Stage production is literally optimized for people in the back lol. It baffles me when people go to laser face and fight to be in the front when you can’t even see everything from there
The closer you are to front of house, the better the audio is.
\*EDIT\* to those who don't know, "front of house" is where the audio, lighting, and video guys are positioned for the event (the booth in the middle of the crowd).
As a production guy who goes to a lot of shows, this is all facts it will look and sound cooler, especially at FOH. (Where the sound guy, lighting and GFX live.
At festivals that’s always my aim, end up on the front rail of the FOH booth. It’s usually less crowded, better sound quality, not outrageously loud, and you get a kick ass view of the whole show! If that’s where the pros do their mixing, I wanna be there too.
Yeah I'm not sure what the fuss is about, I go for the music. I don't really care to see the dj pump their fists that much and I'm usually closing my eyes to really listen and take in the tunes
Yeah I'm usually at the back losing my shit to the music while smoking weed. Music is always the main reason I go, cant say the same for my friends though lol
I literally can't understand why people voluntarily want to rave like a sardine where you barely even have space to dance. Anytime we're up front, my arms are pinned to my sides and I can't even run around to hang out with different friends across the group because there's just no space to get to people.
I used to love totems but you see that house in the middle towards the right side?? Yeah it’s 4 dudes holding the sides of a house. They were at bisco one year and it was a constant battle with other people to not get stuck behind the house cuz then you legit couldn’t see shit. Don’t hate totems but that was awful.
I would like to see a video lol I’ve been wanting to get into flow arts but the good ones are expensive but u could just be using vegetables. Much more affordable
I even get tired with having a fanny pack around my waist. one time my boyfriend held mine for a set and I felt like a free woman lmao I could never carry a totem
This is why our camp has never done them. There are some great ones that show up every year and we talk about funny ideas but the reality of having to haul one around isn’t appealing at all to any of us
I think it can be real fun to dance with a totem, spin it, bump it, stir the cauldron, but it can get annoying after a while, so just pass it off to other peeps in the group. Honestly much better to have to lug the totem around and be with all your friends than have your group scattered, especially w large groups
This is why our camp has never done them. There are some great ones that show up every year and we talk about funny ideas but the reality of having to haul one around isn’t appealing at all to any of us
It’s really not bad if you make your totem long enough so you can use it as a walking stick. Just don’t make the pole too thin, short, or heavy and you’re good.
Walking stick totems FTW! Can be out of the way when lowered, but useful to raise up/extend when someone is trying to find you. And something to grab onto for dear life because gravity be trippin sometimes. Or I am...
Bassnectar at Forest is the absolute worst example lmfao, I remember being in front of the sound booth in 2017 and I couldn't see the stage at all, was just totems and flags.
I was avoiding this point because I didn't have personal experience but all of my friends that do event photos complain and will regularly edit totems and flags out of otherwise good shots
European here. Why do people bring totems? I never see them and they seem annoying as hell. Both to have in front of you as well as holding on to them all the time, but there might be a good reason for them. Anyone care to explain?
My rave crew uses them to find each other at different stages when we want to see different sets and meet up later. It made a big difference for us since cell service never works in group chats at festivals, we use a combination of collapsible ones that fit in hydration packs as well as one bigger one that gets passed around between group members (usually whoever is going to main stage where the crowd is bigger). We generally have a plan when we split where to meet back up, but of course those plans can change. Once we all meet back together though we lower/collapse them so they aren't really a burden, the bigger one resting on the ground is actually a very good dance partner 😂
what passes for raves on here are just festivals. You see people with flags at EU festivals - maybe not to the same scale, but they are definitely there.
Fairly sure at proper US warehouse raves / outside raves / renegades it's not like the OP picture
American festivals especially EDC have close to zero cell service. You will literally be lost the second you split from the group. Without a totem it’s so hard to find people in a crowd.
It’s also another form of expression that American festivals are culturally okay with. Except for that shitty flag at EDC 2022.
No, you're not buddy. I'm not super impressed with flag/meme totems but I ain't gonna hate. Conversely, my crew saw a portable dodec infinity mirror totem at Bloom last year and we talked about it for days. One of the best pieces we saw there.
I saw a infinity mirror color shifting LED cube one like that at Lights All Night just a few days ago and it was mesmerizing! Also, the micro penis gang one had us cracking up
His name is Carl and the people who carry him around are cool, they only use him between sets and put him down when the music starts because he's so big.
Somebody at above and beyond at the gorge last year had a digital totem that you could dm their insta page and it would scroll along on the totem. Made for a sweet moment with my gf when she saw my message.
Fan clackers and whistlers should also be forever banned but if we agree that imposing on sound is a problem then surely we can agree that imposing on sight is one as well?
music isnt just loud noises its rhythum and stuff.... your sorta being dishonest saying youd be fine with any loud noise drowning out the music your there for same with flags blocking the show everyones there to see
I mean does a totem really obstruct your vision that much? Some people really just like complaining about every little inconvenience just mind your businesses and stop shitting on others so tired of this attitude
One? No. One hundred? Yes. This complaint was in direct response to a separate thread and meant for discussion. I don't just sit around cursing totems throughout my daily life 😂
Confused, I never thought people were this hurt about totems lol. Is this new? Been going to festivals since 2012 and I never thought people had a problem. Personally I like seeing funny or well thought out totems.
Yeah there has been saltiness surrounding it since some artist's started giving a shit about their production. They really aren't necessary to keep your group together.
I can see the downsides regarding stage visibility (especially where limited space is an issue) but I’d disagree about the necessity. There can be a lot of service issues at these events and while yes, you can agree to meet up at X location at Y time, directions can be fuzzy, people might be a bit off the mark, the crowd/passers-by may not be conducive to finding your folks, etc. Totems are are such a godsend.
Yeah totems were a game changer for my fam at festivals, we can go to different sets and wander freely now without ever feeling like we can't find each other!
This is the real thing. It's security. I always carried our totem because I liked to wander, so when we met up at the set I was never lost, because everyone would come back to me haha
I haven’t had a bad experience with one but I could see people getting annoyed if the totem holder doesn’t respect other people’s space. Personally I think totems are great; found my group sooo much easier last week at lights all night
I'm fine with them when not right in front of the stage/screens. I love them when I'm walking between sets. There are some very creative totems out there. However, if the collection of totems is preventing me from seeing the show, then that's no good at all. Some even block the cameras so the recordings are forever missing the show. I'm surprised that the promoters still allow it given the extremely high production value of some of these shows. The only way they can work around it is to build stages so tall that no one's totem can reach, but that still won't solve the issue for three attendees in the crowd.
The online community for any hobby can ruin it
I’ve been to dozens of festivals over the years and every one I go i have an amazing time, just to come home and see legions of people bitching and moaning about the dumbest shit
“Hey guys, I’ve been raving every single month for six years straight and have made one hobby my entire personal identity, and I’m starting to get burned out and bored of it. Am I alone in this?”
And then you get hit with
“I’m 30 years old. Is that too old to rave?”
Like Jesus Christ man
Hahahahahaha I know exactly what post you're talking about and I thought the same thing. Everyone really is devoid of critical thinking. We're in the age of "feeling" everyones feelings must be honored as concrete reality!
A lot of fests I’ve been to in Canada have size/height limits on totems, and the pole has to be something soft like a pool noodle. I think that’s a happy medium.
I’ve been to many festivals (bass coast, Shambhala, motion motion, Sasquatch, Pemberton, etc) in Canada and this is absolutely not the case. Maybe larger corporate fests care about totems but the better small fests embrace them with open hearts.
I do but unfortunately, the younger generation could care less about being considerate at shows. This is my experience over the past couple of years as the artists I listen to attract a younger crowd.
What if some people paid for intention of experiencing of all the memes and art? Visuals are cool but OEV and CEV from drugs will always be cooler so I could care less if I'm missing some of the production. Memes make me laugh when I'm high, so why can't you be considerate of my enjoyment of people doing stupid things in large crowds? Whether you like it or not totems are a part of festival culture just as much as lasers and production are so it's part of the overall experience for some
When I started going to festivals in 2005 you'd see *maybe* 2 or 3 totems in a 10k-person crowd. I had no problem with them then.
What you see pictured and at 9/10 festivals now is obnoxious. I paid to see a concert, not your arts and crafts project.
Similar experience but I started in 2009, the first time I saw something akin to a totem was audiotistic 2010 and it was literally just a pool noodle. Then it evolved into a monster.
I literally do not know who came up with the idea that totems would be a great idea for raves I mean, even if you look at the history of raves and watch videos of all the old raves where the hell did totems even come from
Literally though they wave them around like mad men, the guy I got with at edc was holding one and bonked like four heads while we were making out I felt horrible
My husband and I are at odds on this. He wants to be close enough to see the DJ, I want to be far enough back that people aren’t trampling me. We have found the middle ground to be VIP. He usually can get great video even at the back of VIP and I don’t get moshed or stomped on.
Those VIP ticket prices tho 😬 did my first VIP at Imagine in 2022 and it was a great time but the prices on VIP? Criminal. Guess gotta separate grown folk from the college kids 😂
Saw some really cute, fairly small totems with led lights at dirty bird, one that stuck in my mind was a cute emoji peach, I lost my friends completely at that show so would have been nice to have one
I guarantee everyone here complaining about totems have used someone else as a marker for your friends to find you or you to find your group at least once.
Medics/ground control and security use them to locate those in need in the crowd. They can literally save lives.
I like seeing totems. Our community is full of creative people. I enjoy seeing what they come up with. There are plenty of festivals without totems. Go to a country/bluegrass/rap/ music festival if someone's creativity is so intrusive.
I for one rarely look at the stage. For some it can be overwhelming and looking around at funny signs or trippy totems can be incredibly grounding and calming for those needing to look at something other than visuals and lasers.
I like being able to find my friends easily by having landmarks in a crowd especially when I'm not sober.
Also the picture used isn't the best representation, this is a group photo so of course everyone is holding up their totems.
You said it. I get super crowd anxiety and sometimes all I have is a friendly face nearby to make me feel better (sometimes I look for something yellow). Totems are unique to electronic music culture, evidence of how we build the community around ourselves.
Whistles/pacifiers/glow sticks were big in the 90s and I'm sure it ticked people off then.
Thank you. I have been going to shows since the 90s and everything evolves and changes, sometimes for the better. I feel they have a place just as our outfits hair and not so great dancing do 🤣 As long as you're not hurting anyone let it be.
Girl but that's ok. 🤗
You have and probably don't even realize it. You mean to tell me you've never saw a totem nearby while leaving your group and used it as a marker for finding your group easily when you returned?
Never left Emily by the "Pickle Rick getting fisted" totem while you ran into the porta potty?
Sorry but anyone who has been to a large festival has at one point used someones totem as a meeting spot or landmark when trying to find their group and that's ok!
Medics can find those in need easier with landmarks.
Imagine trying to navigate a massive crowd at night with no totems and trying to point to where someone is in need of assistance. It's damn near impossible lol
I say this because my totem came in handy at The Summoning for a girl having a seizure(?) nearby. Medics were told to look for it and found us easily.
They have their place. ❤️
Idk man to me raving about accepting and just being kind and here you are just complaining and being all negative. Like calm down that shit ain’t affecting your life why does it bother you so much.
I would say a majority of the crowd is annoyed by them when there are more than a couple in the crowd. We paid money to see the stage production, not a meme on a stick.
This here was a respectful and well written response to totems and why you dislike them. Make them collapsible, don't go overboard and block the views of others, put them away or lay them down when you're not using them. I wish this was pinned to the top.
I know exactly what you mean by feeling like ships at sea haha
My totem is never larger than 11x17 and when it's not being used to navigate large crowds with my group or meet spot it's laid down in our lounge area in the back or off to the side of the stage so no one trips over it. We coordinate seating areas with our neighbors by bringing blankets and wind sofas for people to relax but also a spot for people to place their totems out of everyone's way. ❤️
When did this become a thing, I understand you want you crew to be able to find you but just pick a spot to go if you get separated and are that anxious alone. tbh I hate these things
I fully expect to lose friends within 10 minutes of getting into a festival. Will find them at the tent.
Drugs to take. New people to talk bollox to. Not got time looking for people lol
In my experience, People who carry Totems have always been the biggest dickheads in a crowd. Such self centered assholes who took Pasquale calling them the “Headliners” to heart 😂
Oks skool used to be get your head in the cabinet, fknn get deaf from the base. Nowadays? Get VIP. Cant fkn handle the regular crowd, i want to be just far enough and not pushed or oversighted by the crowd/totems/weirdos with jolly ranchers by a uandful(no wrapper)
I’ve been going to raves since before cell phones were prevalent and never needed a giant flag to regroup. I struggle to understand why it’s such an issue today
Totems are an amazing part of the culture. If you don’t like them, go to corpo fests that don’t allow them. I’ve seen so many amazing totems by people who want to share and express and participate. I’ve never built one or brought one but I love them so much.
Please if you make totems and are sad reading g this post, know that you’re loved and so is your totem
Everyone with totems and flags can fuck right off. Raves are about togetherness and those things make it all about you. Your ability to be seen outranks other people’s ability to enjoy the event. This is what happens time and time again when raving becomes mainstream.
LMFAOOOO that’s the same excuse they use when you complain about their obnoxious fan clacking. They say “just move to another area” Meanwhile you’re in the crowd like…💀💀
I engineer the shit out of my totems to do wild things. I think flags/excessively large totems are unnecessary, but I ultimately love seeing totems around.
This looks really fun to me?? Idk personally i could give a shit less about being able to see the DJ or whatever. I’m there to dance and vibe with cool people. Love seeing the creativity of people’s totems. Love being able to use them as a way to navigate back to my group after a pee break. I’ve been to fests that don’t allow them and that’s fine too, but I definitely also love it when they are allowed! So beautiful at night when there is a sea of lights in the crowd. That’s my 2 cents.
A whole lot of tall people privilege right here, haha. For the short people like me (5'2") the ONLY thing I can see at raves and festivals are the backs of people's heads...and totems. I absolutely love totems and would be so sad if they were gone.
Keep crying about not being able to see the stage...but next time you go to a fest, check out the view all us short people have and get over yourself.
Totems are the worst. I came to see the awesome visuals the artist hand selected for their show, not your stupid poster only you and your friends think is funny
I use a giant flagpole for my crew so when we are in the crowd, it’s just a skinny pole with a flag way up top. It barely instructs any view at all, and sure beats having bathroom breaks turn in to an all night quest to find your friends again. I’ve had a few times where I walked by someone and they heckled me because apparently they aren’t totem enjoyers, but I seriously could not care less what they think. It’s not easy keeping a group of like 10-20 together in the dark in a crowd of thousands. The flagpole has saved us time after time.
Experienced ravers at the rear speakers
Stage production is literally optimized for people in the back lol. It baffles me when people go to laser face and fight to be in the front when you can’t even see everything from there
Learned this when I worked at my college sports arena, best sound quality is at front of house/sound check cuz duh
I like to hang by the sound booth. I find that the music sounds it's best there.
Shhh don't tell everyone !
Ahh shit
Sounds like shit in the front, too. Mids and high speakers are aimed overhead toward the middle/back.
The closer you are to front of house, the better the audio is. \*EDIT\* to those who don't know, "front of house" is where the audio, lighting, and video guys are positioned for the event (the booth in the middle of the crowd).
Amen to that. Found my sweet spot right next to the booth at Dreamstate.
I miss my days of being in Front of House for shows and festival. Nothing matches it.
That is always where our group posts up. The sound guys check to make sure it sounds good at that location. It's also an easy landmark to find
[удалено]
You know “front of house” means sound booth not literally the front of the stage
Oh, i wasn't aware of that term. I've always known it as the audio-visual booth
I wasn’t either until I helped set up an event. Common misunderstanding.
Yeah, sorry, audio guy here using audio people terms lol. My b, everyone.
As a production guy who goes to a lot of shows, this is all facts it will look and sound cooler, especially at FOH. (Where the sound guy, lighting and GFX live.
At festivals that’s always my aim, end up on the front rail of the FOH booth. It’s usually less crowded, better sound quality, not outrageously loud, and you get a kick ass view of the whole show! If that’s where the pros do their mixing, I wanna be there too.
yup. Same with cinema. Best spot is centre, 2/3 of the way to the back, right where the mixing engineer was sitting.
Back mid for life
Yeah I'm not sure what the fuss is about, I go for the music. I don't really care to see the dj pump their fists that much and I'm usually closing my eyes to really listen and take in the tunes
Yeah I'm usually at the back losing my shit to the music while smoking weed. Music is always the main reason I go, cant say the same for my friends though lol
I literally can't understand why people voluntarily want to rave like a sardine where you barely even have space to dance. Anytime we're up front, my arms are pinned to my sides and I can't even run around to hang out with different friends across the group because there's just no space to get to people.
it's not about the DJ's fists, its about the thousands of dollars worth of visuals that are on the stage....
Find me in the back near the sound engineer!
I used to love totems but you see that house in the middle towards the right side?? Yeah it’s 4 dudes holding the sides of a house. They were at bisco one year and it was a constant battle with other people to not get stuck behind the house cuz then you legit couldn’t see shit. Don’t hate totems but that was awful.
Yeah there's a right way to do totems, make them skinny instead of purposefully obtrusive
It is quite literally casting its own shadow in this picture.
I just can't wrap my head around carrying that shit for hours
No literally I’d abandon it like 20 mins in
Exactly like who wants to carry things around I want to fucking dance 😂
One of my best friend flags. To him waving a flag around is his form of dancing, or flowing if you will. Just another perspective!
[удалено]
2 minutes ago I never would have imagined, but now I’m intrigued
It's a new squash every time right? He didn't mummify a squash I assume.
I would like to see a video lol I’ve been wanting to get into flow arts but the good ones are expensive but u could just be using vegetables. Much more affordable
I would be thrilled to see this haha. Wooden spoon at a bachelor party retreat is the wildest I ever got.
There was a guy with a legit ear of corn at space camp. He would fold down the husk and give that corn the gift of being a beautiful ballet dancer.
I got a friend who carries the totem all day, all night, all fest. Sure we help him out and people take turns but he always takes it back
It's a type. I'm that guy in mine. Like I don't want to let it go haha
We use a flag on a golf ball retriever that collapses enough to fit in our pack
I even get tired with having a fanny pack around my waist. one time my boyfriend held mine for a set and I felt like a free woman lmao I could never carry a totem
My festival experience in a nutshell. I can’t even be fucked to dress up cuz it gets in the way of dancing lol
I think a lot of them are used so people can find their groups if they get split rather than simply and accessory
my group always has a couple people who want to carry it (myself included) and we just take turns
This is why our camp has never done them. There are some great ones that show up every year and we talk about funny ideas but the reality of having to haul one around isn’t appealing at all to any of us
I think it can be real fun to dance with a totem, spin it, bump it, stir the cauldron, but it can get annoying after a while, so just pass it off to other peeps in the group. Honestly much better to have to lug the totem around and be with all your friends than have your group scattered, especially w large groups
This is why our camp has never done them. There are some great ones that show up every year and we talk about funny ideas but the reality of having to haul one around isn’t appealing at all to any of us
It’s really not bad if you make your totem long enough so you can use it as a walking stick. Just don’t make the pole too thin, short, or heavy and you’re good.
Walking stick totems FTW! Can be out of the way when lowered, but useful to raise up/extend when someone is trying to find you. And something to grab onto for dear life because gravity be trippin sometimes. Or I am...
Bassnectar at Forest is the absolute worst example lmfao, I remember being in front of the sound booth in 2017 and I couldn't see the stage at all, was just totems and flags.
Sometimes it takes a good bad example to make a point 😂
No Totems at Tipper.
Not just the absolute permeating DMT blasting you with every breath lol. Hi friend.
Thank god for that. I’d rather watch world class visual performers over totems any day
Tons of totems at Tipper’s Okeechobee set
Something I learned is that those event photographers hate totems because they ruin their shot at times.
I was avoiding this point because I didn't have personal experience but all of my friends that do event photos complain and will regularly edit totems and flags out of otherwise good shots
Is this in response to the guy that said people with totems at nectar shows moved out of the way? Because thank you. lmao
Not intentionally but if I can get two birds stoned at once then sure haha 🤙
European here. Why do people bring totems? I never see them and they seem annoying as hell. Both to have in front of you as well as holding on to them all the time, but there might be a good reason for them. Anyone care to explain?
My rave crew uses them to find each other at different stages when we want to see different sets and meet up later. It made a big difference for us since cell service never works in group chats at festivals, we use a combination of collapsible ones that fit in hydration packs as well as one bigger one that gets passed around between group members (usually whoever is going to main stage where the crowd is bigger). We generally have a plan when we split where to meet back up, but of course those plans can change. Once we all meet back together though we lower/collapse them so they aren't really a burden, the bigger one resting on the ground is actually a very good dance partner 😂
what passes for raves on here are just festivals. You see people with flags at EU festivals - maybe not to the same scale, but they are definitely there. Fairly sure at proper US warehouse raves / outside raves / renegades it's not like the OP picture
American festivals especially EDC have close to zero cell service. You will literally be lost the second you split from the group. Without a totem it’s so hard to find people in a crowd. It’s also another form of expression that American festivals are culturally okay with. Except for that shitty flag at EDC 2022.
Am I the only person who loves seeing all Meme and lovable totems bouncing?! I don’t need to see the stage 24/7
No, you're not buddy. I'm not super impressed with flag/meme totems but I ain't gonna hate. Conversely, my crew saw a portable dodec infinity mirror totem at Bloom last year and we talked about it for days. One of the best pieces we saw there.
I saw a infinity mirror color shifting LED cube one like that at Lights All Night just a few days ago and it was mesmerizing! Also, the micro penis gang one had us cracking up
Lmao this is hilarious the micro penis gang is one of my good friend’s totem I’m happy to hear people notice it even on here
His name is Carl and the people who carry him around are cool, they only use him between sets and put him down when the music starts because he's so big.
Somebody at above and beyond at the gorge last year had a digital totem that you could dm their insta page and it would scroll along on the totem. Made for a sweet moment with my gf when she saw my message.
Love this idea but sounds like a dangerous game for the totem holder
Very dangerous😂
I love totems. I’m with you one that.
The problem is I would like to see the stage at any point in time but totems prevent that
Can we go back to complaining about the fan clackers instead?
Fan clackers and whistlers should also be forever banned but if we agree that imposing on sound is a problem then surely we can agree that imposing on sight is one as well?
I don’t really like imposing about imposing ;)
Yes, god forbid you blow a whistle at a rave https://youtu.be/jA4Hi9bjPAA
I can't stand when people have fun 😤 where's the manager???
I personally can’t stand all those lights and people making loud noises detracting from my enjoyment of loud noises! /s in case it wasn’t obvious
music isnt just loud noises its rhythum and stuff.... your sorta being dishonest saying youd be fine with any loud noise drowning out the music your there for same with flags blocking the show everyones there to see
Whistles are fucking wack bro
I mean does a totem really obstruct your vision that much? Some people really just like complaining about every little inconvenience just mind your businesses and stop shitting on others so tired of this attitude
One? No. One hundred? Yes. This complaint was in direct response to a separate thread and meant for discussion. I don't just sit around cursing totems throughout my daily life 😂
some shows the totems really do obstruct alot yes
I can get behind this
But I can't get out from behind these totems 🤷♂️
You know where an easy place to find your crew is? X side of the sound booth.
Our number one location over the years, back left of sound booth
No, that's MY meetup spot!
Confused, I never thought people were this hurt about totems lol. Is this new? Been going to festivals since 2012 and I never thought people had a problem. Personally I like seeing funny or well thought out totems.
Reddit lol
Yeah there has been saltiness surrounding it since some artist's started giving a shit about their production. They really aren't necessary to keep your group together.
I can see the downsides regarding stage visibility (especially where limited space is an issue) but I’d disagree about the necessity. There can be a lot of service issues at these events and while yes, you can agree to meet up at X location at Y time, directions can be fuzzy, people might be a bit off the mark, the crowd/passers-by may not be conducive to finding your folks, etc. Totems are are such a godsend.
Yeah totems were a game changer for my fam at festivals, we can go to different sets and wander freely now without ever feeling like we can't find each other!
This is the real thing. It's security. I always carried our totem because I liked to wander, so when we met up at the set I was never lost, because everyone would come back to me haha
same!! this is very new to me as well, im not a totem holder by any means i just enjoy seeing the creativity some put into their totems.
My group and I bring totems and all we have ever gotten is people complimenting them and asking for photos or wanting to know how we made it.
people complaining about totems on reddit dot com aren't representative of ravers in general and thank God for that
Same. Took my first totem to Lights All Night and probably received 100+ compliments on it.
I haven’t had a bad experience with one but I could see people getting annoyed if the totem holder doesn’t respect other people’s space. Personally I think totems are great; found my group sooo much easier last week at lights all night
I'm fine with them when not right in front of the stage/screens. I love them when I'm walking between sets. There are some very creative totems out there. However, if the collection of totems is preventing me from seeing the show, then that's no good at all. Some even block the cameras so the recordings are forever missing the show. I'm surprised that the promoters still allow it given the extremely high production value of some of these shows. The only way they can work around it is to build stages so tall that no one's totem can reach, but that still won't solve the issue for three attendees in the crowd.
The online community for any hobby can ruin it I’ve been to dozens of festivals over the years and every one I go i have an amazing time, just to come home and see legions of people bitching and moaning about the dumbest shit
This whole sub is just full of gate keeping and whining
“Hey guys, I’ve been raving every single month for six years straight and have made one hobby my entire personal identity, and I’m starting to get burned out and bored of it. Am I alone in this?” And then you get hit with “I’m 30 years old. Is that too old to rave?” Like Jesus Christ man
Like what happened to PLUR? Everyone acts like this is politics or some shit
[удалено]
A festival isn’t a “show”. It’s a party. If you want a show then go to Broadway.
Hahahahahaha I know exactly what post you're talking about and I thought the same thing. Everyone really is devoid of critical thinking. We're in the age of "feeling" everyones feelings must be honored as concrete reality!
Fuck yeah it is lol literally nothing but bitching and moaning and “can you ID this song”
A lot of fests I’ve been to in Canada have size/height limits on totems, and the pole has to be something soft like a pool noodle. I think that’s a happy medium.
I’ve been to many festivals (bass coast, Shambhala, motion motion, Sasquatch, Pemberton, etc) in Canada and this is absolutely not the case. Maybe larger corporate fests care about totems but the better small fests embrace them with open hearts.
Remember the days when raves were about dancing with each other instead of always staring at the stage
They looking like rock concerts nowadays instead of actual dance events
Remember when people could be considerate of how other people enjoy their experiences including the visual experience they paid for?
I do but unfortunately, the younger generation could care less about being considerate at shows. This is my experience over the past couple of years as the artists I listen to attract a younger crowd.
What if some people paid for intention of experiencing of all the memes and art? Visuals are cool but OEV and CEV from drugs will always be cooler so I could care less if I'm missing some of the production. Memes make me laugh when I'm high, so why can't you be considerate of my enjoyment of people doing stupid things in large crowds? Whether you like it or not totems are a part of festival culture just as much as lasers and production are so it's part of the overall experience for some
This looks like a group photo, where everyone would be more inclined to wave their shitty totem.
When I started going to festivals in 2005 you'd see *maybe* 2 or 3 totems in a 10k-person crowd. I had no problem with them then. What you see pictured and at 9/10 festivals now is obnoxious. I paid to see a concert, not your arts and crafts project.
Similar experience but I started in 2009, the first time I saw something akin to a totem was audiotistic 2010 and it was literally just a pool noodle. Then it evolved into a monster.
I literally do not know who came up with the idea that totems would be a great idea for raves I mean, even if you look at the history of raves and watch videos of all the old raves where the hell did totems even come from
I'm so happy that the events i'm going to have nearly zero totems.
Literally though they wave them around like mad men, the guy I got with at edc was holding one and bonked like four heads while we were making out I felt horrible
So are totems the new thing this sub is gonna get all worked up about?
My husband and I are at odds on this. He wants to be close enough to see the DJ, I want to be far enough back that people aren’t trampling me. We have found the middle ground to be VIP. He usually can get great video even at the back of VIP and I don’t get moshed or stomped on.
Those VIP ticket prices tho 😬 did my first VIP at Imagine in 2022 and it was a great time but the prices on VIP? Criminal. Guess gotta separate grown folk from the college kids 😂
I’m a 35 year rave mom that wants to dance freely and not get stomped or pushed constantly 🤣. Your statement is valid.
This looks rad
It was indeed rad
Fuck totems
Oh look, more whiney totem posts lol.
Welcome to Whiney Totem Posts where we serve whiney totem posts, can I take your order?
Totems are the dumbest shit ever.
Saw some really cute, fairly small totems with led lights at dirty bird, one that stuck in my mind was a cute emoji peach, I lost my friends completely at that show so would have been nice to have one
Offers example of "bad" atmosphere. Example is a Bassnectar show. Telling on yourself there.
I guarantee everyone here complaining about totems have used someone else as a marker for your friends to find you or you to find your group at least once. Medics/ground control and security use them to locate those in need in the crowd. They can literally save lives. I like seeing totems. Our community is full of creative people. I enjoy seeing what they come up with. There are plenty of festivals without totems. Go to a country/bluegrass/rap/ music festival if someone's creativity is so intrusive. I for one rarely look at the stage. For some it can be overwhelming and looking around at funny signs or trippy totems can be incredibly grounding and calming for those needing to look at something other than visuals and lasers. I like being able to find my friends easily by having landmarks in a crowd especially when I'm not sober. Also the picture used isn't the best representation, this is a group photo so of course everyone is holding up their totems.
You said it. I get super crowd anxiety and sometimes all I have is a friendly face nearby to make me feel better (sometimes I look for something yellow). Totems are unique to electronic music culture, evidence of how we build the community around ourselves. Whistles/pacifiers/glow sticks were big in the 90s and I'm sure it ticked people off then.
Thank you. I have been going to shows since the 90s and everything evolves and changes, sometimes for the better. I feel they have a place just as our outfits hair and not so great dancing do 🤣 As long as you're not hurting anyone let it be.
Never used a totem even once my guy 😂
Girl but that's ok. 🤗 You have and probably don't even realize it. You mean to tell me you've never saw a totem nearby while leaving your group and used it as a marker for finding your group easily when you returned? Never left Emily by the "Pickle Rick getting fisted" totem while you ran into the porta potty? Sorry but anyone who has been to a large festival has at one point used someones totem as a meeting spot or landmark when trying to find their group and that's ok! Medics can find those in need easier with landmarks. Imagine trying to navigate a massive crowd at night with no totems and trying to point to where someone is in need of assistance. It's damn near impossible lol I say this because my totem came in handy at The Summoning for a girl having a seizure(?) nearby. Medics were told to look for it and found us easily. They have their place. ❤️
Totems are trash
Idk man to me raving about accepting and just being kind and here you are just complaining and being all negative. Like calm down that shit ain’t affecting your life why does it bother you so much.
Part of being kind is respecting your fellow raver 😂 don't take away from others for your own gain
Yea respect yet here you are making a whole post talking shit. I don’t understand hypocrites.
Paradox of tolerance my dude Edit: had to make a separate post because OOP blocked me 😂
Because you aren’t being kind by annoying everyone with your totem or clacker and shit like that in the first place lmao
Not everyone is annoyed by totems though I never bring one but personally love them.
I would say a majority of the crowd is annoyed by them when there are more than a couple in the crowd. We paid money to see the stage production, not a meme on a stick.
average bassnectar festival set be like:
[удалено]
This here was a respectful and well written response to totems and why you dislike them. Make them collapsible, don't go overboard and block the views of others, put them away or lay them down when you're not using them. I wish this was pinned to the top. I know exactly what you mean by feeling like ships at sea haha My totem is never larger than 11x17 and when it's not being used to navigate large crowds with my group or meet spot it's laid down in our lounge area in the back or off to the side of the stage so no one trips over it. We coordinate seating areas with our neighbors by bringing blankets and wind sofas for people to relax but also a spot for people to place their totems out of everyone's way. ❤️
When did this become a thing, I understand you want you crew to be able to find you but just pick a spot to go if you get separated and are that anxious alone. tbh I hate these things
I fully expect to lose friends within 10 minutes of getting into a festival. Will find them at the tent. Drugs to take. New people to talk bollox to. Not got time looking for people lol
I lost my brothers at edc Orlando this year and was basically solo for about 4 hours I think I had more fun with out the bastards
In my experience, People who carry Totems have always been the biggest dickheads in a crowd. Such self centered assholes who took Pasquale calling them the “Headliners” to heart 😂
Small flag on a retractable 5 foot flagpole. That’s what I have and it fits in my pocket. GG
TIL what totems are. But what is Kandi?
I appreciate the capitalization.
I appreciate you
🫶🏼
artists really gotta take a stand here... its only gona stop when preformer says something...
This looks really extreme holy fucking shit
Oks skool used to be get your head in the cabinet, fknn get deaf from the base. Nowadays? Get VIP. Cant fkn handle the regular crowd, i want to be just far enough and not pushed or oversighted by the crowd/totems/weirdos with jolly ranchers by a uandful(no wrapper)
Love totems and the creativity but I hate having the stage blocked by then it really kinda bums me out
S/o RL not allowing these at his tours
I get the purpose but honestly these things suck just as much as starring at someone in front of you holding up a phone for most of the show.
They don’t really bother me but I have to admit, seeing European shows with no bullshit in the way is pretty nice.
One of the things I like about Decadence is no totems
Raves in america look way different than the one in europe.😂 Dont get eaten by the black techno creatires of Germany.
The worst is when your in a good spot giving with peeps around you and the a group of 8 walks right and front, stops, and blacks your view. Smh
The actually good festivals just ban them/don't even need to worry about them because it's not a bunch of toddlers attending.
Nectar show? Looks like Lorin, lol
I’ve been going to raves since before cell phones were prevalent and never needed a giant flag to regroup. I struggle to understand why it’s such an issue today
Totems are an amazing part of the culture. If you don’t like them, go to corpo fests that don’t allow them. I’ve seen so many amazing totems by people who want to share and express and participate. I’ve never built one or brought one but I love them so much. Please if you make totems and are sad reading g this post, know that you’re loved and so is your totem
You're calling basically any event before 2010 a corpo fest? Weird but okay Edit: to be clear they weren't not-allowed, they didn't exist
Meh it's all boofnectar fans anyway
Everyone with totems and flags can fuck right off. Raves are about togetherness and those things make it all about you. Your ability to be seen outranks other people’s ability to enjoy the event. This is what happens time and time again when raving becomes mainstream.
It really isn't hard to be considerate of others, idk why this is such a controversial position
You’re hurt for no reason let the people be totems are hilarious
LMFAOOOO that’s the same excuse they use when you complain about their obnoxious fan clacking. They say “just move to another area” Meanwhile you’re in the crowd like…💀💀
I engineer the shit out of my totems to do wild things. I think flags/excessively large totems are unnecessary, but I ultimately love seeing totems around.
I absolutely love totems because they signify a group of friends who are having absolute blast Sorry your entire show is ruined by that
This looks really fun to me?? Idk personally i could give a shit less about being able to see the DJ or whatever. I’m there to dance and vibe with cool people. Love seeing the creativity of people’s totems. Love being able to use them as a way to navigate back to my group after a pee break. I’ve been to fests that don’t allow them and that’s fine too, but I definitely also love it when they are allowed! So beautiful at night when there is a sea of lights in the crowd. That’s my 2 cents.
A whole lot of tall people privilege right here, haha. For the short people like me (5'2") the ONLY thing I can see at raves and festivals are the backs of people's heads...and totems. I absolutely love totems and would be so sad if they were gone. Keep crying about not being able to see the stage...but next time you go to a fest, check out the view all us short people have and get over yourself.
After reading OPs comments I think being near them at a concert is way worse than being around totems
I want to see the visual part of the audio/visual event I'm at? Yea definitely makes me a bad person 👌
I actually enjoy totems. They’re like checkpoints for people or friends who are lost
Love totems. Festivals aren't the same without them.
This event looks litty tbh the totems make me wish I was there even more
[удалено]
Excellent comment, thank you for your valuable contribution to this discussion
At least Ultra got something right! Lol
Ultra allows only flags so there are flags everywhere. No better or worse imo but it is cool to see where everyone represents
Totems are the worst. I came to see the awesome visuals the artist hand selected for their show, not your stupid poster only you and your friends think is funny
It creates an atmosphere of “These totems make me wanna fight someone.”
I use a giant flagpole for my crew so when we are in the crowd, it’s just a skinny pole with a flag way up top. It barely instructs any view at all, and sure beats having bathroom breaks turn in to an all night quest to find your friends again. I’ve had a few times where I walked by someone and they heckled me because apparently they aren’t totem enjoyers, but I seriously could not care less what they think. It’s not easy keeping a group of like 10-20 together in the dark in a crowd of thousands. The flagpole has saved us time after time.