Navigating Sobriety in Drum and Bass Rave Culture

I’ve been completely sober for just over 2.5 years now and during that time, I’ve been to boomtown twice and attended/played many a rave. Raving sober is a different type of feeling I would say as it can be a battle just to not cave in for drinking or other substances. Raving has been unfortunately been synonymous with drug culture and it means that for a lot of people, they don’t feel comfortable enough to go to a rave without getting wobbly.

Even now, some of the people I meet say to me: “I love drum and bass, but only when I’m mashed up”. I understand why of course, I’ve been there. But if you’re trying to take it steady or completely abstain, being in an environment where it’s more common to be wobbly makes it so much harder to enjoy yourself without getting on it.

I never drank or did drugs until university as it felt like the ‘right thing to do’. My philosophy on it was that if there was a time to do it, it would be then. I notoriously have an addictive personality so this would be one of those decisions that would be quite difficult to undo. I was also one of those people who never know when enough was enough and would often take it way too far. One of my worst memories was when I was hosting a party at my house, and I spent at least an hour outside just sniffing aerosols and doing ketamine.

That’s just one example of many situations where what I was doing could’ve been lethal and I never got the hint at the time. It was only until March 2024 when I got the unfortunate call that my friend had died. Instead of taking that time to be sad and grieve properly, I went out and got so messed up that I lost friends, embarrassed myself and got really ill. I remember waking up properly 2 days after that and swearing to myself that I would never touch it again. It had to take something so serious for me to finally be able to quit.

Since then I haven’t had a drop of alcohol or touched substances which I’m really proud of and I have no intention of starting again. I feel really lucky because I managed to survive all the crazy nights I used to have and for the majority of my sobriety journey, I haven’t really had cravings to go back.

Going raving actually helped me to stay sober as I’d notice a lot of small subtleties that kept me away. Here’s a few:

• Less Anxiety - I’d never noticed but constantly hiding substances to get past security or trying to be sneaky in the crowd built my anxiety up as I didn’t want to be kicked out. I travelled a lot to gigs but yet I would still be taking substances and so the anxiety/risk of getting seen was high
• Seeing others - I started to observe the dancefloor more and actually see what was happening. Sometimes I’d get to a rave at 11pm and by 11:30pm, security are already taking people out that had taken it too far. Buying drinks in clubs has always been an expensive venture, so people often substitute that for other things and poorly time it.
• No hangovers - I’m not gonna lie, I was a wimp when it came to hangovers. I really struggled to do anything the next day and mostly just stayed in bed with the curtains shut. Being able to go to a rave until 4am, then wake up next day able to go out and still attend plans is something I never knew I’d be able to do
• Less money - For me, I was a double rum and Coke/pineapple drinker and if they had it in, Wray and nephews. A double usually took me back about £11-£16 a drink so on average I would be spending a minimum of £100 a night which is so unsustainable
• Afters - Going to certain afters actually helped me realise how bad I used to be. That was my time to go wild as there was no security and the other people also wanted to get messy too. It was a breeding ground for self-sabotage and I didn’t know any better

I must say that I don’t think everyone should go sober. If you’re able to have a good time and know your limits, there’s no reason to completely abstain. It’s all about the personal self. I struggle with taking it easy and so I have to stay clear from it but a couple of my friends can have a couple drinks and they’re fine so listen to what your body can handle. For me I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything because I’m just doing it anyway. I thought boomtown would be where I caved as I was always told how weird and fun that place is when on drugs but I had such a good time regardless, it never crossed my mind.

If you’re thinking about going sober and still want to continue raving, here’s some of the things I’ve done to get by without cravings:

• Listen to your body: whenever I go to a rave now, I mentally check in with my body every now and then. Not being drunk or under influence often means that I get tired easier and earlier, need to stretch up and I need to stay hydrated. Listening to these signals will help to improve your raving experience
• New crowd: going raving with people who know your situation will help to make you so much more comfortable, and will help you to get used to the new style. I don’t mind telling people I’m sober but if that’s a struggle to you, just don’t say anything. You’re allowed that right
• Smokers: I’ve met some cool people in the smoking area and even though I don’t smoke myself, I still like to converse with people or get away from the rave for a much needed break. Going to the smokers when things are getting intense can alleviate some cravings without having to go home
• Limit the bar: I don’t really go to the bar too much during an event, I start the night with water or a soft drink, then use the water points throughout the night. Even though I currently don’t have any cravings, reducing the time at the bar can help to avoid drinking alcohol

My DMs are always open about this sort of stuff because I think it’s really important that people get the help they deserve and understand how to navigate the problems that occur. I lost a lot of friends when I went sober as I didn’t go out much to begin with. The temptation was too high and that wasn’t good enough for some people, they wanted an excuse to get messy also. That was a weird thing to learn and go through but it makes sense; a lot of these people I met in the rave or at an afters. Of course that’s what they’re interested in.

At the end of the day, I’ve managed more than 2.5 years of sobriety now and I’m not alone. Garston is a great example as she is still in the music industry down in London, where alcohol usage and drugs go hand in hand and is often a social pressure. She’s managed to do incredibly well and continue to do the things she loves whilst also taking care of herself. There’s many other artists that either are fully sober, or take regular breaks. Try and attend a rave sober, see how you feel!

If drugs are becoming too much of a problem, talk to FRANK: https://talktofrank.com/