Is the Kiwi rave scene commercial?
I love getting missives from people who have stopped off at my little pocket of Cyberspace. I was sent this from Birds who asked:

"Is the rave scene still alive & kicking in Kiwiland? As an brit expat in Yankland, it's all a bit (very!) comercialised here compared to what I was weened on in the Summer of Love etc."

There is a rave scene in New Zealand but it's small, underground and most outdoor parties are off the beaten track in the South Island. I miss the European festival circuit and the UK free party scene, but something very special is growing right now in New Zealand. It feels like it did around the Summer of Love in the UK. Lots of little party crews clustering into networks, pooling resources and cross pollinating ideas. I've especially noticed it happening in the D&B & Psytrance scenes.

The most amazing thing for me is being at the forefront of it musically. Some of the demos given to us at the Full Circle are very exciting. I can't believe how lucky I am to be in the position to give them radio airplay and online distribution. Is the scene commercialised? Maybe in Auckland a little, but the further south you go the more Kiwi it gets. It's like moving back to a time where people were more laid back and cared less about money.