Stark Raving Mad (aka Some Stuff I Did At A Place)

Here's a few pics of a show we did for a rave recently. You'll have to pardon the resolution, these were taken by a couple friends and I just copy/pasta'd from facebook.. More to follow as I find them. My partners supposedly took some video footage, but it's not been forthcoming yet. The last pic is actually a video if you click on it (sorry it's kind of crappy)..

Enjoy!











Projectors are 2x 1.2W 445nm systems, 1x 1.6W green system, and while it can't be seen in the pics there is a 1.2W RGB system doing graphics on the screen inside the oval truss. The systems are being controlled by 2x FB3 (one split off to the two blue projectors) and 1x Sound Card DAC.

Pretty hot man, thanks for sharing this with us.

Time to put the screws on for that video, it looks like an awesome show.

nice pix. it looks like a good rave venue we have out here called Avalon.

Pretty Sweet Pic's. The last one is my Favorite so far.

Tnx guys! So far all I've been able to get in terms of video is a crappy phone recording, but it's in the OP nonetheless, just click the last picture. I'm cameraless at the moment, mine was dropped not long ago.. but it SUCKED is far as taking laser pictures.. it always altered the color of everything.

Good job EF You know if you are going to keep doing this you are going to have to get a moving picture camera so you can properly share

Awesome pics!!! Where do you do lasers for raves every now & then if you dont mind me asking..? I've played raves all over the US for almost 20 yrs, just curious if we've ever been in the same venue before :beer:

2nd from last pic my fav BTW... the 'at the speed of light' timing where your picture catches the stagetop lasers going from 445 to 405 in the same beam......... wow! :drool:

Thanks Jeff! I need a good camera, that's for sure.. but I'm not wanting to spend much over $200 when I finally do buy a replacement so my options are limited.

@danefex: Well, if you've been all over the US then I'm sure we have been, but probably not while I've been involved with laser shows. That's been a recent development we've been working on for a little over 2 years.. it's just now coming to fruition. I have been involved with raves here in MO for well over a decade though, in one capacity or another. Is danefex your stage name as well?

Yes my stage name is Dan Efex. My website has a small group of flyers from past shows I've played at, but not all of them. You must have heard of the Superstars of Love, or 'All Time High'. Both are based out of Missouri & I've played at least 5 or 6 S.O.L shows before

After 20 years of dj'ing though I'm liquidating my record collection (~$20k worth of vinyl) so I can invest in controllers, ect. I envy your position because I hope someday to return to rave parties again, only this time setting up lasers instead of working in the dj booth :beer:

nice.. I'm very familiar with Superstars yes.. but I haven't heard much from them lately. They threw some legendary parties here years ago. I've likely watched you play before lol! Small world..

They're very controversial, I would be surprised if they're still promoting shows OR if 'All Time High' still did performances.

For anyone that's not familiar with All Time High, (most of you Im guessing) - this was a group of people doing eff'd up stage performances at raves soley for 'shock value'.

Some of their shows I've seen before would start off with a girl who appeared to be OD'ing on drugs & calling out for help. They'd have medics come out wearing creepy clown makeup, ect & take her onstage to start reviving her. During this process, they grope her, undress her, slap her around, yell at her, ect - - it's all part of the show. Of course if you didn't know this you'd be standing there with the sickest feeling in your stomach now knowing WTF to do.

This was just their opener too folks, just to get everyone's attention. Things only got worse & more eff'd up from there. People dressed as teletubbies would start staggering out onto stage in oversized, worn down costumes - followed by alien dominatrix's with bloody whips, knives and attitudes against everyone 'staring in shock at WTF they're watching'. Before you know it, old cartoon characters from your past that don't intermix (disney characters, betty boop, alien puppets with sex toys, bikers, ect) start an orgy on stage that later turns into a fight with someone nearly getting killed.... again.

Shock value. It was all part of the show. All Time High is by far one of the most messed up things I've ever seen in my life. They've been arrested several times before, they're banned from going certain places...just crazy.

Anways EF - sorry for the rant I will just never forget SOL or ATH shows - - and those shocking images that flash in my head whenever Missouri comes to mind :beer:

I've never heard of All Time High.. but that's no surprise as they don't sound like the sort of folks I would associate with. They remind me of the "parties" that this moron called GGJim would throw here.. highly depraved and pointless. I can't remember seeing that kind of stuff at Superstars' parties, but it's been YEARS since I even heard that name much less attended one of their events.

We're pretty choosy about who we do business with and we are professionals.. I have no interest in people who are incapable of professionalism.. It's an epidemic amongst rave promoters though, so there are really only a couple promoters here that have the ability to hire our services.

Well - SOL parties were'nt all like this. This was just ATH, who was affiliated with SOL & played only some of their events. I think David (the head of SOL, he used to carry around a childrens lunchbox with him everywhere, total candyraver) was the only one who'd take a risk hiring ATH & dealing with the aftermath, ect...

These were degenerate parties though EF... not legal, not dependable, not completely reflecting of the midwestern rave scene back then, ect... not generally my style. But I did work a lot of these shows & was forced to ride the 'tailspin' down with them when things went that way

Well it's nice to meet you again EF. Thanks for sharing those pics too I aspire to do what you're doing today with lasers sometime in my not so distant future :beer:

Epileptic-seizure-inducing awesomeness!

LOL! And surprisingly no one flopped out.. not that it never happens.