Hey guys, so I wanted to take some time to talk about everybody's favorite topic: etiquette. I decided to take a moment to write about this one because I have had a million conversations with my friends about some of the horrible behavior we have been seeing at festivals recently and then following probably the most annoying night ever at a show recently. I think we can all agree that nothing that will kill your vibe like being shoved out of the way by someone while you are standing your own business and trying to groove to your favorite DJ’s set. I know that I constantly talk about what wonderful experiences I have and how open an accepting the rave community is, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t all try to be a little bit more conscious of the people around us. We are all spending a pretty decent amount of money to go to these events, and some members of our community can only afford to go to one or two events a year, which means that we want our one or two festivals to be as close to a perfect experience as we can.

IF YOU NEED TO MOVE THROUGH A CROWD, DON’T SHOVE PEOPLE. Honestly, this might be the most annoying thing I have ever seen in my entire life. There is nothing like being shoved out of the way by some irritating drunk who was clearly never taught manners by their parents. So, don’t be that person. Like please, don’t be that person. If you need to move through a crowd, say ‘sorry,’ and “excuse me.” Yeah, it can get kind of annoying hearing yourself apologize over and over, but honestly, If you are apologetic and smile and act you know, like a decent person, I will get out of your way. It’s as simple as that. Just don’t be a jerk, say excuse me, and you might actually get through the crowd much faster.

IF IT SAYS NO FLASH, DON’T TURN ON YOUR FUCKING FLASH. This one is a little bit more for warehouse parties, but I think you also should take this into consideration at festivals. Most warehouse parties will specifically say in the info that you need to turn off your flash, but if you are at a festival and want to take a video first stop and think about your surroundings. There is nothing worse than having someone's bright ass flash in your eyes while you are trying to enjoy your evening. As I said, it’s way less annoying in festival settings where there is just going to be more ambient light, but at a warehouse party or even in a club, just take a look around before you start with the flash, or maybe do it not in the middle of the dance floor.

DON’T LEAVE YOUR TRASH ON THE GROUND. This Is one of the most irritating things at events, and it is easy to prevent. If you had a drink or a can don’t leave it on the ground. There are always trash cans, and it’s not like you are going to need to trek a million miles to find one. When you leave your trash on the ground, you are not only making the cleanup way harder for the event staff you are also leaving tripping hazards on the ground for anybody wear platforms. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have almost taken a spill because some jerk didn’t want to walk ten feet to the trashcan.

IF YOU SEE SOMEONE VIBING, DON’T BOTHER THEM. This is an important one and one that I feel like isn’t brought up enough. If you see someone is dancing and super into it, don’t bother them. Definitely, don’t try and hit on them. Just let them be. If you really want to go and compliment them on their outfit or whatever, wait until the song is over before you approach them. No one wants to lose their vibe because you were being pushy.

IF YOU SEE SOMEONE IN NEED, HELP. If you see someone, particularly looking lost or sick, and they are by themselves, please try and help them. You don’t need to be aggressive about it, sometimes all you need to ask is a simple ‘you good” but you could make the difference in someone's night. Festivals and raves can be incredibly hectic, and it is easy to get lost in the experience, but in the grand scheme of things it is better that you take a moment to focus on someone that might need help, then it is to ignore them and hope for the best.

BE KIND. BE RESPECTFUL. TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. You should always treat others the way you wanted to be treated in any situation, but I think sometimes people forget about this during the festival high. Don’t be rude to staff, clean up after yourself, and be kind to the other event attendees. If really isn’t that difficult to not be an asshole.