This book is a detailed and close examination of the rave club drugs market as it took place in nightclubs, dance parties, pubs and bars and among friendship networks in London, in the mid to late 1990s. It focuses on the organizational features of drugs purchasing and selling and differentiates anonymous drugs trading in public nightclub settings, from selling among extended networks of friends and others. The stories of different people and friendship groups illustrate the varied drug selling roles and highlight the enterprise and entrepreneurship supporting their involvement.

Told from the perspective of author's own membership in this night-time leisure culture, and embracing the disciplines of urban sociology and cultural criminology, this book contributes to our knowledge of recreational drugs markets and night-time leisure cultures. It will be of interest to students and academics with interests in these fields, as well as the many other people whose lives became a part of this vibrant leisure scene.

Reviews

'This is a fine study and the investment in ethnographic research over a period of five years in the field yields a rich dividend in data and valuable insight. The theoretical framework employed relates the data to other contemporary approaches to recreational drug consumption in thoughtful and illuminating ways. The energy generated through the adoption of Thatcherite entrepreneurial values is evaluated very well and, as Ward suggests, there are important insights to be gained from examining the ‘business end’ of the dance and rave phenomenon.'

-Paul Manning, University of Winchester, UK, in Crime, Media, Culture vol 8 no 2

Contents

1. Introduction: rave club culture. Ethnography. Theoretical foci. Introductory chapter and book content. Defining the terms. The UK rave club culture: an overview. Drug use among clubbing populations. Rave club drugs markets. Theorisations of rave club culture. My entry into studying theub culture. Key character introductions 2. Organisation of the London rave club scene. London rave club venues and events. Research sites and venues. Club London: a commercial rave dance nightclub. Lush: a small venue club night. Tylers: a small venue club night. Venus Group parties: a moving dance party organisation. The Pace Bar: a pre-club/DJ bar. Thrash parties: a free-party group. Summary 3. Friendship network drug-use styles. Joe's free-party group and poly-drug use. A group of young Australasians and heavy ecstasy use. Andy: a sustained drug user. Tom's group: an older group of clubber's drug use. Extended clubbing sessions and drug taking. Clubbing and increasing cocaine use. Rave club lifestyles and health problems. Mental ill-health and drug use. Summary 4. Drug selling in London rave clubs. Drug selling in nightclubs. Andy and Joe as organisers of club selling. Summary 5. Social network drug selling. Robin as a social network dealer. Joe as an example...