10 days - summer 1995, co-organized with the teknozine TNT) in the Landes. The expression 'free rave' is subsequently abandoned because the word 'free' was too often misinterpreted and the entire meaning of the word 'free' which, if it can refer to free also evokes freedom but does not prevent a donation (free price) from allowing sound systems to continue to organize them. The term “rave party” is also abandoned; designating the free parties of the time, it is now often used to designate paid and authorized techno evenings. Around 1995, the expressions “free party” and teknival became the norm to designate the type of events organized by the Spiral Tribe and those it inspired.
The Spirals thus contributed in the early 1990s to the emergence of many French sound systems such as TNT, Heretik, Psy 4x, Metek, Troubles fête, Tomahawk, Fraktal, Infrabass, Nomads, Foxtanz and OQP, many of which have decided to imitate them after attending one of their parties. These same sound systems have become the founding fathers of the free party in France and some are celebrating their twenty years of parties.
During this period, the sound system also travels a lot across Europe. They thus participated in the organization of the first CzechTek teknival in the Czech Republic in 1994, an event which subsequently became annual. They have also organized free parties and teknivals in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, spreading their idea of the free party as they go. Subsequently, part of the tribe went to the United States to organize free parties and teknivals. The Spirals broke up around 1996, some members founding new collectives, others starting solo careers. We know that some members will make a visit to the Autonomous Center for Social Experimentation of Ris-Orangis with members of Facom Unit and U.F.O and will live there for some time at the end of the 1990s.
World Traveller Adventure Documentary " Spiral Tribe "
( Desolé si mon post n'est pas au bon endroit )
