{"id":50542,"title":"Being a grown Up Sucks.","description":"From Warehouse Raves to PTA Meetings: The Rave Generation","content":"

From Warehouse Raves to PTA Meetings: The Rave Generation Grows Up<\/strong><\/h2>

We were the kids of the '80s\u2014raised on VHS tapes, BMX bikes, and Saturday morning cartoons. By the time the '90s hit, we were teenagers with undercuts, Spliffy jeans, and a Walkman full of Nirvana, Prodigy, and pirate radio recordings. We didn\u2019t just listen to music\u2014we lived it. And for many of us, that meant raving.<\/p>

Before the Selfie: A World Without Phones<\/strong><\/h3>

Back then, there were no Instagram stories, no TikTok trends. If you wanted to find the party, you followed a flyer, a mate\u2019s tip-off, or a number on a phone box that led you to a field in the middle of nowhere. You didn\u2019t film the moment\u2014you were in the moment<\/em>. The only thing glowing was your whistle, your glow sticks, and the lasers cutting through the smoke.<\/p>

Now? Our kids document every second of their lives. They have filters, followers, and FOMO. We had mud, mystery, and music that made your chest thump.<\/p>

From Britpop to Helter Skelter<\/strong><\/h3>

Some of us came up through Britpop\u2014Oasis, Blur, Pulp\u2014before diving headfirst into the underground. Others skipped the guitars and went straight to the bass bins of Helter Skelter, Dreamscape, and Fantazia. Happy hardcore, jungle, trance\u2014it didn\u2019t matter what genre, as long as it was loud, fast, and euphoric.<\/p>

We danced in warehouses, forests, and fields. We climbed fences, dodged security, and made lifelong friends in the middle of nowhere. There was a sense of freedom that\u2019s hard to explain to anyone who wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>

Then vs. Now: The Culture Shift<\/strong><\/h3>

Today, we\u2019re parents. We pack lunches, attend school plays, and try to explain to our kids why we don\u2019t have many photos from \u201cback then.\u201d We tell them about the time we saw Forces and Stykes, Dougle, Unknown (if you know you know), if you don\u2019t know you\u2019re either too young or you weren\u2019t there) in a barn or danced until sunrise at a service station rave. They look at us like we\u2019re making it up.<\/p>

But we\u2019re not. We were there. We are<\/em> the rave generation.<\/p>

And now? We\u2019re a little older, a little greyer\u2014but the beat still lives in us. We might not be pulling all-nighters anymore, but when that old-school track hits, we remember. We remember who we were, and maybe, just maybe, we remember who we still are (that said many of us don\u2019t really remember anything anymore)<\/p>

Dads (and Mums) Go Raving<\/strong><\/h3>

This isn\u2019t about reliving the past\u2014it\u2019s about reconnecting with the part of ourselves that danced like no one was watching. Because back then, no one was<\/em> watching. And maybe that\u2019s what made it so special. And no video circulating online of your stupid outfit and awkward dance moves.<\/p>

So here\u2019s to the middle-aged ravers. The ones who swapped glow sticks for car keys, but never lost the rhythm. You\u2019re not alone. And you\u2019re not done yet.<\/p>

Set You Free.<\/strong><\/p>","urlTitle":"being-a-grown-up-sucks","url":"\/blog\/being-a-grown-up-sucks\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/being-a-grown-up-sucks\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/dadsgo.teemill.com\/blog\/being-a-grown-up-sucks\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1751911547,"updatedAt":1751912084,"publishedAt":1751912083,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":402655,"name":"Dads Go"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ukwyvzdgg9ibfh4bbwolv3p1vvks74isx0aqfpvvlhi9kjt0.png","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ukwyvzdgg9ibfh4bbwolv3p1vvks74isx0aqfpvvlhi9kjt0.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ukwyvzdgg9ibfh4bbwolv3p1vvks74isx0aqfpvvlhi9kjt0.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":50458,"title":"From Glowsticks to Grocery Runs: The Rave Dads of the '90s","url":"\/blog\/from-glowsticks-to-grocery-runs-the-rave-dads-of-the-90-s\/","urlTitle":"from-glowsticks-to-grocery-runs-the-rave-dads-of-the-90-s","division":402655,"description":"Dads, come back to light (strobe).","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/nk1fbc9byde17vzwtzlcxzaikqcvbddrvzz5qxuedfmxqdjh.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/nk1fbc9byde17vzwtzlcxzaikqcvbddrvzz5qxuedfmxqdjh.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":50460,"title":"Top 90s Rave Playlists","url":"\/blog\/top-90-s-rave-playlists\/","urlTitle":"top-90-s-rave-playlists","division":402655,"description":"\ud83d\udd0a Top 90s Rave Playlists\ud83c\udfb6","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/a56ionhqfb1vihzesynst4uudvxyqexyyuci6rytrv3djkpv.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/a56ionhqfb1vihzesynst4uudvxyqexyyuci6rytrv3djkpv.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":50459,"title":"What '90s Raves Were Really Like","url":"\/blog\/what-90-s-raves-were-really-like\/","urlTitle":"what-90-s-raves-were-really-like","division":402655,"description":"\ud83c\udfa7 The Soundtrack of a Revolution","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2zfvstnnqydvqnulnlbz5hffl4o4hqkl5djm5vx2awlbsdu2.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2zfvstnnqydvqnulnlbz5hffl4o4hqkl5djm5vx2awlbsdu2.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}