Helter Skelter Rave Organisation
Helter Skelter , Fairacre South Newington Rd , Bloxham,
Banbury
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Helter Skelter is very highly acclaimed and specialises in the organisation of world class dance music events and club nights, predominantly in the United Kingdom. The organisation was founded in September 1989 - in the midst of the Acid House party era - when a young David Pratley set out with a group of close friends, including his girlfriend Penny, to host an enormous outdoor dance party. David, Penny, and friends collaborated to organise the party after being inspired by the early Spectrum and Land of Oz nights which took place at the club named Heaven, and outdoor Sunrise events.
Having no prior experience of event promotion and organisation, the team of organisers had a mammoth task on their hands. They soon found that their fairground background was of huge assistance to their plans. Their connections that had been established over the years by travelling the nation with the fairgrounds provided them with a network which enabled them to promote the event on an underground level. Being able to get the word and flyers out on the underground was essential, because at that time it was illegal to host an Acid House party - especially a large scale outdoor event.
Unfortunately, the authorities soon heard about the planned dance party. An interview with Thames police was broadcast on Central Television news warning land owners and farmers that a group of young men were on the search for land to host an illegal party. After some investigation the police found out the identity's of the organisers, and tried to ban one of them from their home county for a period running up to, and over, the advertised date of the event. Despite the efforts of the establishment, the event went ahead on land belonging to a farm in Oxfordshire (much of which was down to the aggressive negotiations between the QC Helter Skelter hired, and the authorities). However, this didn't deter the police from setting up road blocks and putting up road signs that read, 'Helter Skelter', pointing away from the party site, on the night, in order to stop, and confuse, the convoys of cars making their way there.
Those many revellers who did beat the police tactics, and get to the event, enjoyed a night of entertainment in the company of a huge selection of major US and UK House music djs and artists including; Frankie Bones, Lolletta Holloway (who performed the original 'Right On Time' lyrics), Nicky Hot Mix Five Oliver, Eddie Richards, KLF, Jomanda, 2 In A Room, Karia, Mark Moore, Ce Ce Rogers, Lil Louis, Jazzy M, Ralph Rosario, and Jolly Roger, to mention but a few.
Many people ask where the name 'Helter Skelter' originated from. The inspiration came from the fact that all the organisers of the first party had in common the word Helter Skelter for one reason or another. In the years that followed the first legendary Helter Skelter event, David Pratley started promoting and organising Helter Skelter nights at the club Milwaukees (also the original home of Dreamscape). He then leased his own venue - an old cinema in Telford which he and some friends renovated and transformed into a club. Helter Skelter nights were run there, and guest promoters including Fantazia, Obsession, Quest, Pandemonium, Amnesia House and Dance Trance hosted events there also. In 1993 David took Helter Skelter to a new venue. At Telford, David had become more of a club manager and owner than promoter, which was not the route he wanted to take, so he decided to close Telford,
After taking a break for a few months he began hosting events at the 3000 capacity Sanctuary Music Arena near Milton Keynes. The regular events at the Sanctuary rapidly became a massive success. The Helter Skelter name gained national credibility, and thousands of party goers began travelling from all regions of the country to experience the unique electric Helter Skelter atmosphere. The combination of a warehouse environment, high class production, major artists, and the right mix of like minded people, captivated the dance party going fraternity. It wasn't long before many were calling Helter Skelter a 'legend in the making.' Helter Skelter parties underwent an expansion in the mid-ninetees, when a second aircraft hangar sized arena - next door to the Sanctuary called Rollers - was taken on so to cater for 8000 people. Between the two arenas, an outdoor complex was created, which featured a SONY Playstation zone, free fairground rides, cafe's and other types of recreational facilities. Helter Skelter began referring to each of these events as 'Villages of Futuristic Recreation.'
The success of the double-arena parties prompted the Helter Skelter team to organise their biggest party to date - Energy '97 - The Carnival of Dance. The Energy '97 festival took place at Turweston Aerodrome in Northants (now the site of the Gatecrasher Summer Sound System festivals). This astronomical Helter Skelter outdoor festival sold out, attracting 18,000 revellers in all. Huge marquees featured genres of dance music ranging from Drum'n'Bass, to Techno, to House, to Hardcore. The night was clear, warm, and truly exciting. To this day many individuals, who were of the youth generation then, still hold this event as one of their fondest memories of partying. Helter Skelter returned to the site of the Sanctuary to host the double-arena events that David had started hosting prior to Energy '97. The parties continued in their established pattern of success for another two and a half years, and then David and his wife Penny, and his event management team came to a decision to draw the Helter Skelter era to a close New Years Eve 1999, at the turn of the century. Their reasons were simple; the entire team was exhausted. David and Penny had worked solidly at running Helter Skelter for ten years. They and the team were at burn out point. They had spent nearly every waking hour promoting, organising, creating innovative concepts, and inventing new aspects that could improve Helter Skelter events each and every time. They all sadly agreed that it was time to stop. The news was announced - and the reaction from the loyal Helter Skelter following was one of sadness and disbelief. The 'Millennium Jam' was the last event of this type. Helter Skelter was laid to rest, and no one, not even David, Penny, or the team, believed that Helter Skelter would return....
But after a year out spent recharging their batteries, David began to feel that he was to take up the challenge again, and resurrect the sleeping giant. The team reunited, and began working together again. New ideas and concepts began to flow from their refreshed creative minds, and Helter Skelter returned, with the come back event being hosted at the 5000 people capacity venue Bowlers, in Manchester, in association with the Northern dance music organisation Compulsion. The party was a hit success, selling out in a very short amount of time. Helter Skelter also returned to the Sanctuary Music Arena in Milton Keynes, but this time with a new concept. David collaborated with the event management team from Club Sidewinder, and introduced specialist Drum'n'Bass events, which were later branded Accelerated Culture. Accelerated Culture has fast become one of the most renowned, a credible, Drum'n'Bass event entertainment brands in the United Kingdom. Not only have these world-class events featured the cream of Drum'n'Bass artists and djs, including Kosheen, Roni Size, Shy FX, Craze, Grooverider, Hype, and Fabio, they have become recognised by the superclub industry also. Godskitchen, the major superclub promoter, invited Helter Skelter and Sidewinder to host a 5000 people Accelerated Culture arena arena at their first Global Gathering festival, held in the summer of 2001. An Accelerated Culture arena has also been confirmed for Global Gathering 2002, due to the incredible success of last years arena. Currently, Helter Skelter are hosting the majority of their Accelerated Culture events at the Sanctuary Music Arena. However, the latest development is that the Accelerated Culture superclub is due to open at CODE, in Birmingham. CODE is the award winning superclub which acts as home to Godskitchen. As well as Accelerated Culture events taking place at the Sanctuary, Helter Skelter have introduced a concept called Deja Vu.
Deja Vu is the identity for dedicated Helter Skelter Old Skool retro events. Each of these events is an authentic reproduction of what partying was about in the early days of the dance music scene. The djs and artists who perform at these events played out in the early days, and they kick out classic sounds that truly recapture the original atmosphere and euphoria of the past era. Helter Skelter will be touching down with Deja Vu for the first time ever on the Balearic sun drenched island of Ibiza. The superclub Es Paradis will play host to these classic Old Skool parties on Sundays, commencing the 30 June through to the closing party on the 8 September 2002. Accelerated Culture and Deja Vu events generally take place at what Helter Skelter term as superparties, together in Milton Keynes. The superparties are basically 2 events in one. The superparties are a new concept, a new style of party, which capture the best of the warehouse party atmosphere, whilst merging that with the glittering production of a world class superclub, and the vibrant fun of a festival. This could be the beginning of a new scene for a generation in search of new kicks. Let's wait and see....
Helter Skelter - it's history has been long and varied. To date nearly half a million people have attended the events which David, Penny and colleagues have hosted. The events have catered for a world of genres, and have featured djs and artists from the Prodigy to Kosheen, Carl Cox to Judge Jules, Altern 8 to Slipmatt, Mark EG to Scorpio, to Grooverider and Hype. The future now looks bright. You too have the chance to experience this dance music legend. Do it!
