SCOTLAND’S first daytime rave takes place in Glasgow next month, offering a range of well-being activities as well as a line-up of DJs and a healthy breakfast.
Early Risers Rave aims to offer partygoers a “clean-living experience” where cocktails are swapped for a chill-out area by Danish interior designers BoConcept and pill-popping is replaced by porridge and positivity.
The event, says organiser Gary Goldie, aims to give “people the opportunity to start their day in the best possible way, by having a dance to some great tunes with friends and in a super sociable environment”.
Goldie, who is bringing the concept to Scotland after attending similar events in San Francisco and London, says Early Rise Ravers is ideal for people who love going dancing and want to lead a healthier life.
A personal trainer as well as party organiser, Goldie is responsible for the health and fitness side of the event, which features drop-in sessions for yoga, Pilates and shadow boxing.
“We want to engage folk who maybe would be going to the gym before work anyway, to come along and have a nice positive experience first thing in the morning,” says Goldie, who hopes April’s event will be the first of a regular programme of Early Rise Ravers.
He continues: “In Scotland, we are not great at preparing ourselves for the day. My current morning situation is quite stressful. We get our daughter up and ready for nursery or going to grandparents, getting through the traffic. By the time you get to work, you can find you are not really in the best mind-set.”
The event, which is open to over-14s accompanied by an adult, will see a set from DJ Griff, a Glasgow-based DJ popular in Ibiza who was an early backer of the idea.
Goldie has also been in talks with mental health organisations and groups which work with young people, such as Quarriers, about the positive impact such an event can have.
“What I loved about the morning raves in London and San Francisco was that you are shoulder-to-shoulder with people who are smiling and having fun,” he says. “There was an inclusive environment and I want to create that here and make it for as broad a spectrum of people as possible.
“We want people to engage and be more proactive in creating positivity and better health for themselves. When we feel better, we all get on better, are less critical of each other, we would be less upset with each other.”
Goldie says that the event has had a few vocal critics on social media – not unusual for any new enterprise.
“We’ve had people say this is sacrilege, that rave is not about yoga,” he says.
“Who said there are gatekeepers about what rave is and isn’t? But for every negative nelly, I’ve had people message me to say they support it and want to get involved. Once we do the first one, we will have photographs and be able to show people what it’s like.”
He adds: “This is a learning process for me too, and encouraging people to get on board with the idea, building it up, is something we’ll keep working on.”
The personal trainer says the mental health aspect is something he is keen to develop.
“For me, being a young guy, within my group of about 12 close friends, there are at least three or four of us who have mentioned struggling with their mental health,” Goldie says.
“I especially want to create a space where guys can dance, have fun, be around other people where it doesn’t have to be alcohol-focused, it doesn’t have to lead on to taking drugs. It might take time, but I’m prepared to work on it.”
April 11, SWG3, Glasgow, 6.30am to 9.30am, £12.50 (+ booking fee). Tickets: bit.ly/EarlyRisersApr19 swg3.tv
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