Whirly-Gig!

This article originally appeared in Tearaway Magazine (1990s)

Whirly fanatic’s novice guide to doing it yourself…

Whirly = ecstatic highvibe dance with spiralling motions

WHY A WHIRLY GIG??

• Whirling gets you on a natural high – and doesn’t give you a hangover
• More than just ‘a party’ – no more sitting around staring at each other
• Great way to meet people – on and off the Whirling zone
• Freedom feeling – Whirl all you like
• Fun exercise – the easiest and best there is
• Whirling is spoken on every country on Earth – handy for when you go overseas
• It can last for hours – the best Whirly-Gigs last until sunrise
• Whirling is environmentaly friendlier – a good Whirl cuts down on heating
• An excuse to dress up – nothing is too outrageous at a Whirly-Gig

GOOD MUSIC FOR WHIRLING

Whirl-Stylee

Techno – Varietee
Raggamuffin Dancehall – Bouncee
Trance – Trancee
Jungle / Drum’n'Bass – Deeplee
Reggae – Cruisee
Dub – Mellowlee
Hip Hop – Coolee
Bhangra – Flamboyantlee
Rave – Trippilee
Latechno (Latin techno) – Livelee
Grunge – Furiouslee
Soukous (from Africa) – Spiralee
Cumbia (from Colombia) – Swingee
Celtic (from Ireland, Scotland, Quebec) – Skippee
Disco – Sparklee

HOW TO KILL A GOOD WHIRLY

Alcohol – take it easy as this will take your Whirl into a downward spiral
Aggression – Whirling needs to be fed plenty of positive upvibe sounds
Excessive Noise – A good Whirler can’t whirl as well with damaged eardrums
Sleaze – A Whirler needs freedom of expression, so keep your hands and thoughts to yourself
Segregation – A Whirler sees everybody as groovy, especially if they are being groovy

GETTIN` THE WHIRL SPINNIN`

Because a Whirly-Gig is more than just an average party it takes a little bit of enthusastic planning and creativity. The basic ingredients of a Whirly-Gig are:

(1) Good dance music
(2) A decent sound system
(3) Creative psychedelic lighting
(4) A good-vibe venue

Because it’s not first or last, or exactly in the middle, we’re going to start with ingredient No.3…

PSYCHEDELIC LIGHTING!

Lighting helps create a ‘nightclub’ atmosphere wherever you’re at, and depending on your budget you can have anything from lazerbeams to desk lamps. But you don’t need to go overboard – in fact the most effective lighting is often the simplest.(Look under ‘HIRE’ in the yellow-pages, and find those places which mention lighting or entertainment. Phone up several places and get them to send you a list of the lights they have for hire, and the prices. Most hire-places require you to pick up and drop off the gear when you’ve finished, and most charge on a per-day (usually meaning overnight) rate. They will charge you extra if you bring them back late. Always read the small print and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Whirly good lights to hire…

ULTRA-VIOLET BLACKLIGHTS

These make white and fluoro objects glow in the dark! Cost to hire is usually around $10 each. You need just one if you’re holding a small Whirly-Gig at your home, but in a hall or garage you might need up to three or four.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

Psychedlic Face-Paint! Paint crazy designs on your friends faces, arms and legs for extra groovy effects under the UV lights. What you need is luminous poster-paint which comes in small jars from stationers and art-suppliers. About $3 per jar. If you want to go further you can also use it to paint posters to put up on the walls, and on bits of string which you can leave dangling from the roof, or make into spider-webs – let your imagination go wild!

Shredded Paper: Shredded white paper is most excellent for covering the floor. Like ‘virtual snow’ it glows like neon under the UV lights. Track down a local printer or look under office-supplies in the yellow-pages, and you’ll eventually track down somebody with a paper-shredder in your area. Most places will be happy to give the shredded paper to you for free.

STROBE LIGHTS

For full-on dancing strobe lights are still a huge favourite. Be aware that some people cannot handle strobes for long-periods, so it pays to use it only in short bursts. The correct way to use a strobe is to point it towards a wall or the roof (away from the dancer’s eyes). The light will then bounce off and still look just as groovy. They cost around $15 to hire.

PIN SPOT SCANNERS

Basically just a bright light which rotates a beam around the room. You can also place a coloured gel over the bulb to create the atmosphere you desire. About $10 each to hire.

If you are working on a non-existent budget then you can also create your own creative lighting out of desk-lamps, and ordinary household light bulbs. Paint the bulbs with coloured paint, decorate them with coloured gels, or cover them with scarves to create an ambient glow.

On the other hand, if you’ve got money to burn then you may want to splash out on something special. Here’s a few special effects and lighting most places have for hire, along with the rough price.

• Lazer beams – $40 – (best used with a mirror-ball – aim the lazer at the mirror ball and it’ll bounce off in crazy directions!)
• Mirror ball – $25 – (hang securely from the roof)
• Bubble machine – $25 – (blows it’s own bubbles!)
• Smoke machine – $35 – (plus the cost of the smoke ingredients)
• Helicopter – $25 (coloured lights which spin around)
• Crazy flower – $50 – (makes flower effects in time with the music)
• Roboscans – $75 – (a variety of effects in time with the music)

A QUICK SQIZ AT SOUND

GETTING SOUNDWISE

No matter how fancy your venue, DJ, or lighting, without good sound your Whirly Gig will FLOP like a fish on Mars. But a wicked sound does NOT mean loud. The ultimate dance PA has freshness and clarity, can be heard from all corners of the dance floor, and has a hint of luscious bass you can feel deep in your bones.HOW BIG? This depends on the size of your venue and the number of people you’re expecting. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, but here’s a rough guide to what you need.

• No. Whirlers Suitable Sound System Approx cost to hire
• 1-50 Your home stereo! Free if you already own one
• 50-150 Pair of composite speakers $100
• 150-300 Two bass bins and two top/mid-range speakers $150
• OR Four composite speakers
• Preferred system – with four speakers the music surrounds the dancers and volume can be kept low without destroying the bass. This keeps Whirlers happy plus keeps Noise Control off your back! $200
• 300 plus Concert series PA $300+

NOTE – All systems must come with an AMP, cables, and where necessarily, speaker stands.

SOUNDING OUT THA JARGON

• AMP = Amplifier. The unit which boosts the sound from your stereo or DJ mixer to give the PA enuff punch!
• PA = Public Address (a short name for the whole system including speakers, amplifiers, cables etc)
• Composites = A unit containing both low-frequency (bass) and high-frequency (treble) speaker cones
• Top/Mid = The higher (sharper) frequencies
• Bass Bins or Sub Woofer = A kick-ass bass low-frequency speaker
• Concert series = A huge unit with many different sorts of speaker cones

WHERE CAN I GET A SOUND SYSTEM?

Most of you will need to hire a PA system, but before you do anything ask around. If you’re at school or university they may have their own PA which they may let you use for free if your Whirly Gig is community-oriented (or they might hire it to you at a student discount rate). Speak with your local district or city council – they often have systems available for community events – or will have some good contacts. Finally get on the ( and look under ‘HIRE’ in the yellow-pages, and find those places which mention sound-hire or entertainment. Phone up several places and get them to send you a list of the systems they have for hire, and the prices. Most hire-places will drop-off and pick up the PA at your venue, and should also set it up for you. Most charge on a per-day (usually meaning overnight) rate. Make sure you get an after-hours phone number in case the sound system breaks down in the middle of your gig (it can happen!). They should come immediately and unless you’ve done something really stupid should fix the problem for free. I recommend you don’t hire from anybody who claims otherwise. Always read the small print and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

THE VENUE

OK – we’ve got the music, the lights, and a sound-system – and a good bunch of people rearing to whirl the night away. So where do we put them all?

YOUR HOME

Often the cheapest and friendliest environment – an average lounge will hold about 30 people. It’s a good idea to only invite people you know personally – it’s your home after all!

WAREHOUSE FLATS

Some of the very best parties are held in mid-city warehouse-style flats. These often have large spaces (enough for several hundred people), with plenty of room for dancing, and you will be able to go overboard creating a wicked dance environment!

GARAGES

Here you’ll have few worries about people wrecking the carpet!

HALLS

Your local community hall is a good option, but you may be charged a hire fee. The fee should also include cleaning and most places charge between $50 and $100.

OUTSIDE

The ultimate in whirlying! But full of potential problems. Firstly you need suitable weather, a power-source to run the sound-system (be safe with power cables), and place isolated enough to avoid annoying the neighbours with that infectious dance beat.

A PUBLIC WHIRLY GIG? – KNOW THE LAW

If you plan to make your Whirly-Gig open to the public then there’s some legal stuff you should be aware of. For example – you must have well lit Fire Exit signs, a Fire Extinguisher, and alcohol is illegal unless you have a license (so it’s often not worth the hassle). Call your local Community Law Centre to find out what you need to make your party safe and legal – or there’s a good chance you’ll get busted. The cops are pretty onto it, so don’t be surprised if they make a visit. But as long as the vibe is positive and you’ve made an effort to stick within the law, they’ll leave you to have fun.