Posted by Greg Lamb 
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A few days ago, we did a Facebook post asking you whether or not LED gloves used for lightshows should be allowed back into events. Hundreds of users responded, and the majority opinion was that they should be allowed. One of our fans, Vinny DePola, got an actual official statement from one of the biggest event promoters in the industry: Insomniac Events.
We are really impressed that Insomniac took the time to issue this response to a single event-goer. Props Insomniac!
Here’s what they had to say:
From: Insomniac
Hey Vinny,
We have spent considerable time and efforts in Insomniac meetings discussing the pros and cons of attendees giving LED light shows at Insomniac events. Although there are many who use these lights as an art form, the image that it creates when groups of music fans are sitting or lying on the floor gazing at the designs reflects poorly and sends a false message of what the electronic dance music scene is about. This image jeopardizes our ability to produce events, which we love and plan on doing for decades to come. In addition, concerns have been raised about attendees sitting on designated dance floor areas and in walkways.
We’ve made many efforts to keep this to a minimum by introducing the “Get Up and Dance Crew”. These teams were organized to roam around the festivals to encourage people to not lay or sit in designated dance areas or emergency walkways. Unfortunately, this wasn’t as sufficient as needed.
In conclusion, LED gloves/LED microlights used for light shows will no longer be allowed into Insomniac events until further notice. Insomniac always strives to create a fun, music filled environment with state-of-the-art production and large-scale art installations that incorporate both artistic lighting and pyrotechnics. Our intentions are to keep the dance music scene healthy and respectable so we can continue to produce unique and memorable experiences for all of our fans to enjoy. For the time being, we ask that you please leave the light shows to us and contribute to the longevity of our beautiful scene.
40 Comments
Wow fuck this!
What is this country coming too? We can’t even
bring in gloves to raves? THA FUCK
They released these statements a long time ago. Insomniac not allowing gloves in has been going on since Edc 2011 guys. It’s like hard events, they don’t allow u to wear kandi cuz they don’t want their event stigmatized as raves.
my guess is you’ve never been to an actual rave. the events insomniac hosts are already the most commercial djs of dance music and why the US dance scene is a joke to the rest of the world
Insomniac hosts commercial artists, but they also host very ‘underground’ artists as well. Hawtin’s ENTER tour, a Hospitality Tour, and artists like Gaiser are HARDLY commercial artists at all.
“What is this country coming too?”
The country that allows private companies to enforce their own rules that they see fit? Gee, what a dictatorship!
Doesnt matter if you ban LED gloves, drug use at events will always be present. Its been apart of the culture within festivals since day one. By taking away this part of dance festivals, your taking away the interaction from festival goers and the music. Gloves or not festivals will always have a “drug image” place upon them. Wether it be fans laying on the floor looking at lights or fans sitting on the ground massaging each other, Dance festivals will always have this image. Just like rock and roll had “drug, sex and rockroll”, Electronic music festivals will have “E”. I believe by taking a way LED gloves, your taking away from the experience of dance festivals. I personally have been to 7 events and 6 of which did not accept LED gloves. By taking away LED gloves I feel as if you have taken away from the culture of dance music. I hope Insomniac reconsiders and once more allows LED gloves for fans to enjoy once more!
But isn’t the whole point of going to a festival is to experience the multi million dollar lighting and sound set up?To actually see your favorite DJs throw down sets and connect with each individual by dancing and having the time of your life? If you wanted to sit around and listen to really loud music and get lights waved in your face than stay home and save your money. Gloving is a beautiful art form, but personally in a festival setting its just not necessary. And also this is Electronic DANCE music!!!! FOR BASSGODS SAKE GET THE FUCK UP AND DANCE!!!
If you gloved, you would understand our POV
Lol look at you trying to define the point of music festivals
No, the whole point of going to a festival is not about experiencing the “multi million dollar lighting and sound set up.” Its about the music and its not even about dancing necessarily. Going to festivals and raving is about expressing yourself and gloving is also a part of that experience. You say get up and connect with other ppl? what do you think gloving is? Gloving is all about connecting with other ppl. Not just the ppl you give shows too but also connecting with other members of the gloving community. However ppl choose to express themselves at a festival is everyones choice. If you want to sit in the back and just listen thats fine! you want to be up front dancing thats fine! You want to just stand still in the middle of the crowd and let the music wash over you thats fine too! If you are saying that those who love to glove and make other ppl happy should stay home maybe you should look in a mirror
I don’t understand… is it because kids watching light shows are taking up space? and why wouldn’t they allow gloves at your camp sight?
Okay, so the real world analogy of their response goes something like this:
Clown wigs make people fat, the reason being is that people go to BIG D’s to get fat by watching clowns shake their clown wigs about, and they get so fat they block the exits which is a hazard. So after long and careful consideration, we’ve decided to ban clown wigs. This will ensure that fat people won’t block the emergency walkways.
(Now replace “Clown wig” with “LED gloves”, “Clowns” with “Glove Artists”, and “fat” with “high” then read it again)
It’s hard to see how stupid that course of action is until you put it in a slightly different light, then it’s crystal clear that someone should be fired.
I’m not young adult, or teen aged kid mocking you, I’m a grown adult with multiple successful companies that I own and operate, and I think IE needs to rethink their staffing choices. Someone is clearly lacking basic logic and intelligence… too much lying in the emergency walkways as a kid maybe? Cause I seriously doubt they were ever a glove artist.
Minus 1 props to Insomniac Events here – I was better off before I read their response, as I think the rest of the world was too.
You can’t expect too much from Insomniac. They’re just a big company designed to rip us off by charging outrageous ticket prices.
So what, you want EDC to cost 50$ and not have as much production as it does normally? Yeah, I don’t think so
we don’t go to events for the production, it’s all about the music if edc really was just stages with sum lights but great music thats all you need right there. Gloving, like raving, is done to express oneself
Personally I could care less about ferris wheels and rides. Keep all the stage production, make sure the operations of the event are well funded (to prevent crowd management issues etc), and bring in good music for the fans.
They are not being banned at all parties, ust Insomniac’s . If there weren’t so many spunions laying down in dangerous spots this wouldn’t even be an issue. Don’t get mad at the promoters.
“Oh hey, see that emergency exit over there for dipsh*ts being wheeled out after eating too many drugs?” “Ya.” Let’s take some finger dips and go lay in the middle of it and get a lightshow like a bunch of spuntards!” “great idea!”
You guys are idiots, everyone there still does drugs before and DURING the raves
This is 2 year old news. lol
i feel that the best lightshows i give dont come from spending time in front of the mirror, practicing and watching my hands in an attempt find what moves flow best with eachother, I just think too much! Instead what i have found to be most true for me is that the best shows come when my eyes are closed and im just meditating, feeling the moves as they come instead of forcing an outcome. Instead of seeing with my eyes; feeling with my heart and in doing so i get to pick and choose what my energy does and how it influences my set.. being in tune with yourself in the moment is a discipline. Because we are so used to letting the world tell us how we should think and feel we arent used to letting whatever comes up just come out. its a sad truth.. but when my eyes are closed i see more of the world than i ever could with them open, im not distracted by the world around me, or blinded by others negative energy, its just me and the gloves are an extension of me. When i truly allow myself to let go and just be who i am, THAT is when i have the best shows and THAT is when i am truly alive… Gloving is a part of who i am, and anyone who decides to venture into gloving should understand that it is more than just moving your hands in front of someones face. its dancing to the rhythm of who you are. its being connected to the energy of the universe and using the lights and the sounds as a weapon against all negativity. Gloving is Loving!
yes
this guy gets it.
I cant believe light shows are band from events/festivals now. Giving light shows is a way for someone to express themselves which is one thing I’ve always thought the scene to be about. Not everyone enjoys dancing or socializing the entire time especially when its such a big crown which now days it turns into a mosh pit when you try to get around in the middle. Laying or sitting down watching or giving a light show is awesome way to be able to relax at events and to meet new people or bond with your friends instead of being in the middle of hundreds of people. I know for me, every event I attend one of the things I look forward too the most (next to the music of course) is giving and receiving light shows! I reeaallly hope this issue gets resolved asap, Please give us back our light shows! <333 PLUR!
Who cares you dont need little LED lights to enjoy the party, if you do “need” them you obviously dont belong there. There really just very politely hinting to you guys that you look like retards and give us non retards a bad image. DaaaAAR Lights are PUuurdy!
If I may say- Light shows in peoples faces should be saved for the afterhours and house parties so that they ARE NOT SEEN IN PUBLIC. Undercover officer presence at events have gone up 200% in the last few years, and INSOMNIAC, in my opinion, is doing the right thing here. Why should a production company be at fault for looking horrible in the eyes of the public because kids have started abusing not only drugs, but lights as well- LED Gloves, Photon Lights, Glow Sticks, ect. Lights have become known to be used by “Ravers on drugs”. 10 years ago in Chicago, certain night clubs were banning Glow sticks and photon lights from coming inside for a few different reasons- one of them was for the same reasons INSOMNIAC has mentioned in the above statement. I know many of the people in the younger crowds will be upset, but being experienced in the scene, and seeing why some things happen the way they do, well, here is your reality check. Mind Fuck each other in the privacy of your own homes. Some of us are here for the music COMPLETELY.
This isn’t so bad. Light shows are for hunks anyway. Who even cares.
I’d like to see an event where cell phone jamming equipment is installed and infrared lighting is in use to blow out digital cameras. LOCKED DOWN AND LOCKED IN FOREVER.
Further separating the heritage and ideology of the rave from what we see it now. Raves and/or festivals are a place free of judgement and conformity, and allows you to express yourself in any way possible, being bare painted chests, exotic clothing, lights, and performances. That’s called culture. Once again i find society trying to solve problem A, by embracing a solution that attacks such innocence. Image?? Since when has the electronic music scene been about IMAGE? How are they making viable inherent connections between the light shows and drug use? Load of crap if you ask me.
Terrible.
these aren’t raves
they are american dance festivals
further
you dance at a rave.
I don’t get why anyone would ever sit down or stand still
at a dance festival
or even a show.
that’s stupid
Ppl can choose to express themselves however they want at a festival if they choose to sit than thats their personal choice and its not okay for you to berate anyone on how they choose to do so.
Your attitude is pretty much the opposite of PLUR.
I, for example, have a really bad back, despite being only 23. So, after a couple of hours of standing/dancing, my back starts to kill. I HAVE to sit, or I’m miserable. That’s why I like going to raves in sports stadiums that have seating around the floor.
Doesn’t mean I’m any less about the music/any less passionate about the scene.
Of course, that has nothing to do with the question of gloves, but your intolerant comment bothered me.
omg. people. ITS ABOUT HOW THE SCENE IS REFLECTED. Man oh man cant ya’ll read? Gloving is a fantastic and interesting art form but that doesnt mean that the majority of people outside of the scene dont look at it from a different point of view. It sucks but they have a good point. Leave the gloves for smaller shows.
I do understand the pain on the glovers side though. I would be quite upset myself if i wasn’t allowed to bring poi to events anymore.
GODDDD why does nobody understand this is about the culture!!! Being able to express yourself free of judgement and accepting others and their differences THATS WHAT RAVING IS REALLY ABOUT. Its not even about the music. Yes the scene and going to festivals should be about the music but its meaningless without the culture! If you just want thumping beats go to a club honestly. EDM in clubs sucks no one is friendly and its always “keep to yourself” vibes. Gloves have been a part of EDM much longer than having multi million stage production and state of the art sound set ups. This scene existed and thrived without any of that. It doesn’t need it. Raving and EDM have always been about expressing yourself however you want and just by dance. If you want to sit in the back or stand completely still in the crowd and let the music wash over you thats okay! so the real issue is Insomniac has taken away something that ppl love to express themselves with. you say you should get up and dance to connect with ppl? what do u think gloving is? Gloving is alll about connecting with ppl. Not just with the ppl you give shows to but there is a sense of community between all glovers. Yeah these may not be “raves” anymore but we can’t forget the roots of this scene that our favorite style of music was born in. Taking away gloves from events is not gonna make less ppl do drugs its simply a PR move to try and make EDM and festivals more socially acceptable by today’s society.
Buy a crappy set and sneak em in.. Done deal
And not everyone who throw and receives lightshows aren’t even fucked up lmao
This is just a way for Madison and insomniac to cover they’re ass. Drugs and lights will always be there
You know it is quite comical how Insomniac wants to pretend like they are in a privileged moral position to make correlations between drug use and the scene when their own fucking name carries a subliminal drug undertone to it. Hypocrisy at its finest let me tell you. Also funny how a majority want the art form to be present and yet they turn around and still issue a big fuck you to the idea. Way to cater to your patrons and eliminate any credibility you possessed on the subject. I saw plenty of glovers even with the ban in effect last year and no one was injured even in the middle of the crowds when festival goers were sitting down from what I saw. My best friend was giving light shows on the 3rd night in the middle of the crowd during Laidback Luke’s insane set and NOTHING happened. I walked all over that festival and there was plenty of free space even with 100,000 plus carnival goers so spare me the bullshit with your security diatribe.
“gazing at the designs reflects poorly and sends a false message of what the electronic dance music scene is about. ” <— I'm sure Pasquale Rotella being on trial for 29 counts of bribery, embezzlement, and conspiracy reflects a lot more poorly on the scene than gloves do